Page Type: languageLadakhi | Ethnologue

LBJ ISO 639-3

Ladakhi

ལ་དྭགས་ཀྱི་སྐད།‎ (Ladaks skat) Autonym

A language of India

ISO 639
lbj
Alternate Names
Ladak, Ladakh, Ladakh Skat, Ladaphi, Ladhakhi, Ladwags
Autonym
ལ་དྭགས་ཀྱི་སྐད།‎ (Ladaks skat)
Population
15,000 in India (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 27,000.
Location:
Himachal Pradesh state: Lahaul Spiti district; Jammu and Kashmir state: western Leh district, 250 villages and hamlets.
Language Status
5 (Developing).
Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Western Tibeto-Burman, Bodish, Central Bodish, Western
Dialects
Leh (Central Ladakhi), Shamma (Lower Ladakhi, Sham, Shamskat), Nubra Ladakhi. Perhaps 30%–40% intelligibility of Tibetan [bod]. Leh users comprehend 90% of Zangskari [zau] and Changthang [cna]. Nubra and Shamma not adequately intelligible with Leh to use the same educational, literacy, or development materials. Changthang and Zanskar, while understanding Stod Bhoti [sbu] better than Leh dialect, identify more with Leh Ladakhi culture. 58% to 85% intelligibility of Leh by Changthang, 73%–81% by Zanskar. Lexical similarity: 71%–83% with Purik [prx], 53%–60% with Tibetan, 84%–94% among 5 main dialects.
Typology
SOV; postpositions; genitives, relatives before noun heads; articles, adjectives numerals after noun heads; suffixes indicate case of noun phrase; ergative; causatives; comparative; CCVCC or CCCVV maximum; nontonal.
Language Use
Vigorous. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use English [eng]. Also use Hindi [hin]. Also use Urdu [urd]. Used as L2 by Brokskat [bkk], Changthang [cna], Zangskari [zau].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 20%–50% (2001 census). Literacy rate in L2: 54%–65% men, 40% women. Percentage of those who can actually read with understanding is lower than census literacy rate indicates. Literature. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1948.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Ladakhi
Writing
Tibetan script [Tibt].
Other Comments
Written Ladakhi is distinct from spoken forms. Leh dialect is acknowledged as standard spoken Ladakhi. It is the medium of Leh radio broadcasts and standard medium of communication among all Ladakh dialects, including Changthang and Zangskari (Paldan 2002). Buddhist, Muslim.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Ladakhi
User Population
12,000 in China (1995).
Location
Western Xizang Autonomous Region.
Dialects
Leh (Central Ladakhi), Shamma (Lower Ladakhi, Sham, Shamskat), Nubra Ladakhi.
Language Status
6b (Threatened)
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Buddhist.
View other languages of China

Map

Location: Himachal Pradesh state: Lahaul Spiti district; Jammu and Kashmir state: western Leh district, 250 villages and hamlets.