Kuzha, or Khezha, is a major language of the
Chakhesang Naga
The Chakhesangs are a major Naga ethnic group inhabiting the Northeast Indian state of Nagaland. Chakhesangs were previously known as the former Eastern Angami, now recognized as a separate ethnic group. The name "Chakhesang" was created as ...
ethnic group of
Phek District
Phek District (pron:/ˈfɛk/) is a List of districts of Nagaland, district in the Indian state of Nagaland. At , the district is the List of districts of Nagaland, seventh-most populous district in Nagaland and List of districts in India, 596th ...
in the southern part of
Nagaland
Nagaland () is a States and union territories of India, state in the northeast India, north-eastern region of India. It is bordered by the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh to the north, Assam to the west, Manipur to the south, and the Naga Sel ...
, India. It is generally spoken by the Kuzhami people and is one of the three major languages of the Chakhesang Nagas. ''Khezha'' or ''Kuzhale'' is predominantly spoken in
Pfütsero
Pfütsero is a town located in the Phek District of the Indian state of Nagaland. It is the highest-altitude town and the coldest inhabited place in Nagaland with temperatures occasionally dropping below 0 °C during winter nights. It is he ...
and
Chizami
Chizami is a village in the Phek district of Nagaland in Northeast India. The village has witnessed a revolution in terms of environmental protection & socioeconomic reforms for almost a decade. At present, Chizami is today visited by young gener ...
region of Phek District. It is also spoken by few villages in the northern part of
Ukhrul District
Ukhrul district ( Meitei pronunciation:/ˈuːkˌɹəl or ˈuːkˌɹʊl/) is an administrative district of the state of Manipur in India with its headquarters at Ukhrul. The Ukhrul district has a long history dating back to the 1920s when it wa ...
in the state of
Manipur
Manipur () is a state in northeastern India with Imphal as its capital. It borders the Indian states of Assam to the west, Mizoram to the south, and Nagaland to the north and shares the international border with Myanmar, specifically t ...
. It also shares a high lexical similarity with the
Mao Language and
Paomai Language. This intelligibility has been however, reduced due to
Chokri and
Pochuric influences.
Further reading
*Kapfo, Kedutso. 1993. A Descriptive Analysis of Khezha. University of Mysore. (Doctoral dissertation);
*Kapfo, Kedutso. 2004. The Ethnology of the Khezhas and Khezha grammar. Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages.
External links
Audio sample of Khezha
References
Languages of Nagaland
Angami–Pochuri languages
Endangered languages of India
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