Page Type: languageSunwar | Ethnologue

SUZ ISO 639-3

Sunwar

A language of Nepal

ISO 639
suz
Alternate Names
Bhujuwar, Kiranti-Kõits Lo, Kirati-Koits, Koits Lo, Mukhiya, Pirthwar, Sunuwar, Sunwari
Population
39,760, all users. L1 users: 38,200 (2011 census). 37,900 Sunwar, 290 Surel (2011 census). L2 users: 1,560 (2011 census). Very few monolinguals.
Location:
Bagmati province: Dolakha district, Jiri and Tamakoshi municipalities; Ramechhap district, Gokulganga, Likhu, and Umakunda municipalities; Kosi province: Okhaldhunga district, Khijidemba municipality.
Language Status
6b (Threatened). Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Surel, Sunuwar.
Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Western Tibeto-Burman, Himalayan, Kiranti, Western
Dialects
Surel. Lexical similarity: more than 80% with Surel dialect.
Typology
SOV; postpositions; genitives after noun heads; relatives before noun heads; noun heads both initial and final; 5 noun classes; content q-word initial and in situ; up to 2 prefixes and 3 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by split-case marking; verbal affixation marks person and number; causatives; comparatives; passives and voice; CV, CVC CVV, CCV, CCVC, V, VC; tonal; 24 consonant and 6 vowel phonemes; nasal contrastive pairs.
Language Use
Mixed use: Home, friends, religion, work. Some young people, all adults. Adolescents and older. Some use among children. Language is passed down to children only in village areas (Toba et al 2002). Positive attitudes. Also use Bhujel [byh]. Also use Eastern Tamang [taj]. Also use Nepali [npi], especially young people for trade and official purposes, but with low proficiency. Used as L2 by Jirel [jul].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 20% (2010 L. Rapacha). Literacy rate in L2: Males 15% in villages, 20% in Kathmandu. Literature. Newspapers. Periodicals. Radio. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. Bible: 2011. Agency: Kõits Bu.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Sunwar
Writing
Devanagari script [Deva].
Other Comments
Traditional religion, Christian, Daoist, Hindu.

Also Spoken in

Map

Location: Bagmati province: Dolakha district, Jiri and Tamakoshi municipalities; Ramechhap district, Gokulganga, Likhu, and Umakunda municipalities; Kosi province: Okhaldhunga district, Khijidemba municipality.