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{{Short description|Kiranti language of Nepal and India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox language
| name = Sunuwar
| nativename = सुनुवार, कोँइच, किराँती-कोँइच, मुखिया
| region = [[Nepal]]; [[India]] ([[Sikkim]] and [[West Bengal]])
| ethnicity = [[Sunuwar people|Sunuwar]]
| speakers = 37,898
| imagecaption = 'Kõica' in Jenticha script; 'Sunuwar' in Tikamuli and Devanagari script
| image = {{Photomontage|position=center
| photo1a = Shukla Sunuwar.svg
| photo2a = Shukla Sunuwar II.svg
| photo3a = Shukla Sunuwar III.svg
| size = 200
| spacing = 2
| color = 0
| border = 0
| foot_montage =}}
| date = 2011
| ref = <ref>[https://cbs.gov.np/wp-content/upLoads/2018/12/Volume05Part02.pdf 2011 Nepal Census, Social Characteristics Tables]</ref>
| familycolor = Sino-Tibetan
| fam2 = [[Tibeto-Burman language|Tibeto-Burman]]
| fam3 = [[Mahakiranti languages|Mahakiranti]] (?)
| fam4 = [[Kiranti languages|Kiranti]]
| fam5 = Western
| fam6 = Northwestern
| script = [[Devanagari]] [[Sunuwar script|Sunuwar]] (Sikkim, India) [[Tikamuli script|Tikamuli]] (2005)
| nation = {{flag|India}}
* [[Sikkim]] (additional)
| iso3 = suz
| glotto = sunw1242
| glottorefname = Sunwar
| dia1 = Surel
}}

[[File:Namsewal.ogg|thumb|right|Sunwar greeting]]

'''Sunuwar''', '''Sunuwar''', or '''Kõinch''' ({{Lang|suz|कोँइच}}; {{Transl|suz|ISO|kõich}}; other spellings are Koinch and Koincha), is a [[Kiranti languages|Kiranti]] language spoken in [[Nepal]] and [[India]] by the [[Sunuwar people]]. It was first comprehensively attested by the [[Himalayan Languages Project]]. It is also known as Kõits Lo ({{Lang|suz|कोँइच लो}} ; {{Transl|suz|ISO|kõica lo}}), Kiranti-Kõits ({{Lang|suz|किराँती-कोँइच}} ; {{Transl|suz|ISO|kirā̃tī-kõich}}), Mukhiya ({{Lang|suz|मुखिया}} ; {{Transl|suz|ISO|mukhiyā}}).<ref name="OG-Sunuwar">{{Cite web|last1=Ager|first1=Simon|title=Sunuwar alphabet|url=http://www.omniglot.com/writing/sunuwar.htm|publisher=Omniglot|access-date=8 December 2021}}</ref><ref name="Borchers 1–2">{{Cite book|last1=Borchers|first1=Dörte|title=A grammar of Sunwar: descriptive grammar, paradigms, texts and glossary|date=2008|publisher=Brill|location=Leiden|isbn=978-90-04-16709-4|pages=1–2|edition=[Online-Ausg.].}}</ref>

The Sunwar language is one of the smaller members of the [[Tibeto-Burman languages|Tibeto-Burman]] language family. About 40,000 speakers are residing in eastern Nepal.

== Names ==
The language is commonly known as ''Koic,'' for many ethnic Sunwar and Sunwar speakers also refer to the language as “''Sunuwar, Kõinch''<ref name="OG-Sunwar">{{Cite web|last1=Ager|first1=Simon|title=Sunwar Language and Alphabet|url=https://www.omniglot.com/writing/sunwar.htm|publisher=Omniglot|access-date=8 December 2021}}</ref> '', Koinch'' or ''Koincha'' (कोँइच); ''Kõits Lo'' (कोँइच लो), ''Kiranti-Kõits'' (किराँती-कोँइच) or ''Mukhiya'' (मुखिया).”

Moreover, most Sunwar speakers have the surname (सुनुवार), ''Sunuvār'' in [[Latin script]].<ref name="Borchers-2008">{{Cite book|last=Borchers|first=Dörte|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AYA7CpILphoC|title=A Grammar of Sunwar: Descriptive Grammar, Paradigms, Texts and Glossary|date=2008|publisher=BRILL|isbn=978-90-04-16709-4|language=en}}</ref> Many affiliated Sunwar with Sunar; they share the initial syllable, ''sun'', “gold,” in [[Nepali language|Nepali]], similar to the Sunar community of India, who are goldsmiths. However, the ethnonym ''Sunuvār'' is believed to be connected with Sunkosi, a river nearby the Sunwar villages.

== Geographic distribution ==
[[File:Nepal-ethnic-groups-map.jpg|left|thumb|317x317px|Small groups of Sunwar speakers located in Nepal]]
[[File:Likhu-khola.JPG|thumb|Likhu Khola river]]

The Sunwar language is commonly spoken in a cluster of Sunwar villages, located around the region of the core spoken language. These villages are scattered alongside the river banks of [[Likhu Khola]], in two bordering central-eastern districts of Nepal, distant from the main Nepalese road system:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> in the [[Okhaldhunga District|Okhaldhū۠ngā District]] (part of [[Koshi Province]]), around the village of Vacul; and in the [[Ramechhap District|Rāmechāp District]] (part of [[Bagmati Province]]), around the villages of [[Paharilotar|Pahare]] and of [[Kubukasthali|Kũbhu Kãsthālī]] for a smaller group of Sunwar speakers. The majority of the Sunwar speakers live on the southern border area of this region, between the villages of Pahare and Vacul.

Located 1,800 meters above sea level, their fields aren’t all fallow from year round cultivation<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> (Borchers, 2008). Therefore, many Sunwar households are farmers, own a small lot of land and livestock. Moreover, each village often visits their neighboring village markets to purchase inaccessible goods such as spices, sugar, tea, and salt. In the winter, they experience no snow but freezing temperatures. In warmer weather, they experience a lot of rainfall, in the summer, monsoon rainfall. Especially between June and August, it is when they experience the most rain, more so monsoon rainfall.

According to Borchers, there are other villages located outside of the core region. The Surel are claimed to be Sunwar speakers however there are no certainties that it is true.
{{Clear}}

==Written language==
{{Further|Sunuwar alphabet}}
=== {{Anchor|Sunuwar-script}} Sunuwar (or Jenticha, Koĩts, Mukhiya) native alphabet in Sikkim, India ===
Sunuwar speakers from [[Sikkim]], northeastern [[India]], use the Sunuwar alphabet ([[ISO 15924]] script code: <kbd>Sunu</kbd>) for printed materials such as newspapers and literature. The alphabet, also known as Jenticha alphabet, Sunuwar Lipi, Koĩts Lipi or Mukhiya script, or जेँःतिच ब्रेःसे (''jẽtica brese''), was developed in 1942 by Karna Bahadur Sunuwar (1926-1991), and got official recognition in Sikkim and Eastern Nepal where it is taught in schools. The Sunuwar or Jenticha script, is unrelated to any other scripts (even if some letter shapes have some resemblance to Latin and Limbu letter forms with similar phonetic value), and behaves like an alphabet with 35 base letters, written left-to-right, with syllabic features, extended with combining diacritics. The script also features its own set of decimal digits.

Unlike other Indic scripts derived from Brahmic, the Sunuwar alphabet includes no combining vowel signs: the script was initially a pure alphabet and the base consonants initially did not have any inherent vowel. But a second version of the script modified the orthographic rules to imply its presence, where the inherent vowel would be altered when appending any independent vowel letters, or suppressed by using a virama (or halant) sign in some consonant clusters or for consonants in final position of syllables. The independent letter form for the inherent vowel is now removed in most cases from the normal orthography in the middle of words, only used in isolation (i.e. no longer written when following a leading consonant, unless it is at end of words). A number of glyphic forms (conjuncts using consonants in half forms) were added to the script after this orthographic change for more easily writing consonant clusters, instead of writing multiple consonants with virama signs.<ref name="OG-Sunuwar"/><ref>{{cite web|title=Jenticha|url=https://scriptsource.org/cms/scripts/page.php?item_id=script_detail&uid=ssw8skfwtg|publisher=ScriptSource.org|access-date=8 December 2021}}</ref>

=== Devanagari-based abugida for the Sunwar language in Nepal ===
Although Sunwar has no traditional written language in Nepal, most literate speakers use the [[Devanagari]] abugida,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/><ref name="OG-Sunwar"/> also used for writing [[Nepali language|Nepali]].

; Independent vowels and diphthongs
{|
|-
|
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[Devanagari|अ]]
|[[Devanagari|आ]]
|[[Devanagari|इ]]
|[[Devanagari|उ]]
|[[Devanagari|ए]]
|[[Devanagari|ओ]]
|-
|a
|ā
|i
|u
|e
|o
|-
|[ə]
|[aː]
|[i]
|[u]
|[e]
|[o]
|}
|
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[Devanagari|ऐ]]
|[[Devanagari|औ]]
|[[Devanagari|एउ]]
|[[Devanagari|उइ]]
|[[Devanagari|ओइ]]
|-
|ai
|au
|eu
|ui
|oi
|-
|[ai]
|[au]
|[eu]
|[ui]
|[oi]
|}
|}

; Consonants with inherent vowel
{| class="wikitable
|-
|[[Devanagari ka|क]]
|[[ख]]
|[[ग]]
|[[ङ]]
|[[Devanagari|अ्]]
|[[च]]
|[[Devanagari|ज]]
|[[Devanagari|ट]]
|[[Devanagari|ठ]]
|-
|ka
|kha
|ga
|nga
|’
|ca
|ja
|ṭa
|ṭha
|-
|[kə]
|[kʰə]
|[ɡə]
|[ŋə]
|[ʔ]
|[t͡ʃə]
|[d͡ʒə]
|[ʈə]
|[ʈʰə]
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|[[Devanagari|त]]
|[[Devanagari|थ]]
|[[Devanagari|द/ड]]
|[[Devanagari|न/ण]]
|[[Devanagari|प]]
|[[Devanagari|फ]]
|[[Devanagari|ब]]
|[[Devanagari|म]]
|[[Devanagari|य]]
|-
|ta
|tha
|da
|na
|pa
|pha
|ba
|ma
|ya
|-
|[tə]
|[tʰə]
|[də]
|[nə]
|[pə]
|[pʰə]
|[bə]
|[mə]
|[jə]
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|[[Devanagari|र]]
|[[Devanagari|ल]]
|[[Devanagari|व]]
|[[Devanagari|श]]/[[Devanagari|ष]]
|[[Devanagari|स]]
|[[Devanagari|ह]]
|[[Devanagari|व्ही]]/[[Devanagari|ह्व]]
|-
|ra
|la
|va
|sha
|sa
|ha
|hha
|-
|[rə]
|[lə]
|[və]
|[ʃə]
|[sə]
|[hə]
|[ɦə]
|}

; Combining diacritics
: The sign '''्''', known in Sunwar as ''sangmilu'', represents a [[virama]] or halant; it is used to silent the inherent [[vowel]] after the [[consonant]].<ref name=":2">https://unicode.org/L2/L2011/11218-n4028-jenticha.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}</ref>
: The sign '''ँ''', known in Sunwar as ''taslathenk'', corresponds to the [[candrabindu]] in [[Devanagari]]; it is used to nasalize the vowel.<ref name=":2" />
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|'''<big>्</big>'''
|'''<big>ँ</big>'''
|-
|''sangmilu'' (virama or halant)
|''taslathenk'' (cadrabindu)
|-
|mutes the inherent vowel
|indicates nasalization of the vowel
|}

=== Tikamuli native abugida (since 2005) ===
In 2005, another syllabic alphabet or abugida was developed for Sunuwar; it is known as Tikamuli.<ref name="OG-Tikamuli">{{Cite web|last1=Ager|first1=Simon|title=Tikamuli alphabet|url=https://www.omniglot.com/writing/tikamuli.htm|publisher=Omniglot|access-date=8 December 2021}}</ref>

== Phonology ==
Sunwar [[phonology]] is significantly influenced by the language of [[Nepali language|Nepali]].

=== Consonants ===
The Sunwar language has a mid-sized arrangement of thirty-two [[consonant]]al [[phoneme]]s:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan="2" |
! [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! [[Dental consonant|Dental]]
! [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! [[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
! [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPAlink|m}} {{angbr|m}}
| {{IPAlink|n}} {{angbr|n}}
|
|
|
| {{IPAlink|ŋ}} {{angbr|ṅ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="5" | [[Plosive]]
! {{small|voiceless}}
| {{IPAlink|p}} {{angbr|p}}
| {{IPAlink|t̪}} {{angbr|t}}
|
| {{IPAlink|ʈ}} {{angbr|ṭ}}
| {{IPAlink|c}} {{angbr|c}}
| {{IPAlink|k}} {{angbr|k}}
| {{IPA link|ʔ}} {{angbr|ʔ}}
|-
! {{small|aspirated}}
| {{IPAlink|pʰ}}~{{IPA link|ɸ}} {{angbr|ph}}
| {{IPAlink|t̪ʰ}} {{angbr|th}}
|
| {{IPAlink|ʈʰ}} {{angbr|ṭh}}
| ({{IPA link|cʰ}} {{angbr|ch}})
| {{IPAlink|kʰ}} {{angbr|kh}}
|
|-
! {{small|voiced}}
| {{IPAlink|b}} {{angbr|b}}
| {{IPAlink|d̪}} {{angbr|d}}
|
| ({{IPA link|ɖ}} {{angbr|ḍ}})
| {{IPAlink|ɟ}} {{angbr|j}}
| {{IPAlink|ɡ}} {{angbr|g}}
|
|-
!{{small|breathy}}
|({{IPA link|bʱ}} {{angbr|bh}})
|({{IPA link|d̪ʱ}} {{angbr|dh}})
|
|({{IPA link|ɖʱ}} {{angbr|ḍh}})
|({{IPA link|ɟʱ}} {{angbr|jh}})
|({{IPA link|ɡʱ}} {{angbr|gh}})
|
|-
! {{small|implosive}}
| {{IPAlink|w}}~{{IPAlink|b}} {{angbr|ɓ}}
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
!{{small|sibilant}}
|
|
| {{IPAlink|s}} {{angbr|s}}
|
| {{IPAlink|ʃ}} {{angbr|ʃ}}
|
|
|-
!{{small|plain}}
|
|
|
|
|[{{IPA link|ç}}]
|[{{IPA link|x}}]
|{{IPAlink|h}} {{angbr|h}}
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Approximant]]
| {{IPAlink|w}}~{{IPA|wʱ}} {{angbr|w}}
| {{IPAlink|l̪}} {{angbr|l}}
|
| [{{IPA link|ɭ}}]
| {{IPAlink|j}} {{angbr|y}}
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Tap consonant|Tap]]
|
|
| {{IPAlink|ɾ}} {{angbr|r}}
|
|
|
|
|}

* Sound in parentheses only are heard in words borrowed from Nepali. Sounds in brackets are only heard as allophones.<ref name="Borchers-2008" />
* The implosive sound [{{IPA link|ɓ}}] was heard phonemically until recently among dialects. It is now heard as a plosive [{{IPA link|b}}] in the village of Saipu, and as an approximant [{{IPA link|w}}] in the village of Kũbhu. It is only heard rarely in word-initial position among the speakers of Saipu.<ref name="Borchers-2008" />

=== Vowels ===
According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> there are eleven vowel phonemes in Sunwar:

{{angbr|a}} [a~ɑ], /ā / [aː], /e/ [e~ɛ], /i/ [i], /o/ [o], /u/ [u], / ū/ [uː~y], /ã/ [ã~ɑ̃], /ã̄/ [ãː], /ẽ/ [ẽ~ɛ̃], /ĩ/ [ĩ]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!
!scope="col"| [[Front vowel|Front]]
!scope="col"| [[Central vowel|Central]]
!scope="col"| [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
!scope="row"| [[High vowel|High]]
| /i/ [i], /ū/ [y] /ĩ/ [ĩ]
|
| /ū/ [uː~y], /u/ [u] (ũ)
|-
!scope="row"| [[Mid vowel|Mid]]
| /e/ [e~ɛ] /ẽ/ [ẽ~ɛ̃]
|
| /o/ [o] (õ)
|-
!scope="row"| [[Low vowel|Low]]
|
| /a/ [a~ɑ], /ā / [aː] /ã/ [ã~ɑ̃], /ã̄/ [ãː]
|
|}
* Vowels with bar - Represents long vowels
* Vowels with tilde - Represents short nasalized vowels
* Vowels with bar and tilda - Represents long and nasalized vowels

=== Diphthongs ===
There are a total of eight [[diphthong]]s in Sunwar: /ai/ [aɪ], /aĩ/ [aɪ̃], /au/ [au], /eu/ [eu], /oi/ [oi], /oĩ/ [oĩ], /ui/ [ui], /uĩ/ [uĩ]

According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> a principled way to distinguish diphthongs from a sequence of two [[monophthong]]s does not exist in the Sunwar language.

As exemplified by Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> this table consists of examples of contrasts between [[diphthong]]s:
{| class="wikitable"
|/joi/
|[ɟoi]
|‘tiger’
|-
|/joĩ/
|[ɟoĩ]
|‘younger sister’s husband’
|-
|/muicā/
|[muicaː]
|‘wear shoes’
|-
|/puĩcā/
|[puĩcaː]
|‘ask for, beg’
|-
|/goi/
|[ɡoi]
|‘you’
|-
|/gui/
|[ɡui]
|‘hand’
|-
|/reu/
|[ɾeu]
|‘rain’
|-
|/roi/
|[ɾoi]
|‘ill’
|}

=== Syllable structure ===
Syllable Structure of Sunwar: C(C)V(V)(C)(C)

== Morphology ==

=== Markers ===

==== Case-marking suffixes ====
According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> “all [[case marker]]s in the Sunwar language are [[suffix]]es.”

As exemplified by Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> this table consists of the noun case markers.
{| class="wikitable"
![[Morpheme]]:
!Gloss:
!Marks:
!Occurs suffixed to denotions of:
|-
|<nowiki>-mī ~ </nowiki>

-amī ~-ī

m ~ -m
|INS/L

OC
|agents, instruments, locations
|persons,

things,

locations
|-
|<nowiki>-kali ~ </nowiki>

-kal
|OBJ
|patients
|persons,

animals
|-
|<nowiki>-ke</nowiki>
|POSS
|possessions of animate beings
|persons,

animals
|-
|<nowiki>-ṅā</nowiki>
|GEN
|belongings of inanimate items
|things,

locations
|-
|<nowiki>-lā/-le</nowiki>
|FROM
|place of departure of persons or items that changed places (ABL); time of begin of action
|locations,

time
|-
|<nowiki>-re</nowiki>
|FROM
|place of departure of persons or items that changed places (ABL); time of begin of action
|locations,

time
|-
|<nowiki>-au</nowiki>
|VOC
|name of person called
|persons
|}

==== Dual marker ====
A dual marker can be associated with dual/pair or the cardinal number ‘two’.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>
{| class="wikitable"
|[[Morpheme]]:
|{{angbr|-niʃi}}
|-
|Gloss:
|Dual (DU)
|}

Example of dual marker by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|iciṅā āl.niʃi chan
|Now child.DU exist-NPT.3p
|Now I have two children.}}

==== Plural marker ====
In the Sunwar language, both [[noun]]s and [[pronoun]]s can be marked as dual or plural.

In addition items in a group can be marked plural.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>
{| class="wikitable"
|[[Morpheme]]:
|{{angbr|-paki ~ -puki ~ -piki}}
|-
|Gloss:
|Plural (PL)
|}

Examples of the plural marker used to point at items in a group by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>
{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|pujā dum pachi rãga po.paki sai.ni.mī
|worship happen after buffalo pig.PL kill.NPT-23d/-p3.p/Svi
|After worship, they kill the buffalo, pig and so on.}}

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|sāg.paki acā.paki ho.ʃa.ṅāmin ʃam cai thupro dum.ba thupro tu.ni.miิ
|sāg.PL pickle.PL keep.PF.then beer SNG much happen.NPT+3s much drink.NPT-23d/-p.3p/Svi
|Having stored away sāg (green leafy vegetable) and so on and pickle and so on and, there has to be much beer, they drink a lot.}}

==== Absent marker ====
According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> the Sunwar language does not have a zero morpheme, but it can still indicate the number amount of something through verbal agreement markers or numerals.

Example of the absent marker by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|go khame jāʔi.na.sku
|I rice eat.NPT-1d.1d
|Wed eat rice.}}

=== Suffixes ===

==== Possessive suffix: {{angbr|-ke}} (Animate Agent) ====
According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> the possessive [[suffix]] {{angbr|-ke}} is attached to a human or animate agent to indicate a possessive relationship.

{| class="wikitable"
|[[Morpheme]]:
|{{angbr|-ke}}
|-
|Gloss:
|Possessive (POSS)
|}

Examples of the possessive {{angbr|-ke}} by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>
{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|nāso.ke dui.ta dhol bā.ba dhanu.kan nāso.ke bā.ba
|priest.POSS two.piece drum stay.NPT+3s bow.arrow priest.POSS stay.NPT+3s
|The priest has two drums. The priest has bow and arrow.}}

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|ne ʃo.ke bhāg ho
|nose face.POSS part be-NPT.3s
|The nose is part of the face.}}

==== Possessive suffix: {{angbr|-ke}} (inanimate subject) ====
According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> inanimate subjects are marked with the possessive [[suffix]] {{angbr|-ke}} to indicate what it is "made of".
Example of possessive {{angbr|-ke}} indicating what it is "made of" by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|jasi.ke bā.b meko jasi ā.kilā
|Jasi.POSS stay.NPT+3s that Jasi its.peg
|It is made of Jasi wood. This is a peg made of Jasi wood. (Jasi is the tree Bauhinia variegata)}}

=== Quantifiers ===
Quantifiers in the Sunwar language are loaned from Nepali. Quantifiers are used for amounts or masses.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>
As exemplified by Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> this table consists of quantifiers; including some that are loaned from Nepali.

{| class="wikitable"
!From:
!Translation:
!
|-
|ac
|small
|
|-
|besā
|very much
|[<Nep. besarī ‘very much’]
|-
|dherei
|many, very, much
|[<Nep. dherai]
|-
|ekdam
|very
|[<Nep. ekdam]
|-
|ici
|a little
|
|-
|imci
|some, a bit
|
|-
|matra, matrei
|only
|[<Nep. mātra]
|-
|ʃūʃ ʃūs
|much, very, expensive
|
|-
|thorei, torei
|some, little
|[<Nep. thorai]
|-
|thupro, tupro
|much, a lot
|[<Nep. thupro]
|-
|umcili
|small
|
|}

Examples of [[Quantifiers (linguistics)|quantifiers]] that indicate amounts or masses by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|go ʃūʃ ma.jai.nu.ṅ
|I much NEG.eat.NPT+1s.1s
|I don’t eat much.}}

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|disā matrei tui.nu.ṅ
|tomorrow only know.NPT+1s.1s
|I won’t know until tomorrow.}}

== Syntax ==

=== Adjectives: {{angbr|-ʃo}} ===
According to Borchers,<ref name="Borchers-2008"/> [[adjective]]s can belong to the verbal noun form, with an attached {{angbr|ʃo}}. In the Sunwar language, some [[adjective]]s are borrowed from [[Nepali language|Nepali]].

==== Adjectives: Color forms ====
Borchers also notes that [[adjective]]s can belong to the form/term color.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>
As exemplified by Borchers, this table consists of the color form/terms.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{| class="wikitable"
!Form:
!Translation:
|-
|jirjir
|colorful
|-
|giิk
|light green, light blue
|-
|nilo
|dark blue [<Nep. nilo]
|-
|buʃ
|white
|-
|kher
|black
|-
|lal
|red
|-
|ojela
|brilliant
|}

==== Adjectives: Non-verbal nouns without {{angbr|-ʃo}} attached ====
The Sunwar language has a category for [[adjective]]s under the form ‘others’, that are not [[verbal noun]]s. In addition, some adjectives may be interchangeable as an [[adverb]].<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>
As exemplified by Borchers, this table consists of the adjectives that are not verbal nouns ending in {{angbr|-ʃo}} form/terms.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{| class="wikitable"
!Form:
!Translation:
|-
|umcili/ici
|small, little
|-
|ʃūʃ
|much, many, very, expensive
|-
|theb
|big, great (idea, thing)
|-
|wan
|far
|-
|netha
|near
|}

Examples of adjectives that are not [[verbal noun]]s ending in {{angbr|-ʃo}} by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|ɓak besā.n wan cha
|water very-much.REIN far exist-NPT.3s
|Water is far away.}}

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|go umcili thiẽ bara bars.ṅā
|I small exist-PT1s twelve year.GEN
|I was small, twelve years old.}}

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|nepāli.puki ʃūʃ choto bā.ni.m
|Nepali.PL very small stay.NPT-23d/-p.3p/Svi
|Nepalese people are very small.}}

=== Particles ===
As exemplified by Borchers, this table consists of [[Particle (linguistics)|particles]] in correlation to various relationships.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{| class="wikitable"
!Conjunction:
!Translation:
|-
|de
|or
|-
|hana
|if
|-
|ṅana
|if
|-
|dopā
|that
|-
|meklāpāṅāmin
|and then
|-
|pāṅāmin
|and then
|-
|minu {{angbr|-nu}}
|and then
|-
|mapatke
|because of
|}

==== Postpositional particles ====
According to Borchers, the Sunwar language borrows particles from Nepali that indicate the relationship between clauses.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>
Examples of postpositional [[Particle (linguistics)|particles]] by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{| class="wikitable"
!Postpotion:
!Gloss:
|-
|<lā>
|‘only’
|-
|{{angbr|-bhandā}}: A comparison.
|‘than’
|-
|<cai>: Singling out or can be seen as “exactly this one”.
|SNG
|-
|<yo>: Inclusive focus.
|‘also’
|-
|<kõ>: A tag on questions asking for affirmation or negation of a statement.
|OR
|-
|<da ~ ta>: Sunwar focus marker
|IFOC
|}

=== My stomach v.s. your stomach ===
Example by Borchers:<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|iิ koʔj
|your stomach
|your stomach}}

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|ā koʔj
|my stomach
|my stomach}}

=== Order: Subject-object-verb ===
Examples of order: [[Subject–object–verb|Subject]]/[[Object (linguistics)|Object]]/[[Verb]] by Borchers.<ref name="Borchers-2008"/>

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|kuṣulanoʔbam.mī pani pher.ni.m
|shoemaker.INS/LOC shoes sew.NPT-23d/-p.3p
|{(Subject) Shoemakers} {(Object) Shoes} {(Verb) Sew}
|Shoemakers make shoes.}}

{{interlinear|lang=suz|indent=3
|Kocombo.mī buʔs sāʔī.b
|mongoose.INS/LOC snake kill.NPT+3s
|{(Subject) Mongoose} {(Object) Snake} {(Verb) kill}
|The mongoose kills a snake.}}

==Vocabulary==
Seu+wa+la (Sewala)
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
! Sunwar !! English
|-
| {{IAST|''Namsewal''}} || Hello / Good Bye
|-
| {{IAST|''Sew''}} || (Respect) / (Greeting) / I bow to you
|-
| {{IAST|''Maahr''}} || What
|-
| {{IAST|''Dohpachaa''}} || How to
|-
| {{IAST|''Dohshow''}} || How much
|-
| {{IAST|''Dohmoh''}} || How big
|-
| {{IAST|''Go''}} || I
|-
| {{IAST|''Gopuki''}} || We are
|-
| {{IAST|''Ge''}} || You (informal)
|-
| {{IAST|''Gepukhi''}} || You are (informal)
|-
| {{IAST|''Goi''}} || we (formal)
|-
| {{IAST|''GoiPuki''}} || we are (formal)
|-
| {{IAST|''Daarshow''}} || Beautiful
|-
| {{IAST|''Rimso''}} || Good
|-
| {{IAST|''MaDarshow''}} || Ugly
|}

==Language structure==
In [[linguistic typology]], a '''subject+object+verb''' ('''SOV''') language is one in which the [[subject (grammar)|subject]], [[object (grammar)|object]], and [[verb]] of a sentence always or usually appear in that order. If [[English language|English]] were SOV, "Sam oranges ate" would be an ordinary sentence, as opposed to the actual [[Standard English]] "Sam ate oranges". (A Grammar of Sunwar)
<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AYA7CpILphoC | title=A Grammar of Sunwar | year=2008 |publisher=Dörte Borchers | isbn=978-9004167094 | access-date=27 August 2018}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! Language !! S !! O !! V
|-
| {{IAST|''Sunwar''}} || Go || Khamay || Jainu
|-
| {{IAST|''English''}} || I || Rice || Eat
|}
Sunwar people called "Khangsa" sign language with voice and direct action, for foreign people who don't understand a sunuwar language.{{citation needed|date=August 2019}}<ref name="Borchers 1–2" />

<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pandey |first1=Anshuman |title=Proposal to Encode the Jenticha Script in ISO/IEC 10646 |url=http://std.dkuug.dk/jtc1/sc2/wg2/docs/n4028.pdf |access-date=18 December 2019 |date=31 May 2011}}</ref>

==Numerals (Devanagari)==

{| class="wikitable"
! 1
| {{IAST|ichi/kaa}}
|-
! 2
| {{IAST|ni/nishi}}
|-
! 3
| {{IAST|sa/saam}}
|-
! 4
| {{IAST|le}}
|-
! 5
| {{IAST|nga}}
|-
! 6
| {{IAST|ruku/roku}}
|-
! 7
| {{IAST|chani}}
|-
! 8
| {{IAST|sasi}}
|-
! 9
| {{IAST|van}}
|-
! 10
| {{IAST|gau}}
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.sunuwar.org Sunwar language website]

{{Sino-Tibetan languages}}
{{Kiranti languages}}
{{Languages of Northeast India}}
{{Languages of Nepal}}

[[Category:Languages of Nepal]]
[[Category:Kiranti languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Sikkim]]
[[Category:Brahmic scripts]]
[[Category:Languages of Koshi Province]]
[[Category:Languages written in Devanagari]]

Sunwar language - Revision history

Rsingh: brief cleanup references per sources as per guidelines

Ajay Kumar: Created a new article