Page Type: languageKhasi | Ethnologue

KHA ISO 639-3

Khasi

Khasi Autonym

A language of India

ISO 639
kha
Alternate Names
Kahasi, Kassi, Khasa, Khashi, Khasiyas, Khuchia
Autonym
Khasi
Population
1,050,000 in India (2011 census).
Location:
Assam state: Cachar, Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, and North Cachar Hills districts; Meghalaya state: Jaintia Hills, and East and West Khasi Hills districts; Manipur, Tripura, and West Bengal states.
Language Status
2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Meghalaya State (1950, Constitution, Articles 345–347 inclusive), unscheduled language.
Classification
Austro-Asiatic, Mon-Khmer, Northern Mon-Khmer, Khasian
Dialects
Bhoi-Khasi, Khasi (Cherrapunji, Sohra), Khynrium, War. Bhoi Khasi in East Khasi Hills, Nongpoh block, and Nonglung in East Khasi Hills, Umksning block are very different from standard Khasi, with different word order. Many varieties have only partial mutual inherent intelligibility. War dialect is separate from War-Jaintia [aml]. Cherrapunji (Sohra) is the standard. Lexical similarity: 75% between War dialect and standard Khasi.
Typology
SVO.
Language Use
Government, courts, mass media in Meghalaya. Used as L2 by Biate [biu], Sakachep [sch], War-Jaintia [aml].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 63% in Meghalaya (2001 census). Taught in primary schools. Literature. Radio. TV. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1891–2016.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Khasi
Writing
Bengali (Bangla) script [Beng], no longer in use. Latin script [Latn], used since about 1842.
Other Comments
Christian, Hindu, Muslim.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Khasi
User Population
Very few speakers.
Location
Sylhet division: Brahman Bazar enclave south of Sylhet town, Jaintiapur north border enclave; Barlekha area southwest to Kamalpur.
Language Status
6b (Threatened)
Other Comments
The Lyngngam [lyg], Pnar [pbv], and War-Jaintia [aml] of Bangladesh identify ethnically with the Khasi.
View other languages of Bangladesh

Map

Location: Assam state: Cachar, Kamrup, Lakhimpur, Nagaon, and North Cachar Hills districts; Meghalaya state: Jaintia Hills, and East and West Khasi Hills districts; Manipur, Tripura, and West Bengal states.