Sikkimese | Ethnologue

A language of India

ISO 639: sip
Alternate Names: Bhutia, Dandzongka, Danjongka, Danyouka, Denjong, Denjong-skad, Denjongke, Denjongkha, Denjongkä, Denjongpa, Denjonka, Denjonke, Denzong Ke, Denzongke, Denzongpe Ke, Denzongpeke, Dranjoke, Dranjongke, Drendzongké, Lachengpa, Lachungpa, Lhoke, Sikami, Sikkim Bhotia, Sikkim Bhutia, Sikkimese Bhutia
Autonym: འབྲས་ལྗོངས་སྐད‎ (’bras ljongs skad)
Population: 25,000 (2019). Some elderly people in some rural communities may be monolingual (Yliniemi 2019). Ethnic population: 48,800 (Yliniemi 2019).
Location:: Sikkim state: all districts; West Bengal state: Darjeeling.
Language Status: 6b (Threatened).
Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Western Tibeto-Burman, Bodish, Central Bodish, Central, Southern
Dialects: Tashiding, Lachung. Partially intelligible of Dzongkha [dzo] of Bhutan. Lexical similarity: 65% with Dzongkha [dzo] of Bhutan, 42% with Tibetan [bod].
Language Use: Some young people, all adults. Positive attitudes. Most also use Nepali [npi], for education and trade (Yliniemi 2019). Some also use Central Tibetan [bod], which is viewed as appropriate for religion. Also use English [eng] (Yliniemi 2019). Also use Hindi [hin] (Yliniemi 2019).
Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 68% for Bhutia in Sikkim (2001 census). Grammar.
Language Resources: OLAC resources in and about Sikkimese
Writing: Tibetan script [Tibt].
Other Comments: Buddhist.

Location: Sikkim state: all districts; West Bengal state: Darjeeling.