User:Mp1700/Kurichiya language

Kurichiya is an unclassified Southern Dravidian language spoken by the Kurichiya, a Scheduled tribe of India. The Kurichiya language is spoken by the Kurichiya people in the Wayanad district of Kerala, India. Kurichiya is also known as Kurichia, Kurichiyar, Kurichchia, and Kowohan. The language is classified as endangered, as there are only 29,400 native speakers left worldwide. This decline in number is attributed to the prevalence of Malayalam and English in the community. Kurichiya is written in the Malayalam script, which has 18 vowels and 44 consonants. Kurichiya is similar to some dialects of Malayalam, but some consider it to be a dialect of Malayalam itself.

Geographic Distribution
The Kurichiya people reside in the Wayanad district of Kerala, located at the southwestern tip of the Decan Plateau. Wayanad is bordered by the Kannur and Kozhikode districts, as well as the states Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. . Some Kurichiyas live in the Kannur district, as well. 37% of the district is covered by forest, so it is often referred to as the "Green Paradise of Kerala." Because they live in the hills, the Kurichiya are also known as the "Hill Brahmins." The Kurichiyas are currently the second largest adivasi community in the Wayanad district.

Legendary Origins of the Kurichiya Tribe
According to the tribe's mythology, the deity Vadakkari Bhagavathi had a dream that she was ordered by God to create 1001 human castes. While verifying that she did her job, God noticed two empty hills with water flowing between them and decided to place 18 additional castes there, the Kurichiyas among them.

Historical Origin of the Kurichiya Tribe
Human settlements in Wayanad date back to at least the 10th century BC, and there is evidence of Stone Age civilizations in several areas of the district. Pictoral writings on the walls of the Edakkal Caves in the Ambukthi mountains and burial sites near the Edakkal Hills are archeological evidence of early human settlement in Wayanad. The Kurichiyas migrated to Wayanad and began agricultural settlements there between the first and third century AD. However, the first records of the Kurichiya community only date back to the 18th century. They are said to have originated from a subsect of the Nayar caste, Theke Karinayar.

King Pazhassi and the 1812 Rebellion
The Kurichiya name is derived from the phrase "kuri vechavan," which translates to "he who took aim." Because they were so skillful with the bow and arrow, the tribe initially served in the Pazhassi Raja of Kerala's royal army, fighting against the English East India Company that occupied the region. At the end of the 18th century, the Kurichiyas revolted against the British and continued to rebel even after the king's death. This caused the British to plunder their villages and destroy their crops. On March 25, 1812, the Kurichiyas led another revolt; their loss in the battle resulted in many Kurichiya deaths and imprisonments.

Kurichiya Lifestyle and Cultural Knowledge
The Kurichiyas follow a matrilineal system and maintain a caste hierarchy. They elect a chieftain, called a "pittan," as a leader, in a ritual that requires dance and an auspicious silver knife. They call their village "mittom," (Kurichiya: മുറ്റം), which roughly translates to "temple yard."

Agriculture and Medicinal Practices
Today, the Kurichiyas are small landowners who depend on agriculture for a living, mainly growing pepper and other crops. Their crops are said to have many medicinal qualities, and they use their extra grain for toothpaste and ayurvedic medicine. In fact, according to the Kurichiyas, a fried paddy mixture can be used to cure injuries and reduce swelling, and boiled paddy can treat scratches on the foot In the Kurichiya language, a medicinal plant is called "/cūtta/." They farm without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, instead using jack fruit leaves and cow dung to fertilize their crop. The Kurichiyas are also known for their "slash and burn" cultivation, known as punam cultivation. They manage their rice paddies by using domesticated buffalos to plough the land, instead of tillers. These methods of agriculture have been said to protect crops from diseases and make them more sustainable in the long run. Kurichiya farmers follow the lunar calendar to schedule agricultural activities and use bamboo drip irrigation to water the fields.

Culture, traditions, and rituals
They practice Hinduism and mostly worship Hindu gods, along with a few Kurichiya gods of their own. The Kurichiyas are Brahmins and are at the top of the caste hierarchy among the other hill tribes of Wyanad. Along with Onam, Vishu, and other South Indian festivals, the Kurichiyas celebrate Uchal and Puthari. Uchal is celebrated during Makara Sankranthi, while Puthari celebrates the first cooking of the newly harvested rice. Malakari, a Kurichiya deity who is an aspect of the god Shiva, is also worshipped in a festival called "Thira." During this festival, the Kurichiyas sing a ritual song called "Kumbhapattu" in their language, with the accompaniment of the chenda instrument.

They also have unique rituals for the women of their tribe, such as "thirandu kalyanam", which announces a girl's menarche, and "thalikettu kalyanam," which celebrates her marriage. When a girl attains puberty, she is to sit in a secluded hut called "erupura" for six days, and on the seventh, she is allowed to celebrate thirandu kalyanam. A woman is placed in similar confinement during childbirth, for she is placed in a hut called "erukottupura" along with a midwife called "peetticci".

The Daivappura is also essential to Kurichiya culture. Daivappura translates to the "abode of God." Here, the Kurichiyas celebrate their deities Bhagavathi, Athiralan, Karimpilli, Moonammandaivam, Vettakalan, Kali or Mariamma, Kuttichathan, Ormoonalan and Pullamottan-Perumal. In the daivappura, a male member called karanavar or porunnor performs religious rituals and offers animal flesh, alcohol, and bananas to the gods. All major religious festivals are spent outside the daivappura, as it is considered the spirit of the Kurichiya tribe.

Current Status
As of 2004, Kurichiya is classified as endangered and there are only around 29,400 native speakers left worldwide. Many Kurichiyas are bilingual at home, speaking both Malyalam and Kurichiya. During rituals, prayers and songs still utilize the language. Some Kurichiya children are forced to forgo their native tongue in favor of English and Malayalam. However, in local schools, such as the Thenad School of Thavinjal, Kurichiya children are free to speak their tongue due to the large population of Kurichiyas in the area. In response to the loss of their native language, Kurichiyas have expressed worry that their nadanpattukal ("folk songs), knowledge of tribal medicine and the ecosystem, and agricultural practices will be lost as well.

Vowels
There are 27 identified phonemes in the Kurichiya language, five of which are vowels and 22 of which are consonants. Kurichiya has short vowels and long vowels. Short vowels can be used at the initial, medial, and final positions of the word, while long vowels can only be used at the initial and medial positions. Some examples of short vowels include: Long vowels in Kurichiya include:

Consonants
The Kurichiya language has 22 consonants. The language utilizes /p, t, c, k/ and /m, n/ frequently but uses /b, v/ and other consonants less frequently. In Kurichiya, bilabial stops, dental stops, palatal stops, velar stops, and continuants can be used at the beginning or middle of a word. Alveolar stops, retroflex stops, flaps, and laterals only occur in the middle of words. Nasals can occur at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of words.

Consonant Clusters
Two or more consonants together are called a consonant cluster. Possible consonant clusters include:

Syllables and Syllabic Structure
The Kurichiya language contains open syllables (syllables that end in vowels) as well as closed syllables (syllables that end in consonants). For example the word /pūppan/ (English: "headman") contains a closed syllable, while the word /mācci/ (English: "dirt") contains an open syllable. Kurichiya contains monosyllabic, disyllabic, and trisyllabic words. Monosyllabic words include /ā/, /nī/, and /on/, which mean "that," "you," and "he," respectively. /kōņi/ (English: "steps"), is an example of a disyllabic word, while /kiyāțțam/ (English: "foundation") is a trisyllabic word. Syllabic structures in Kurichiya are of the form V, CVV, and VVC.

Phonological differences between Kurichiya and Malayalam
Phonologically, Kurichiya is very similar to Malayalam, with only a few peculiarities. For example, when /a/ is used initially, medially, or finally in Malayalam, it is replaced with an /e/ in Kurichiya. While /u/ is unrounded at the end of words in Malayalam, it is rounded in Kurichiya. Often, the /i/ used in Malayalam is changed to /e/ in Kurichiya. /v/ is often changed to /b/ in Kurichiya. / l / is often changed to either /y/ or /v/. In Kurichiya, many word-medial consonants are omitted from words. For example, while one says / n ikuti/ (English: "tax") in Malayalam, one says only /nīti/  in Kurichiya. The pronouns used in Kurichiya have significant phonological differences from those in Malayalam, as well; in particular, while the inclusive "we" is /ekkula/ or /ennŭ/ in Malayalam, it is /ummalŭ/ in Kurichiya.

Morphology
To make the past tense in Kurichiya, /u/ is typically added to the roots of verbs, with the exception of roots that end in palatal consonants. In that case, Kurichiya uses the suffix /i/ to signal the past tense. Additionally, in Kurichiya, the suffix "laa" is often added to indicate a question. For example, "peerentelaa" asks "what is your name?" where the suffix "laa" indicates that it is a question.

Syntax
Often, Kurichiya speakers will add the words "maata" and "meettŭ" at the ends of sentences in free variation, despite the meaningless nature of the words. For instance, one might say "inneyellam beranam meettŭ," meaning "all of you should come."