Page Type: languageBote | Ethnologue

BMJ ISO 639-3

Bote

बोटे‎ (bote) Autonym

A language of Nepal

ISO 639
bmj
Alternate Names
Bot, Bote-Majhi, Pakhe-Bote, Pani-Bote
Autonym
बोटे‎ (bote)
Population
9,150, all users. L1 users: 8,770 (2011 census), decreasing. L2 users: 380 (2011 census). No monolinguals (2002 UNESCO).
Location:
Gandaki province: East Nawalparasi district, Chitwan National Park, Devchuli, Gaidakot, Kawasoti, and Madhyabindu municipalities; Bagmati province: Chitwan district, Chitwan National Park, Bharatpur and Madi municipalities.
Language Status
6b (Threatened). Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Bote.
Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Eastern, Unclassified
Typology
SOV; postpositions; final noun head; no noun classes or genders; content q-word in situ; 1 prefix, up to 2 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks person and number; ergativity; both tense and aspect; passives and voice; nontonal; 29 consonant and 6 vowel phonemes.
Language Use
Use is mostly local. Rapid shift to Nepali [npi] (Van Driem 2007). Mixed use: Home, friends, religion, work. Some young people, all adults. Elderly. Some use among children, adolescents, younger and older adults. Positive attitudes, with growing language activism. Also use Bhojpuri [bho]. Also use Nepali [npi].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: None. Generally, literacy programs are conducted in Nepali [npi]. Newspapers.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Bote
Writing
Devanagari script [Deva], recently developed.
Other Comments
2 groups of Bote: Pani (water) Bote and Pakhe (land) Bote. Hindu.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Gandaki province: East Nawalparasi district, Chitwan National Park, Devchuli, Gaidakot, Kawasoti, and Madhyabindu municipalities; Bagmati province: Chitwan district, Chitwan National Park, Bharatpur and Madi municipalities.