Manda () is a Dravidian language of Odisha, spoken in the highlands of Thuamul Rampur block of Kalahandi district. It only became known to Western academia in 1964. Its speakers are generally known as 'Khond Parjas' by outsiders but self-identify as Manda Khonds. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, the language was spoken in around 60 villages and the total number of speakers was estimated to be at 4000-5000. However the language is facing endangerment from Odia, which all speakers are bilingual in.
A dictionary of Manda was published in 2009.
Vocabulary The following is a sample vocabulary:
aku (plural: akux) - grandfather aḍra (plural: aḍraŋ) - cattle igaro - eleven uṭ - to feed liquid ugeri (plural: ugeriŋ) - cooked rice kat - to cut kaṭ - to chew ta:ŋg - to walk beḍe - big vendu:l (plural: vendu:liŋ) - tongue
References
External links Manda basic lexicon at the Global Lexicostatistical Database