Page Type: languageTharu, Mid-Eastern | Ethnologue

THQ ISO 639-3

Tharu, Mid-Eastern

A language of Nepal

ISO 639
thq
Alternate Names
Kochila Tharu, Madhya-Purbiya Tharu
Population
258,000 in Nepal (2003), increasing. Population for all Tharu varieties: 1,530,000 (2011 census). Mostly illiterate older women are monolingual.
Location:
Janakpur province: Mahattari district, Bhangaha municipality; Saptari district, northern municipalities; Sarlahi district, Haripur, Ishworpur, and Lalbandi municipalities; Siraha district, Lahan; Kosi province: Morang district, Belhari, Budhiganga, and Biratnagar municipalities; Sunsari district; Udayapur district, Belaka, Chaudandigadhi, and Triyuga municipalities.
Language Status
5 (Developing). Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Tharu, Dhanuk.
Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Eastern, Unclassified
Dialects
Saptari (Saptariya Tharu), Morang, Udayapur, Sunsari, Siraha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Dhanusa, Rautahat, Bara, Parsa. Each district has a different variety. Dialect names refer to districts. Lexical similarity: 51%–59% with Kathariya Tharu, 46%–52% with Dangaura Tharu.
Typology
SOV; postpositions; noun head final; no gender; content q-word in situ; 1 prefix, up to 3 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks person; tense and aspect; passives (syntactic, not morphological); nontonal; 32 consonant and 8 vowel phonemes.
Language Use
Vigorous. Home, friends, religion; mixed use: Work, education, religion. Used by all. Positive attitudes. Also use Maithili [mai]. Also use Nepali [npi]. Used as L2 by Kurux [kru].
Language Development
Mother-tongue multilingual education introduced in one school. Literacy increasing. Taught in primary schools. Radio. Videos. Dictionary. Texts.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Tharu, Mid-Eastern
Writing
Devanagari script [Deva].
Other Comments
Tharu from each district usually take the district name as a more specific name or identity. Other Tharu in Siraha, Udayapur, and Saptari districts who call themselves Kochila but speak Sapatariya Tharu. Traditional religion, Christian.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Tharu, Kochila
Location
Bihar state: Pashchim Champaran district, on Nepal border.
Dialects
Morangia.
Language Status
6a (Vigorous)
Other Comments
Non-indigenous. Traditional religion, Hindu.
View other languages of India

Map

Location: Janakpur province: Mahattari district, Bhangaha municipality; Saptari district, northern municipalities; Sarlahi district, Haripur, Ishworpur, and Lalbandi municipalities; Siraha district, Lahan; Kosi province: Morang district, Belhari, Budhiganga, and Biratnagar municipalities; Sunsari district; Udayapur district, Belaka, Chaudandigadhi, and Triyuga municipalities.