Page Type: languageDarai | Ethnologue

DRY ISO 639-3

Darai

दरै‎ (darai) Autonym

A language of Nepal

ISO 639
dry
Autonym
दरै‎ (darai)
Population
12,050, all users. L1 users: 11,700 (2011 census), decreasing. L2 users: 350 (2011 census). Very few monolinguals.
Location:
Bagmati province: Chitwan district, Bharatpur, Khairahani, Ratnanagar, and Rapti municipalities; Gandaki province: East Nawalparasi district, Bungdikali and Bulingtar municipalities; Tanahun district, Byas, Ghiring, and Rhishing municipalities.
Language Status
6b (Threatened). Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Darai.
Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Unclassified
Dialects
Chitwan, Tanahun. Lexical similarity: 85%–90% with Bote [bmj].
Typology
SOV; postpositions; noun head final; 2 noun classes or genders; 1 prefix, up to 4 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks for person and number; nominal-based split ergativity; both tense and aspect; passives and voice; nontonal; 29 consonant and 6 vowel phonemes; head-marking of noun in genitive construction.
Language Use
Rapidly assimilating to Nepali [npi] (Van Driem 2007). Home; mixed use: Friends, religion, work. Some young people, all adults. Positive attitudes. Most also use Nepali [npi].
Language Development
Newspapers. Periodicals. Radio. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Darai
Writing
Devanagari script [Deva], used since 2014.
Other Comments
Darai do not have social subdivisions found in most other Nepali groups. They do not organize communities into social, religious, economic, or political organizations (Bista 1996). Hindu.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Bagmati province: Chitwan district, Bharatpur, Khairahani, Ratnanagar, and Rapti municipalities; Gandaki province: East Nawalparasi district, Bungdikali and Bulingtar municipalities; Tanahun district, Byas, Ghiring, and Rhishing municipalities.