Exploring the Kirat Language Family From Ancient Echoes to Modern Voices

Abstract:- The review paper examines the linguistic and cultural connections within the Kirat community, highlighting the possible influence of past and present conflicts on their sense of self. The analysis examines whether Kirat languages exhibit a stronger affinity with the Tibeto-Burman family or the Austro-Asiatic/Munda family. Kirat and Tibeto-Burman languages share comparable variations in verb morphology, characterized by an agglutinative framework and the use of prefixes and suffixes to indicate tense-aspect changes. Furthermore, the Kirat and Tibeto-Burman languages commonly employ classifiers and noun modifiers to show the referent's shape, size, or number.The research methodology employs a qualitative approach, examining secondary sources such as library materials and online studies to obtain insights into historical divisions and current conflicts within the Kirat group. The review utilised the SWOT framework to thoroughly study data and evaluate the arguments presented by different scholars. The aim is to provide a comprehensive and subtle viewpoint on the internal conflicts and cultural legacy of the Kirat community.Linguists have shown linguistic links between the Kirat language and the Dravidian language in the Sindh culture and the Mediterranean Moabite languages. The Kirat is known to have spoken the Austro-Asiatic/Munda language before evolving into the Tibeto-Burman language, which became dominant by the 8th century during the pre-Tibeto-Burman period. From the 20th century forward, Indo-European languages gained dominance over Tibeto-Burman languages in Nepal. The linguistic affinities in Kirat's lexicon, ascertained throughout diverse historical epochs and geographical localities, yield vital discernments. Keywords: Kirat people, linguistic affiliation, historical reconstruction, substrate influence, comparative analysis.