Page Type: languageChantyal | Ethnologue

CHX ISO 639-3

Chantyal

छन्त्याल खाम‎ (Chantyal Kham) Autonym

A language of Nepal

ISO 639
chx
Alternate Names
Chantel, Chhantel, Chhantyal, Khamkura
Autonym
छन्त्याल खाम‎ (Chantyal Kham)
Population
4,020, all users. L1 users: 3,730 (2011 census), decreasing. L2 users: 290 (2011 census). No monolinguals (Noonan 1996). Ethnic population: 9,000 (2011 census).
Location:
Gandaki province: Myagdi district, Raghuganga rural municipality, Caura Khani, Dwari, Ghyas Kharka, Kuine Khani, Malampahar, Malkabang, Mangale Khani, Patle Kharka, and Thara Khani.
Language Status
6b (Threatened). Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Chhantyal.
Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Western Tibeto-Burman, Bodish, West Bodish, Gurung-Tamang, Gurungic
Dialects
None known. Related to Gurung [gvr], Manangba [nmm], Tamang [tdg], and Thakali [ths] (Noonan 1996).
Typology
SOV; head noun final; dual number; agglutinative language; case-marking clitics (over 20 cases); tense, aspect and mood in verbal morphology; 40 consonants and 12 vowels (6 oral and 6 nasal); non-tonal; stress on first syllable; evidentiality.
Language Use
Home, villages (Noonan 1996). Not used for singing. Some young people, all adults. Also use Nepali [npi].
Language Development
Dictionary. Texts.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Chantyal
Writing
Devanagari script [Deva], recently developed.
Other Comments
Some believe Chantyal will be replaced soon. Outsiders often regard it as Magar, but they claim a Thakuri origin (de Sales 1993). Much lexical borrowing from Nepali. Sometimes called Khamkura as are Kham languages, which can have a general meaning of local non-Nepali dialect. (Watters 2002). Traditional religion, Buddhist.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Gandaki province: Myagdi district, Raghuganga rural municipality, Caura Khani, Dwari, Ghyas Kharka, Kuine Khani, Malampahar, Malkabang, Mangale Khani, Patle Kharka, and Thara Khani.