Dzongkha | Ethnologue

A language of Bhutan

ISO 639: dzo
Alternate Names: Bhotia of Bhutan, Bhotia of Dukpa, Bhutanese, Drukha, Drukke, Dukpa, Jonkha, Zongkhar
Autonym: རྫོང་ཁ་‎ (Dzongkha)
Population: 304,000 in Bhutan (2021 Joshua Project). , based on ethnicity. Total users in all countries: 315,080.
Location:: Haa, Paro, Punakha, and Wangdue Phodrang districts.
Language Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (2008, Constitution, Article 1(8)).
Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Western Tibeto-Burman, Bodish, Central Bodish, Central, Southern
Dialects: Wang-The (Thimphu-Punakha), Ha, Northern Thimphu, Adap. As different from Central Tibetan [bod] as Nepali [npi] is from Hindi [hin]. Partially intelligible with Sikkimese [sip] (Denjoke). Dialects may be separate languages. Lexical similarity: 77% with Adap dialect, 48% with Tshangla [tsj], 47%–52% with Bumthangkha [kjz].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 54%. Literacy rate in L2: Below 5%. Common school language. Literature. Radio. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 2010.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Dzongkha
Writing: Tibetan script [Tibt], official usage.
Other Comments: Buddhist.

India

Location: West Bengal state: Darjeeling and Kalimpong, just inside the Indo-Bhutan border; Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Sikkim states.
Language Status: 5 (Dispersed)
Other Comments: Buddhist.

Location: Haa, Paro, Punakha, and Wangdue Phodrang districts.