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The Munji language, also known as Munjani, Munjhan, and Munjiwar language[1], is a Pamir language spoken in Badakhshan Province in Afghanistan. It is similar to the Yidgha language which is spoken in the Upper Lotkoh Valley of Chitral, west of Garam Chishma in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Munji belongs to the Indo-European family of languages. All together, the Pamir Languages contain numerous sub-languages which account for about 250,000 people located throughout the Eastern region of the Hindu Kush. The Pamir Languages of Munji, Wakhi, Shughni-Rushani, and Yidgha can be compared and related to each other[2]. Most researchers closely relate Munji to Yidgha due to genetic similarities, having a lexical similarity of 56%[3].
Munji is spoken by 5,300 people located mostly in Northern Afghanistan. Between the two dialects spoken in the area of Mamalgha Valley and the area of Munjan Valley, differed as the Northern and Southern Dialects[4], the language has moved to parts of Chitral after the War in Afghanistan forced the people to flee to safer areas[3].
History of the Land[edit]
The language has already faced many challenges from the war and from national languages quickly beginning to replace the small local languages. Almost the entire Munji-speaking population of Afghanistan fled across the border to Chitral during the War in Afghanistan. The Munji-speaking areas were raided by Mujahidin, where their military operations were held, and the people were either killed or forced to travel to norther, safer areas of Afghanistan. The Garam Chishma area became important during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan because the Soviets were unable to stop the flow of arms and men back and forth across the Dorah Pass that separates Chitral from Badakshan in Afghanistan[3].
Afghanistan has been a popular country due to its geographical location. It lies in the center of Asia with many major countries surrounding its border. The Munjan Valley is located in the northeastern section of Afghanistan, bordering countries like Pakistan and China. The province of Badakhshan, located near the Hindu Kush Mountains, also includes the Mamalgha Valleys. Both valleys house the few thousand who still use Munji as their main language of communication.
History of the Language[edit]
Munji is a part of the Pamir languages, spoken in the Pamir Mountains of Afghanistan and its few other bordering countries. The different dialects of Munji, divided into the Northern and Southern varieties, are almost completely the same. They share a 92% lexical similarity. This classifies them as being mutually intelligible. Although differences in sound and the language's lexicon persists, the speakers of both dialects are able to understand one another without prior knowledge of the other dialect. Both dialects are known to be commonly spoken at home and within the community, as outsiders would not be able to understand this language[4].
The Northern dialect is known to be spoken by those of higher class, as it poses as the prestige dialect. The language is correlated with its own people, located in the Munjan Valley of the Badakhshan Province of Afghanistan. Throughout all the other languages spoken in this area, Munji seems to dominate the valley. Because Munji does not have its own written system, the death of the language is quickly approaching and getting replaced by the national local language, Dari. Dari is also a prestige national language that is used in religious, social, and education contexts[5].
Writing System[edit]
Today, Munji is written using the Arabic script[4]. The Arabic script is widely used in the Asian, African, and Middle Eastern countries; therefore, it is system that is commonly used differently, due to its geographical and phonetical variations, among different speakers[6]. Generally, the script is unicameral and an abjad. The system contains an estimated twenty-eight letters, which are formed together and read right to left[7].
Phonology[edit]
The Pamir Languages all contain similarities and differences regarding its characteristics of phonetics. The lexical similarities and differences give each language its own unique characteristics. Each of the languages listed within the Pamir languages, contain different consonants which ultimately set the languages apart from each other. For example, Wakhi has v-, δ-, γ- and Yidgha and Munji have v-, γ-, but Munji has d- while Yidgha has l-[8]. Notice in the image attached that Yidgha and Munji share the most in common due to the similar history, genetics, and geographical location of existence of the two languages[8]. When observing all of the languages, the close similarities but minor differences are important when setting the languages apart in order to consider the differences in language culture.
Number System[edit]
Table 1: Munji Number System[9]
| Numbers | Munji |
|---|---|
| 1 | ju |
| 2 | lə |
| 3 | çrai |
| 4 | t͡ʃfiɾ |
| 5 | pɔnd͡ʒ |
| 6 | ɔxʂə |
| 7 | ɔvdə |
| 8 | ɔʃcʲə |
| 9 | naw |
| 10 | ju u sɛfɾ |
| 11 | ju u ju |
| 12 | ju u lə |
| 13 | ju u çrai |
| 14 | ju u t͡ʃfiɾ |
| 15 | ju u pɔnd͡ʒ |
| 20 | lə u sɛfɾ |
| 50 | pɔnd͡ʒ u sɛfɾ |
| 100 | ju u lə sɛfɾi |
| 1000 | ju u çraj sɛfɾi |
Because the Munji language is used alongside the more popular language of Dari, the Munji-speakers may depend on the Dari number system more. Although Dari is more popular, there still exists a specific and unique number system for the Munji language. The numbers are named after each digit that make up that number. Table 1 shows the basis for naming numbers when used alone or in conjunction with another digit[9].
Endangerment[edit]
The Munji language has been through many struggles in its attempts to surpass the dominance of the national language of Dari, which is used predominantly used in the educational systems leaving Munji to only be spoken at home and in the community. To add, Munji is not a written language making it easier for its historical and cultural significance to fade. With the death or migration of many of its people during the War in Afghanistan, the Munji-speaking areas were left with only a few thousand speakers left. The outcome of this language ultimately depends on its current cultural, educational, and political conditions, which can be responsible for its death or rebirth.
References[edit]
- ^ "Did you know Munji is threatened?". Endangered Languages. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ Ilolov, M; Ilolova, P; Yusufbekov, S (2015). "Pamiri Languages and Problems of Written Language". Central Asian Languages and Linguistics. 1: 92–96.
- ^ a b c Decker, Kendell D. (1992). Languages of Chitral. National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan and Summer Institute of Linguistics.
- ^ a b c "Munji". Ethnologue. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ Beyer, Daniela; Beck, Simone (2012). "A Linguistic Assessment of the Munji Language in Afghanistan". Language Documentation & Conservation. 6: 38–103.
- ^ "ScriptSource - Munji". scriptsource.org. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
- ^ "ScriptSource - Arabic". scriptsource.org. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
- ^ a b electricpulp.com. "AFGHANISTAN v. Languages – Encyclopaedia Iranica". www.iranicaonline.org. Retrieved 2017-04-27.
- ^ a b "Munji". mpi-lingweb.shh.mpg.de. Retrieved 2017-04-26.
Further reading[edit]
- Decker, Kendall (1992). Languages of Chitral. Islamabad: National Institute of Pakistan Studies, Quaid-i-Azam University and Summer Institute of Linguistics.
- Morgenstierne, Georg (1926). Report on a Linguistic Mission to Afghanistan. Oslo: Instituttet for Sammenlignende Kulturforskning, Serie C I-2. ISBN 0-923891-09-9.
- Munji. Retrieved April 30, 2017, from http://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/munj1244.