Page Type: languageThangmi | Ethnologue

THF ISO 639-3

Thangmi

थाङ्मी खाम‎ (thaangmi khaam) Autonym

A language of Nepal

ISO 639
thf
Alternate Names
Thami, Thangmi Kham, Thangmi Wakhe, Thani
Autonym
थाङ्मी खाम‎ (thaangmi khaam)
Population
23,580 in Nepal, all users. L1 users: 23,200 in Nepal (2011 census), decreasing. L2 users: 380 (2011 census). 100 monolinguals (2002 UNESCO). Ethnic population: 35,000 (Turin 2007). 28,700 (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 24,380 (as L1: 24,000; as L2: 380).
Location:
Bagmati province: Dolakha district, Bhimeshwor, Bigu, and Kalinchok municipalities; Sindhupalchok district, Barhabise and Tripurasundari municipalities, east of Bote Koshi river.
Language Status
6b (Threatened). Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Thami.
Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Western Tibeto-Burman, Himalayan, Central Himalayan, Thangmi-Baraamu
Dialects
Eastern Thangmi (Dolakha), Western Thangmi (Sindhupalchok). Related to Baram [brd] (Grierson and Konow 1903–1928). Some cognates with Dolakha dialect of Newar [new]. Dolakha and Sindhupalchok dialects are not mutually intelligible. Differ in phonology, nominal and verbal morphology and lexicon.
Typology
SOV; both prepositions and postpositions; noun head both initial and final; gender, only some animate nouns; content q-word in situ; up to 3 prefixes, up to 4 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks person; no ergativity; tense; passives and voice; nontonal; 33 consonant and 13 vowel phonemes.
Language Use
Ethnic Thangmi outside Dolakha and Sindhupalchok no longer speak Thangmi. Religion; mixed use: Home, friends. Some young people, all adults. Mixed attitudes. Negative attitudes, but changing to more neutral and positive.
Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: Below 10%. Taught in primary schools. Literature. Newspapers. Periodicals. Radio. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. NT: 2019.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Thangmi
Writing
Devanagari script [Deva].
Other Comments
Traditional religion, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Thangmi
User Population
300 in China (2002).
Location
Xizang Autonomous Region.
Language Status
7 (Shifting)
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of China
Language Name
Thangmi
User Population
500 in India.
Location
Sikkim state: East district, Aritar Sunua; West Bengal state: Darjeeling and scattered.
Language Status
6b (Threatened)
Other Comments
Non-indigenous.
View other languages of India

Map

Location: Bagmati province: Dolakha district, Bhimeshwor, Bigu, and Kalinchok municipalities; Sindhupalchok district, Barhabise and Tripurasundari municipalities, east of Bote Koshi river.