LANGUAGES IN NEPAL
Languages in Nepal (percent of the population that speaks them as a first language): Nepali (official) 44.6 percent, Maithali 11.7 percent, Bhojpuri 6 percent, Tharu 5.8 percent, Tamang 5.1 percent, Newar 3.2 percent, Bajjika 3 percent, Magar 3 percent, Doteli 3 percent, Urdu 2.6 percent, Avadhi 1.9 percent, Limbu 1.3 percent, Gurung 1.2 percent, Baitadeli 1 percent, other 6.4 percent, unspecified 0.2 percent (2011 estimated) [Source: CIA World Factbook, 2020]
A total of 123 languages were reported as mother tongues in 2011 national census. Many of them are spoken by a specific ethnic group or minority. There are 26 major language and dozens of other lesser languages and dialects spoken in Nepal. These language fall into three categories: 1) Indo-European languages like Nepali that are similar to Hindi and Urdu and to a lesser extent Persian and English; 2) Tibeto-Burman languages that are similar to Tibetan and to a lesser extent Chinese; and 3) Austroasiatic languages.
Nepal’s 2001 census listed 92 languages spoken as mother tongues, and an indeterminate number of languages were categorized as “unknown.” Many languages are rarely spoken outside of specific areas, but knowledge of more than one language is common. Nepali is the national language and the most common mother tongue (spoken by 48.6 percent of the population), as well as the most common second language. [Source: Library of Congress, November 2005 **]
With the end of the government’s “one-nation-one language” policy in 1991, the percentage of people reporting Nepali as their mother tongue has declined, and language has grown as a marker of social identification and social division. Non-Nepali languages and dialects have traditionally not been spoken much outside their ethnic enclaves. In order to estimate the numerical distribution of different ethnic groups, census data indicating various mother tongues spoken in the country have been used. [Source: ** Andrea Matles Savada, Library of Congress, 1991 *]
Nepali
Nepali is the official language of Nepal and is spoken as the first language by about 45 percent of Nepal’s population. It is an Indo-European language similar to Hindi, the main language spoken in northern India, and is derived from Sanskrit and is written, like Sanskrit and Hindi, with the Devanagari script, which is syllabary rather than an alphabet. Nepali is the main language of education, administration and commerce. It also serves as a lingua franca and a second language for the Nepalese that speak other languages as their first language.
Nepali is used for most intertribal communication and in government publications. It has been the language of most of the written literature of Nepal since the Gorkha unification of Nepal in the 18th century. Children are taught in their own language in primary schools. After that Nepali is the medium of instruction. [Source: “Worldmark Encyclopedia of Nations”, Thomson Gale, 2007]
By one estimate Nepali is spoken to varying degrees by about 90 percent of the population of Nepal. In the 1990 it was described as the mother tongue by approximately 58 percent of the population, Nepali is spoken by most Nepalese in the Kathmandu Valley. The Newars, the original inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, who still make up a large portion of the valley's population. have their own language, Newari, a Tibeto-Burman language not related to Nepali, but most Newars in the valley also understand Nepali. [Source: Cities of the World, The Gale Group Inc., 2002]
Nepali is the primary language of education and government. Most radio and television broadcasts are in Nepali.For many Nepalese, Nepali is a secondary language after the language of ethnic group or region. This puts groups that don’t speak Nepali as their first language at a disadvantage in education and civil service positions. Language can be a divisive issues in Nepal.
History of Indo-Aryan Languages in Nepal
Most Nepalese and Indians speak Indo-Aryan languages. Persian and the languages of Afghanistan are close relatives, belonging, like the Indo-Aryan languages, to the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European family. Brought into South Asia from the northwest during the second millennium B.C., the Indo-Aryan tongues spread throughout the north, gradually displacing the earlier languages of the area. [Source: Library of Congress *]
Despite the extensive linguistic diversity in South Asia, many scholars treat it as a single linguistic area because the various language families share a number of features not found together outside South Asia. Languages entering South Asia were "Indianized." Scholars cite the presence of retroflex consonants, characteristic structures in verb formations, and a significant amount of vocabulary in Sanskrit with Dravidian or Austroasiatic origin as indications of mutual borrowing, influences, and counter-influences. Retroflex consonants, for example, which are formed with the tongue curled back to the hard palate, appear to have been incorporated into Sanskrit and other Indo-Aryan languages through the medium of borrowed Dravidian words.*
Modern linguistic knowledge of the process of assimilation of Indo-Aryan language comes through the Sanskrit language employed in the sacred literature known as the Vedas. Over a period of centuries, Indo-Aryan languages came to predominate in the northern and central portions of South Asia. Sanskrit is the ancient language of India and the sacred language of Hinduism. The Asian cousin of Latin and Greek, it is ideal for chanting as it is full of sounds that resonate in a special way. Traditionally it was a taboo for any caste other than Brahmans (India’s highest caste) to learn Sanskrit—"the language of the gods." The Hindu epic Ramayana described a lower caste man who had molten metal poured in his ear after he listened to Sanskrit scriptures reserved for upper class Brahmans.
As Indo-Aryan speakers spread across northern and central India, their languages experienced constant change and development. By about 500 B.C., Prakrits, or "common" forms of speech, were widespread throughout the north. By about the same time, the "sacred," "polished," or "pure" tongue — Sanskrit — used in religious rites had also developed along independent lines, changing significantly from the form used in the Vedas. However, its use in ritual settings encouraged the retention of archaic forms lost in the Prakrits. Concerns for the purity and correctness of Sanskrit gave rise to an elaborate science of grammar and phonetics and an alphabetical system seen by some scholars as superior to the Roman system. By the fourth century B.C., these trends had culminated in the work of Panini, whose Sanskrit grammar, the Ashtadhyayi (Eight Chapters), set the basic form of Sanskrit for subsequent generations. Panini's work is often compared to Euclid's as an intellectual feat of systematization.*
The Prakrits continued to evolve through everyday use. One of these dialects was Pali, which was spoken in the western portion of peninsular India. Pali became the language of Theravada Buddhism; eventually it came to be identified exclusively with religious contexts. By around A.D. 500, the Prakrits had changed further into Apabhramshas, or the "decayed" speech; it is from these dialects that the contemporary Indo-Aryan languages of South Asia developed. The rudiments of modern Indo-Aryan vernaculars were in place by about A.D. 1000 to 1300.*
Nepali is an Indo-Aryan language related to Hindi. Known historically as Khas Khura and Gorkhali because of its association with the early settlers of western Nepal and with the Gorkha dynasty, the language came to Nepal with Khas settlers who migrated into the western Himalaya region of northern India approximately 1500 B.C.. After conquering much of the territory that constitutes modern Nepal, King Prithvi Narayan Shah (1743–1775) established Gorkhali (Nepali) as the national language. Nepali is an Indo-European language derived from Sanskrit with which it shares and most residents speak at least some Nepali, [Source: “Countries and Their Cultures”, The Gale Group Inc., 2001; “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 3: South Asia,” edited by Paul Hockings, 1992]
Non-Nepali Languages
Tibeto-Burman languages, Munda (Austroasiatic) languages, and various Non-Nepali Indo-Aryan language and dialects are spoken. Maithili is the second most common mother tongue (12.3 percent), and English is increasingly prominent as well as compulsory in public schools and universities. Austroasiatic languages are spoken by southern Terai groups such as the Tharu, Danuwar and Darai. Also in the south there are language spoken by some groups that are more similar to Hindi than Nepali.
.Common non-Nepali language languages include Maithili, Bhojpuri, Tharu, Tamang, Newari, and Abadhi. These Non-Nepali languages and dialects are rarely were spoken outside their ethnic enclaves. In order to estimate the numerical distribution of different ethnic groups, the census data indicating various mother tongues spoken in the country must be used. [Source: Andrea Matles Savada, Library of Congress, 1991 *]
With the end of the government’s “one-nation-one language” policy in 1991, the percentage of people reporting Nepali as their mother tongue has declined, and language has grown as a marker of social identification and social division. In September 1999, the government imposed a ban on using ethnic languages in the work place. The move was met with protests.
Indo-Aryan (Indo-European) Languages in Nepal
Nepali, Maithili, and Bhojpuri belonged to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family of languages. If the Maithili- and Bhojpuri-speaking populations of the Terai are included, more than 75 percent of the population of Nepal speak Indo-Aryan languages and belong to the Indo-Nepalese ethnic group.
Indo-Aryan, or Indic, a branch of the Indo-European Family, is dominant in Nepal, Pakistan, northern India and Bangladesh. It includes Hindi and it many variants, Punjabi, Sinali, Urdu and Bengali. About 80 percent of all Indians speak one of the Indo-Aryan group of languages. Persian and the languages of Afghanistan are close relatives. They also belongi to the Indo-Aryan group, or Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European family. Brought into India from the northwest during the second millennium B.C., the Indo-Aryan tongues spread throughout the north, gradually displacing the earlier languages of the area (See Above). [Source: Library of Congress]
According to the “Encyclopedia of World Cultures”: “ Along the southern plains of the Terai one also finds people whose languages (and customs) are indistinguishable from similar groups speaking Hindi, Bhojpuri, and Mithali in north India.” [Source: Alfred Pach III, “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 3: South Asia,” edited by Paul Hockings, 1992|~|]
Tibeto-Burman Languages in Nepal
Among the groups in Nepal who speak Tibeto-Burman languages are the Newars, Sherpas, Tamang, Magar, Rai and Limbu and other people who have traditionally occupied the middle hills and the mountains near the Tibetan border. Many of the speakers of these languages belong to Tibeto-Nepalese ethnic groups. Many of these people practice Tibetan Buddhism and have religious, clothing, food and subsistence patterns that are similar to groups in Tibet, from which the Tibeto-Nepalese ethnic groups originated two millennia ago. [Source: Alfred Pach III, “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 3: South Asia,” edited by Paul Hockings, 1992 |~|]
A number of important ethnic groups in the midland region of the country, including the Kathmandu Valley, speak Tibeto-Burman languages as their native tongues. The most prominent of these are the Newars, the first settlers and the cultural architects of the Kathmandu Valley. [Source: Alfred Pach III, “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 3: South Asia,” edited by Paul Hockings, 1992 |~|]
Tibeto-Burman belongs to the Sino-Tibetan family of languages, which predominate in China and mainland Southeast Asia. They are broken into three main subfamilies: 1)Tibeto-Burman, 2) Tai and 3) Sinitic, including many of the language spoken in China. One unique feature of all Sino-Tibetan languages is that most words consist of a single syllable. Multi-syllable words are as unthinkable to Tibetans and Chinese as words with only consonants are to English speakers. Sino-Tibetan languages are tonal, which means that the meaning of the word can change with the tone of pitch in which it is spoken.
Magar Language
Magar are the third largest ethnic group in Nepal. According to the CIA Factbook in 2020 they make up 7.1 percent of the population of Nepal. They are a Hindu people who live in the middle Himalayas and Terai and west-central and southern Nepal.
According to the “Encyclopedia of World Cultures”: “As their mother tongue Magars may speak one of three languages: Nepali, Magarkura, or Khamkura. The latter two both belong to the Bodish section of Sino-Tibetan, and though closely related, they are mutually unintelligible, (according to studies done by James F. Fisher). Nepali is the Sanskrit-based lingua franca and is the second language of almost all Magars. [Source: John T. Hitchcock, “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 3: South Asia,” edited by Paul Hockings, 1992 |~|]
“Magars' Mongoloid physical type and their Sino-Tibetan Languages suggest they entered Nepal from the north, through Tibet or southern China. The Magarkura speakers occupy the lower, warmer, and more desirable agricultural area and are known to have been there since at least the late thirteenth or early fourteenth century, so it is likely that they preceded the Khamkura speakers, who generally live in the higher, colder locations to the north.”
Austroasiatic Languages in Nepal
Austroasiatic languages are spoken by southern Terai groups such as the Tharu, Danuwar and Darai. Also in the south there are language spoken by some groups that are more similar to Hindi than Nepali. The Austroasiatic languages, composed of the Munda tongues and others thought to be related to them, are spoken by mostly by groups of tribal peoples in Nepal. In India the languages are spoken by groups that live in West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa and Madhya Pradesh.
Vietnamese and Cambodian are Austroasiatic languages. Enclaves of people that speak Austroasiatic languages also found in Malaysia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and India. There are about 100 million speakers of Austroasiatic languages in the world today. They are also called Munda or Mon-Khmer languages. Although the language may have originated in China, very few people in China speak it today (a small enclave near the Myanmar border).
Austroasiatic languages are characterized by an abundance of vowels. In contrast to English, which only has around a dozen vowel sounds, Austroasiatic languages have around 40 or so, including ones that are nasal, non-nasal, long, extra-short, creaky, breathy, normal, high-tongue, low-tongue, medium-high tongue, medium-low tongue, front tongue, back tongue, middle tongue and various combinations of these sounds.
According to the “Encyclopedia of World Cultures”: “ There are a number of groups in the formerly malarial jungle valleys of the Siwalik and Mahabharat ranges in southern Nepal, such as the Tharu, Danuwar, and Darai, who speak languages that mix Austroasiatic linguistic elements with a number of words from North Indian and Tibeto-Burman languages. [Source: Alfred Pach III, “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 3: South Asia,” edited by Paul Hockings, 1992]
English in Nepal
Many Nepalese in government and business speak English. English is taught as a second language in secondary schools and colleges and is widely understood in academic and cultural circles. Although Nepali is the native language, English is the primary language used for business in Nepal.
English is compulsory in some public schools and universities. It is obviously emphasized more in elite urban schools than village schools. English is most widely spoken among urban residents of Kathmandu. Many people also speak English in Pokhara, other tourist areas and along the trekking routes. Travelers should have no problem getting by without knowing any Nepali. If you want to learn enough of the local language Lonely Planet puts out a Nepali phrase book.
Nepalese English is heavily influenced by the Indo-Aryan languages of Nepal.Modern English education began in the 1850s. There is little or no consensus among teachers and practitioners on whether to follow British, American or Indian variants of English, or allow the development of a Nepal-specific variety of English. Colloquially Nepalese English is known as Nenglish (a term first recorded in 1999), or, less commonly, as Nepanglish (2000) or Neplish (2002). [Source: Wikipedia]
Nepali Swear Words and Insults
Nepali Language Swearing & English Translation.
Nepali Swearing: English Translation
Ma chik na: Motherfucker
Ama ko puti: Mother's pussy
Tero ama ko puti: Your mother's pussy
Puti: Pussy
Mero chak kha: Eat my ass
Randi: Whore
Ran doe: Male whore
Mero lado choos: Suck my dick
Muji: Ass
Randi ko Chhoro: Son of a Bitch
[Source: myinsults.com]
Chack ko doolo: Asshole
Chikuwa: Fucker
Thankeko lado: Erected dick
Randi ko poi: Husband of a whore
Beshya: Whore
Mero gu kha: Eat my shit
Gorumute: Piss of bull
Gadha: Ass
Kukurni: Female dog (bitch)
Lado: Penis
Kukur chikuwa: Dog fucker
Randi ka ban: Whore's husband
Turi: Dick
Tunturi: Dick
Kando: Ass cheeks
Puti chaat: Lick pussy
Geda: Balls
Geda kha: Suck my balls
Mero bau ko lado chus: Suck my dads dick
Kong / lharo: Penis
Muji / guji: Vagina
Dudt / dudu: Breast
Chik / chibam: Fuck
Pagal: Crazy
Alachina: Ill luck, indecent, unholy
Lhotte ra morr: Fall and die
Goi ra morr: Go and die
Chikke ra morr: Fuck till you die
Moot: Urine
Harami: Idiot , bastard
Alu ko tauko: Potato head
Sunggur ko nak: Pig nose
Makichott: Miser
Loderr: Useless scum
Dhacha: Show off
Lhari: Bitch
Padd: Fart
Hogg: To shit
Kukur ko gu: Dog shit
Derrpok: A coward
Ullu: Stupid
Olchi: Lazy
Morre ko manchi: Dead person or people
Harreram: Good heavens!
Abuini: Used when in shock or fear
Het terrini: Used in protest of something or someone
Bhutt: Ghost
Rakches: Monster, devil
Bhoksi / bhoksa: Witch / warlord
Malie tero amma ko lash lai chikke: I fucked your mum's dead body.
Mero nunilo gula chus: Lick my salty balls
Hijo rati maile tero amma ra bau dutai lia chike: Last night I fucked your mum and your dad
Jhyaau khaa: Lick my pubic hair
Jhyaau: Pubic hair
Kondo Ko Duli: Asshole
Maa Chickne: Motherfucker
Harami Kukkur: Useless dog
Khiao: Whore
TukTuk: Whore
Ghopto Porera Thaap: Bend over and receive
Ganhaune puti: Stinky pussy
Names in Nepal
The family name is usually written first in Nepali. “Ji” is sometimes added to a person’s first name or last name as a sign of respect. Many Nepalis go by a single name. Sherpas and some other ethnic groups and castes use their ethnic group name or caste as their family name. People generally don’t refer to one another by their names. This is especially true with children, where it is believed that using a child’s name can attract evil spirits or demons to him.
Family members use terms such as “daai” (older brother), “baji” (grandmother) or “bahini” (younger sister). These same terms are often used to refer to members of the extended family and close friends. People are also referred to using one of the many forms of “Hey You” that vary from very polite to vary rude (the one used is often determined by the caste or rank of the speaker and the person being addressed).
According to the “Encyclopedia of World Cultures”: “Among many Nepali-speaking and also some Tibeto-Burman-speaking groups siblings may be addressed according to an age order from oldest to youngest or simply as an older or younger sibling (e.g., Jetha, Kanchha). In many groups siblings address parallel and some cross cousins with sibling terms. In the first ascending generation parents' parallel siblings may be addressed with parental terms marked by their age rank (i.e., older or younger). Cross parental siblings may be addressed by particular terms and treated in a distinctively relaxed or more formal manner. Family and lineage relations almost always observe marital taboos. However, for some groups, such as high-caste Hindus, phratries or gotra are exogamous, while for other groups, such as the Gurung, their moieties are endogamous. [Source: Alfred Pach III, “Encyclopedia of World Cultures Volume 3: South Asia,” edited by Paul Hockings, 1992 |~|]
Common Hindu first names include Vijay, Gopal, Rajendra and Prakash. Many people are named after Hindu gods such as Krishna or Lakshmi. English nicknames are common Of the 329 parliamentarians' names, over 220 have middle names. Among them, Bahadur, Prasad, Kumar, Lal, Nath, Singh, Man and Devi are common. No one has a Western name.
Western Names Becoming More Common in Nepal
Western names are becoming more in Kathmandu and other cities.Thira Bhusal wrote in the Kathmandu Post: “Ram, Sita, Parbati, Laxmi, Shankar, Ganesh, Krishna, Bishnu and Tulsi — traditional Nepali names — are fast being replaced by John, Nancy, Michael, Luis, Angela, Erica, Monica, Wilson and Jasmine in Nepali homes and schools. Identifying oneself or ones children with English names has become common in Nepali society in recent times, especially in Urban areas. [Source: Thira Bhusal, Kathmandu Post, September 16, 2007]
“When The Kathmandu Post asked some parents, it was found that they did not want to christen their babies with traditional names. Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist chief in the interim parliament Mahendra Bahadur Pandey said he named his daughter Liberty as he was quite influenced by the three mantras of the French Revolution — Liberty, Fraternity and Equality. Likewise, he named his son Wisdom. "I was active in politics and was an English lecturer in Ilam Campus during the Panchayat regime — when multiparty politics was banned," he said, adding, "But, as a political activist and a teacher I always struggled for liberty and wisdom. So I wanted to name my children after these ideals." He had to revolt against his family as his father, a priest, wanted to name his grandchildren after gods or goddesses. Liberty Pandey is currently pursuing her studies in the United States.”
“Experts said some of the other reasons behind the trend are cross cultural marriages between Nepalis and foreigners, adoption of new religions and influence of international celebrities, players, and renowned personalities.
Western Names Taken by Secondary School Students in Nepal
Thira Bhusal wrote in the Kathmandu Post: “Ritendra Tamang is a die-hard fan of internationally famous English footballer David Beckham. So enamoured was he by his idol that he changed his name to David Tamang two years ago. An eighth grader at Shree Kamana, Secondary School, Gongabu in Kathmandu, David says he changed his name, when he was admitted in the sixth grade. David's is not an isolated case when it comes to discarding traditional names in favour of Western names. A scrutiny of a list of over 400 students from Meridian International School Kathmandu reveals that nearly 40 students have names that are of English or Western origin. Of the 400, there was just one name after a Hindu goddess — Laxmi. [Source: Thira Bhusal, Kathmandu Post, September 16, 2007]
“Similarly, when names of around. 400 students were examined from Rato Bangala School — one of the top schools in the capital — hardly one or two students had traditional names. The scrutiny also brought to the fore another trend: the new generation's dislike for middle names traditionally used by their ancestors and even most of their parents. Only two students with the middle name Bahadur was found in Meridian International School.
“Mother of Nancy Sherpa, eighth grader at Meridian International School, chose the name after an American lady. "Nancy is an American friend of my father. My mother liked it and named me after her," Nancy said. But not all are similarly influenced. Mother of Sheronika, a third grader at Meridian school, coined her daughter's name by adding 'nika' in the first name of Sheronika's father Sher Bahadur Budha. "Nika was added because it is often found in many modern names like Malvika, Sugarika, (both Miss Nepal) Monika, Jessica," said her parents.
“Dr Ram Bahadur Chhettri, Head of the Central Department of Sociology and Anthropology in Tribhuvan University, stated that this shows the new generation idolises international players, celebrities and other personalities as role models instead of local ones. "So, our children not only mimic foreigners' hairstyle and fashion but have also been naming themselves after their role models." The reasons may be different but traditional names are on the way out.(ANN)
Image Sources: Wikimedia Commons
Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, Nepal Tourism Board (ntb.gov.np), Nepal Government National Portal (nepal.gov.np), The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time, Reuters, Associated Press, AFP, Wikipedia and various books, websites and other publications.
Last updated February 2022