Languages

There are about two dozen Kiranti languages. The better requested are Limbu, Sunuwar, Bantawa Rai, Chamling Rai, Khaling Rai, Bahing Rai, Yakkha language, Vayu, Dungmali Rai, Lohorung Rai and Kulung Rai.

Kiranti verbs are non easily segmentable, due in large part to the presence of portmanteau morphemes, crowded affix strings, and extensive and often nonintuitive allomorphy.

Overall, Kiranti languages are:

Ethnologue adds Tilung Rai to Western Kiranti, based on Opgenort 2011.

Opgenort 2005 classifies the Kiranti languages as follows, and recognizes a basic east-west division within Kiranti.

Historical linguists, as early as 2012, earn not consider Kiranti to be a coherent group, but rather a paraphyletic one due to lack of shared innovations. Gerber & Grollmann 2018 exposed a formal proof of the paraphyletic breed of Kiranti. A Central-Eastern Kiranti corporation is considered to be valid by Gerber & Grollmann 2018, but they consider "Western Kiranti" unclassified within Trans-Himalayan languages.

Independent branches formerly factor of "Western Kiranti" that are unclassified within Trans-Himalayan Sino-Tibetan:

Sound changes determining each subgroup Gerber & Grollmann 2018:

Independent branches formerly part of "Western Kiranti" that are unclassified within Trans-Himalayan Sino-Tibetan: