Khana

Khana

Khana is the language spoken in Neel-Chamalvas area of district Ramban of Jammu and Kashmir. It is locally known as Kha. It is spoken by almost 500-600 residents, and is the main medium of communication in this area. Neighbouring languages include Kashmiri, Poguli, and Dogri. Khana is the main language used by the people in their homes, fields and other informal situations. Children also speak Khana in informal situations. Apart from Khana, Kashmiri and Pahari (Pahari-Urdu). Hindi is also spoken to some extent. Khana is the mother tongue of about 10,000 persons. The native speakers reported that they are living in this area from several generations.

Khana has no official status. In Jammu and Kashmir, Khana is recognised as a minority language and the outsiders have no idea about its existence, they perceive Khana people as the Pahari speaking people. Khana has no script of its own and has no written texts. It is an unclassified language.

Khana belongs to the Dardic language family. Its closest major relatives are Poguli and Kashmiri, and these languages are spoken in the same belt of Ramban area surrounded by sargili Mountains. Khana shares quit a member of words with Kashmiri and Poguli. The cultural charecteristics along with the language intelligibility strengthen the view that all Kha speakers belong to a common ethnic group. Khana is the identity of the Khana people which separates them from other people and makes them ethnically different as language reflects the thoughts, ethnic background and other cultural features of a society.