Peculiarities of Metathesis in Kunha Language Anup Kumar Kujur, Biswanandan Dash Jurnal Arbitrer, 2025 This paper focuses on metathesis, a linguistic phenomenon observed in the unique language called Kunha, a part of the North-Dravidian language family, where sounds are swapped within words. So, instead of the anticipated order of ..xy.. in a sequence of participating sounds, we encounter ..yx.. The final segments of a word can vary depending on the context; in some cases, they appear as a vowel followed by a consonant, while in others, they may be a consonant followed by a vowel. Metathesis in the Kunha language (Odisha, India), analysing its phonological patterns and linguistic implications from a synchronic perspective. Data was collected via 5,000 lexicons and sociolinguistic interviews with NORMs in Sundergarh and Sambalpur districts of Odisha state, alongside comparisons to Kurux and Dravidian etymological sources. Theoretical frameworks categorise metathesis as (1) copy-delete/coalescence operations, (2) transposition outcomes, or (3) allomorphy-driven CV/CC/CVC rearrangements. The results focus on Kunha’s pervasive yet irregular CV/CC/CVC metathesis, previously undocumented, highlighting its typological rarity and challenges for linguistic prediction. For example, the word /oɽok/ ‘bark of a tree’ in Kurux, changes to /uɽku:/ in Kunha. Similarly, /calkur/ ‘sand, gravel’ in Kurux, transforms to /calkri:/ in Kunha. These peculiarities in sound change are not limited to CV (consonant-vowel) clusters; they also occur in CC (consonant-consonant) clusters. For instance, /maːkcuːɳɖ/ ‘name of a flower’ in Kurux, changes to /maːskuːɽ/ in Kunha, resulting in the sound change from [kc] to [sk]. Additionally, metathesis can affect CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) order, as seen in the transformation of /letheɽ okk-aː/ ‘to sit with the legs crossed’ in Kurux, into /thepeɽ okk-aː/ in Kunha, yielding the change from [leth] to [thep]. Due to these sound transpositions, there is an emergence of a new speech variety called Kunha.
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Phonological Variation in Kui: A Dravidian Language G Pradhan, AK Kujur International Journal of Language and Literary Studies 8 (2), 271-292 , 2026 2026.0
Peculiarities of Metathesis in Kunha Language AK Kujur, B Dash Jurnal Arbitrer 12 (2), 114-124 , 2025 2025.0 Citations: 1
Formation of a New Dialect in Contact Situation: An Evidence from Kunha in Odisha AK Kujur ADIVASI Journal of Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes Research and Training … , 2024 2024.0
TOTEMS OF THE TRIBES OF CHOTA NAGPUR AN ETHNOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS AK Kujur Towards Excellence 14 (3) , 2022 2022.0
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Echo Formations and Expressives in the Kunha Language of Odisha AK Kujur OSMANIA PAPERS IN LINGUISTICS, 141 , 2021 2021.0
language change and shift in kisan AK KUJUR Annamalai Nagar , 2019 2019.0
Transition from Dravidian to Indo-Aryan AK Kujur Working Papers on Linguistics and Literature 13 (1), 64-72 , 2019 2019.0
Tense and Aspect System in Kisan A Kujur Indian Linguistics 77 (1-2), 133-144 , 2016 2016.0 Citations: 2
Grammatical Mood in Kisan AK Kujur Nepalese Linguistics 31, 39-43 , 2016 2016.0
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MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Tense and Aspect System in Kisan A Kujur Indian Linguistics 77 (1-2), 133-144 , 2016 2016.0 Citations: 2
Peculiarities of Metathesis in Kunha Language AK Kujur, B Dash Jurnal Arbitrer 12 (2), 114-124 , 2025 2025.0 Citations: 1
Phonological Variation in Kui: A Dravidian Language G Pradhan, AK Kujur International Journal of Language and Literary Studies 8 (2), 271-292 , 2026 2026.0
Formation of a New Dialect in Contact Situation: An Evidence from Kunha in Odisha AK Kujur ADIVASI Journal of Scheduled Castes & Scheduled Tribes Research and Training … , 2024 2024.0
TOTEMS OF THE TRIBES OF CHOTA NAGPUR AN ETHNOLINGUISTIC ANALYSIS AK Kujur Towards Excellence 14 (3) , 2022 2022.0
Subject-Verb Relation in North Dravidian Language AK Kujur Journal of English 10 (1), 25-28 , 2021 2021.0
Echo Formations and Expressives in the Kunha Language of Odisha AK Kujur OSMANIA PAPERS IN LINGUISTICS, 141 , 2021 2021.0
language change and shift in kisan AK KUJUR Annamalai Nagar , 2019 2019.0
Transition from Dravidian to Indo-Aryan AK Kujur Working Papers on Linguistics and Literature 13 (1), 64-72 , 2019 2019.0
Grammatical Mood in Kisan AK Kujur Nepalese Linguistics 31, 39-43 , 2016 2016.0
Verb Morphology in Kisan AK Kujur Language in India 15, 92 , 2015 2015.0
Evaluating the Teaching-Learning Environment of Speaking Skills in English in the Odia Medium Secondary Schools through the Analysis of Textbooks and Opinion Polls PK Dash, AK Kujur
