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Limbu language

March 11, 2023

Limbu (Limbu: ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ ᤐᤠᤴ, yakthuṅ pan) is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Limbu people of Nepal and Northeastern India (particularly Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim, Assam and Nagaland) as well as expatriate communities in Bhutan. The Limbu refer to themselves as Yakthung and their language as Yakthungpan. Yakthungpan has four main dialects: Phedape, Chhathare, Tambarkhole and Panthare dialects.[2]

Limbu
Yakthuṅ pan
ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ ᤐᤠᤴ
yakthuṅ pan written in Limbu Script
Native toSikkim and Eastern Nepal
RegionNepal; significant communities in Bhutan; Sikkim and Darjeeling district of India
EthnicityLimbu people
Native speakers
380,000 (2011 census)[1]
Dialects
  • Phedape, Chhathare, Tambarkhole, Miwakhole, Maiwakhole, Tamrange & Panthare
Limbu script
Roman script
Official status
Official language in
Language codes
ISO 639-3lif
Glottologlimb1266
ELPLimbu
This article contains uncommon Unicode characters. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of the intended characters.

Among four dialects and/or many dialects, the Phedape dialect is widely spoken and well understood by most Yakthungpan speakers. However, as there are some dominant Panthare scholars who have role to create knowledge and control knowledge in the Limbu communities, Panthare dialect is being popularised as a "standard" Limbu language. As Panthare Yakthungs are much more engaged in central political position and administrative positions, they are trying to introduce Panthare dialect as a Standard Yakthungpan.

Yakthungpan (Limbu language) is one of the major languages spoken and written in Nepal, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim, and Bhutan. Linguists have reached the conclusion that Yakthungpan resembles Tibetan and Lepcha.

Before the introduction of the Sirijanga script among Limbu Kirats, the Róng script was popular in east Nepal, especially in the early Maurong state. The Sirijanga script had almost disappeared for 800 years and it was brought back into use by Limbu scholar Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe of Tellok Sinam Limbuwan present day Nepal. The Limbu script is called 'Sirijanga' after the Limbu culture- hero Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe, who is credited with its invention.[3]

Geographical distribution

Limbu is spoken east of the Arun River in the following districts of Nepal (Ethnologue).

Official status

Nepal

The Language Commission of Nepal has recommended Limbu language as official language in Province No. 1.[4] Chulachuli Rural Municipality,[5] Mangsebung Rural Municipality[6] and Phalgunanda Rural Municipality[7] have recognized Limbu language as an official working language.

India

In India, the state of Sikkim has recognized Limbu language as an additional official language for the purpose of preservation of culture and tradition in the state.[8] The official weekly publication Sikkim Herald has a Limbu Edition.[9]

Dialects

The Limbu languages are divided into four dialects :[10]

  • Phedappe
  • Pachthare
  • Chathare
  • Taplejunge or Tamarkhole

Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Limbu.

  • Dialect cluster 1
    • Panthare
    • Chaubise (Charkhole)
    • Yanggrokke (Yanggruppe)
  • Dialect cluster 2
    • Phedappe
    • Tamorkhole (Taplejunge)
  • Dialect cluster 3
    • Chhatthare (Chatthare, Chhathar)

Yanggrokke, Chaubise, and Charkhole are minor variants of the Panthare dialect. Phedappe and Tamorkhole are similar. Chattare is less well understood by other dialect speakers. The Limbu dialect spoken in Sikkim, India is the same as Panthare.

Phonology

Vowels and consonants

Vowel phonemes[11]
Front Central Back
short long short long short long
Close i iː u uː
Close-mid eˑ oˑ
Mid ə
Open-mid ɛ ɛː ʌ ʌː
Open a aː

/ʌ, ʌː/ can be heard as rounded [ɔ, ɔː] after labial consonants.

Phonemes in parentheses occur in loan words from Nepali.

Sirijanga script

 
The Limbu script. Grey letters are obsolete.

Limbu language is one of the few Sino-Tibetan languages of the central Himalayas with their own scripts.[12] The Limbu script or Sirijanga script was devised during the period of Buddhist expansion in Sikkim in the early 18th century when Limbuwan still constituted part of Sikkimese territory.[13] The Limbu script was probably designed roughly at the same time as the Lepcha script (during the reign of the third King of Sikkim, Phyag-dor Nam-gyal (ca. 1700-1717)). However, it is widely believed that the Limbu script (Sirijanga) had been designed by the Limbu King Sirijanga Hang in the 9th century. The Sirijanga script was later redesigned and re-introduced by Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe . As Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe spent most of his time in the development of Yakthungpan, Yatkhung culture, and Limbu script; he is considered as the reincarnation of the 9th century King Sirijanga.

As Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe was astoundingly influential in spreading the Limbu script, culture, and language, Tasang monks came to fear that he might transform the social, cultural, and linguistic structure of Sikkim. Therefore, Tasang monks captured Sirijunga, bound him to a tree, and shot him to death with poisonous arrows.

Both Limbu and Lepcha were ostensibly devised with the intent of furthering the spread of Buddhism. However, Sirijanga was a Limbu Buddhist who had studied under Sikkimese high Lamas. Sirijanga was given the title 'the Dorje Lama of Yangrup'.

The language and script's influential structure are mixture of Tibetan and Devanagari. Unlike most other Brahmic scripts, it does not have separate independent vowel characters, instead using a vowel carrier letter with the appropriate dependent vowel attached.

The Limbu language and literature have been less practiced in Nepal since the last eighteenth century. The cultural identity of any community was taken as a threat to the national unification by ruling elites until the recent years. The use of the Limbu alphabet was banned and the possession of Limbu writings outlawed. There were no specific laws about it, but the Security Act was enforced for such cases under the strong directives of Kathmandu.

Writing

Main article: Limbu script

Limbu has its own unique writing system, which is similar to Tibetan and Sikkimese scripts. The Limbu script or Sirijunga script is unique and scientifically designed by King Sirijanga in the 9th century; it was later re-designed and popularized by Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe and his followers in the 18th century. Since teaching of Limbu/Yakthung language and writing was banned by the Khas-Hindus in Nepal after the "Noon Pani Sandhi" between the Limbuwan and Gorkha Kingdom (Prithvi Narayan Shah), far more Limbus are literate in Nepali than in Limbu in Nepal. Although many Limbu books were written in Devanagari and Roman (English), now Limbus/Yakthungs have well developed computerized writing system and many books are published in Limbu script or Sirijunga script.

History of Kirat-Yakthung writing can be divided into the following ways:

  1. Classical Kirat-Yakthung period: King Sirijanga (9th century AD)
  2. The 18th century Kirat-Yakthunghang period: Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe and his cronies movement
  3. The 19th century Kirat-Yakthung writers and rhetors: Period of Jobhansing Limbu, Chyangresing Phedangba, Ranadwaj, and Jit Mohan (Brian Hudgson procured books and requested them to write histories, stories, narratives, culture, and so on)
  4. The 20th Century Kirat-Yakthung writers and rhetors:
    1. After the establishment of "Yakthunghang Chumlung" (1925); thereafter, several books were published.
    2. Limbu script was much more influenced by Devnagari script at this period.
    3. At the same time, both national and international linguists, researchers, and writers addressed the issued in this period. This period is period of inquiry, communication, discovery, and re/construction.
  5. Late 20th and 21st century Kirat-Yakthung writers and rhetors: This period denotes after the restoration of democracy in Nepal in 1990. Introduction of "Anipan" at school; many research and writing such as MA/MPhil theses and research reports; establishment of Limbu organization at the local and global level; period of delinking, relinking, and linking epistemologies.

Publications

The Limbu language has many papers and publications in circulation. Tanchoppa (Morning Star), a monthly newspaper/magazine which has been published since 1995. There are many other literary publications. The oldest known Limbu writings were collected from the Darjeeling district in the 1850s. They are the ancestors of the modern Limbu script. The writings are now a part of a collection in the India Library in London.

Teaching

In Nepal, the Limbu language is taught on private initiative. The Government of Nepal has published "Ani Paan" text books in Limbu for primary education from grades 1 to 12. Kirant Yakthung Chumlung teaches Limbu language and script on its own initiative.

In Sikkim, since the late 1970s, Limbu in the Limbu script has been offered in English-medium schools as a vernacular language subject in areas populated by Limbus. Over 4000 students study Limbu for one hour daily taught by some 300 teachers. Course books are available in Limbu from grades 1 to 12. Additionally, the significance of Limbu in Sikkim is that the name of the Indian state itself is a combination of two Limbu words: su, which means "new", and khyim, which means "palace" or "house".[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ Limbu at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ A Grammar of Limbu By George van Driem 1987
  3. ^ The Unicode Standard 5.0, Front Cover By Unicode Consortium, Addison-Wesley, 2007- Computers 1417 pages, Page 360
  4. ^ "सरकारी कामकाजको भाषाका आधारहरूको निर्धारण तथा भाषासम्बन्धी सिफारिसहरू (पञ्चवर्षीय प्रतिवेदन- साराांश) २०७८" (PDF). Language Commission. Language Commission. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
  5. ^ "Limbu official language in Chulachuli rural municipality". Khabarhub. 28 Sep 2018. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  6. ^ Chapagain, Bhim (1 Dec 2018). "Limbu language declared official language". My Republica. My Republica. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
  7. ^ "फाल्गुनन्द गाउँपालिकाको सरकारी कामकाजको भाषा याक्थुङ लिम्बु हुने". Silauti Times. Silauti Times. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  8. ^ "About Sikkim". Sikkim Tourism. Retrieved 1 November 2021.
  9. ^ "ᤜᤣᤖᤠᤸᤍ" (PDF). Government of Sikkim. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  10. ^ A Grammar of Limbu By George van Driem 1987
  11. ^ a b Driem, George van, 1957- (1987). A grammar of Limbu. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. ISBN 0-89925-345-8. OCLC 16352958.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ (Sprigg 1959: 590)
  13. ^ (Sprigg 1959: 591-592 & MS: 1-4)
  14. ^ Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific: An Encyclopedia By James Minahan, 2012

Further reading

  • Driem, George van (1987). A grammar of Limbu. (Mouton grammar library; 4). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. ISBN 3-11-011282-5
  • Limbu, Marohang (2017). Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies, 4(1), 550-591.
  • Limbu, Marohang (2016). Politics of Rhetoric and Writing in the Non-Western World: Delinking, Relinking, and Linking Yakthung Epistemologies. Mikphulla Laje Inghang,10(10) 36-41.
  • Tumbahang, Govinda Bahadur (2007). A Descriptive Grammar Of Chhatthare Limbu. Kathmandu: Central Department of English Kirtipur. hdl:123456789/3017.

External links

 
Limbu language test of Wikipedia at Wikimedia Incubator

March 11, 2023
limbu, language, limbu, limbu, yakthuṅ, sino, tibetan, language, spoken, limbu, people, nepal, northeastern, india, particularly, darjeeling, kalimpong, sikkim, assam, nagaland, well, expatriate, communities, bhutan, limbu, refer, themselves, yakthung, their, . Limbu Limbu ᤕ ᤌ ᤐ yakthuṅ pan is a Sino Tibetan language spoken by the Limbu people of Nepal and Northeastern India particularly Darjeeling Kalimpong Sikkim Assam and Nagaland as well as expatriate communities in Bhutan The Limbu refer to themselves as Yakthung and their language as Yakthungpan Yakthungpan has four main dialects Phedape Chhathare Tambarkhole and Panthare dialects 2 LimbuYakthuṅ panᤕ ᤌ ᤐ yakthuṅ pan written in Limbu ScriptNative toSikkim and Eastern NepalRegionNepal significant communities in Bhutan Sikkim and Darjeeling district of IndiaEthnicityLimbu peopleNative speakers380 000 2011 census 1 Language familySino Tibetan Mahakiranti KirantiLimbuDialectsPhedape Chhathare Tambarkhole Miwakhole Maiwakhole Tamrange amp PanthareWriting systemLimbu scriptRoman scriptOfficial statusOfficial language in India Sikkim additional Nepal Province No 1 additional Language codesISO 639 3 a href https iso639 3 sil org code lif class extiw title iso639 3 lif lif a Glottologlimb1266ELPLimbuThis article contains uncommon Unicode characters Without proper rendering support you may see question marks boxes or other symbols instead of the intended characters Among four dialects and or many dialects the Phedape dialect is widely spoken and well understood by most Yakthungpan speakers However as there are some dominant Panthare scholars who have role to create knowledge and control knowledge in the Limbu communities Panthare dialect is being popularised as a standard Limbu language As Panthare Yakthungs are much more engaged in central political position and administrative positions they are trying to introduce Panthare dialect as a Standard Yakthungpan Yakthungpan Limbu language is one of the major languages spoken and written in Nepal Darjeeling Kalimpong Sikkim and Bhutan Linguists have reached the conclusion that Yakthungpan resembles Tibetan and Lepcha Before the introduction of the Sirijanga script among Limbu Kirats the Rong script was popular in east Nepal especially in the early Maurong state The Sirijanga script had almost disappeared for 800 years and it was brought back into use by Limbu scholar Te ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe of Tellok Sinam Limbuwan present day Nepal The Limbu script is called Sirijanga after the Limbu culture hero Te ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe who is credited with its invention 3 Contents 1 Geographical distribution 2 Official status 2 1 Nepal 2 2 India 3 Dialects 4 Phonology 4 1 Vowels and consonants 5 Sirijanga script 6 Writing 7 Publications 8 Teaching 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External linksGeographical distribution EditLimbu is spoken east of the Arun River in the following districts of Nepal Ethnologue Province No 1 Dhankuta District Ilam District Jhapa District Morang District Panchthar District Sankhuwasabha District Sunsari District Taplejung District Terhathum DistrictOfficial status EditNepal Edit The Language Commission of Nepal has recommended Limbu language as official language in Province No 1 4 Chulachuli Rural Municipality 5 Mangsebung Rural Municipality 6 and Phalgunanda Rural Municipality 7 have recognized Limbu language as an official working language India Edit In India the state of Sikkim has recognized Limbu language as an additional official language for the purpose of preservation of culture and tradition in the state 8 The official weekly publication Sikkim Herald has a Limbu Edition 9 Dialects EditThe Limbu languages are divided into four dialects 10 Phedappe Pachthare Chathare Taplejunge or TamarkholeEthnologue lists the following dialects of Limbu Dialect cluster 1 Panthare Chaubise Charkhole Yanggrokke Yanggruppe Dialect cluster 2 Phedappe Tamorkhole Taplejunge Dialect cluster 3 Chhatthare Chatthare Chhathar Yanggrokke Chaubise and Charkhole are minor variants of the Panthare dialect Phedappe and Tamorkhole are similar Chattare is less well understood by other dialect speakers The Limbu dialect spoken in Sikkim India is the same as Panthare Phonology EditVowels and consonants Edit Vowel phonemes 11 Front Central Backshort long short long short longClose i iː u uːClose mid eˑ oˑMid eOpen mid ɛ ɛː ʌ ʌːOpen a aː ʌ ʌː can be heard as rounded ɔ ɔː after labial consonants Consonant phonemes 11 Labial Dental Alveolar Retroflex Post alv Palatal Velar GlottalNasal m n ɳ ŋPlosive Affricate voiceless p t ʈ t ɕ k ʔvoiceless aspirated pʰ tʰ ʈʰ kʰvoiced b d ɖ d ʑ ɡ voiced aspirated bʱ ɖʱ d ʑʱ ɡʱ Rhotic rFricative s ɦApproximant w l jPhonemes in parentheses occur in loan words from Nepali Sirijanga script Edit The Limbu script Grey letters are obsolete Limbu language is one of the few Sino Tibetan languages of the central Himalayas with their own scripts 12 The Limbu script or Sirijanga script was devised during the period of Buddhist expansion in Sikkim in the early 18th century when Limbuwan still constituted part of Sikkimese territory 13 The Limbu script was probably designed roughly at the same time as the Lepcha script during the reign of the third King of Sikkim Phyag dor Nam gyal ca 1700 1717 However it is widely believed that the Limbu script Sirijanga had been designed by the Limbu King Sirijanga Hang in the 9th century The Sirijanga script was later redesigned and re introduced by Te ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe As Te ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe spent most of his time in the development of Yakthungpan Yatkhung culture and Limbu script he is considered as the reincarnation of the 9th century King Sirijanga As Te ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe was astoundingly influential in spreading the Limbu script culture and language Tasang monks came to fear that he might transform the social cultural and linguistic structure of Sikkim Therefore Tasang monks captured Sirijunga bound him to a tree and shot him to death with poisonous arrows Both Limbu and Lepcha were ostensibly devised with the intent of furthering the spread of Buddhism However Sirijanga was a Limbu Buddhist who had studied under Sikkimese high Lamas Sirijanga was given the title the Dorje Lama of Yangrup The language and script s influential structure are mixture of Tibetan and Devanagari Unlike most other Brahmic scripts it does not have separate independent vowel characters instead using a vowel carrier letter with the appropriate dependent vowel attached The Limbu language and literature have been less practiced in Nepal since the last eighteenth century The cultural identity of any community was taken as a threat to the national unification by ruling elites until the recent years The use of the Limbu alphabet was banned and the possession of Limbu writings outlawed There were no specific laws about it but the Security Act was enforced for such cases under the strong directives of Kathmandu Writing EditMain article Limbu script Limbu has its own unique writing system which is similar to Tibetan and Sikkimese scripts The Limbu script or Sirijunga script is unique and scientifically designed by King Sirijanga in the 9th century it was later re designed and popularized by Te ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe and his followers in the 18th century Since teaching of Limbu Yakthung language and writing was banned by the Khas Hindus in Nepal after the Noon Pani Sandhi between the Limbuwan and Gorkha Kingdom Prithvi Narayan Shah far more Limbus are literate in Nepali than in Limbu in Nepal Although many Limbu books were written in Devanagari and Roman English now Limbus Yakthungs have well developed computerized writing system and many books are published in Limbu script or Sirijunga script History of Kirat Yakthung writing can be divided into the following ways Classical Kirat Yakthung period King Sirijanga 9th century AD The 18th century Kirat Yakthunghang period Te ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe and his cronies movement The 19th century Kirat Yakthung writers and rhetors Period of Jobhansing Limbu Chyangresing Phedangba Ranadwaj and Jit Mohan Brian Hudgson procured books and requested them to write histories stories narratives culture and so on The 20th Century Kirat Yakthung writers and rhetors After the establishment of Yakthunghang Chumlung 1925 thereafter several books were published Limbu script was much more influenced by Devnagari script at this period At the same time both national and international linguists researchers and writers addressed the issued in this period This period is period of inquiry communication discovery and re construction Late 20th and 21st century Kirat Yakthung writers and rhetors This period denotes after the restoration of democracy in Nepal in 1990 Introduction of Anipan at school many research and writing such as MA MPhil theses and research reports establishment of Limbu organization at the local and global level period of delinking relinking and linking epistemologies Publications EditThe Limbu language has many papers and publications in circulation Tanchoppa Morning Star a monthly newspaper magazine which has been published since 1995 There are many other literary publications The oldest known Limbu writings were collected from the Darjeeling district in the 1850s They are the ancestors of the modern Limbu script The writings are now a part of a collection in the India Library in London Teaching EditIn Nepal the Limbu language is taught on private initiative The Government of Nepal has published Ani Paan text books in Limbu for primary education from grades 1 to 12 Kirant Yakthung Chumlung teaches Limbu language and script on its own initiative In Sikkim since the late 1970s Limbu in the Limbu script has been offered in English medium schools as a vernacular language subject in areas populated by Limbus Over 4000 students study Limbu for one hour daily taught by some 300 teachers Course books are available in Limbu from grades 1 to 12 Additionally the significance of Limbu in Sikkim is that the name of the Indian state itself is a combination of two Limbu words su which means new and khyim which means palace or house 14 See also EditHistory of Limbuwan Limbuwan Gorkha War Languages of NepalReferences Edit Limbu at Ethnologue 18th ed 2015 subscription required A Grammar of Limbu By George van Driem 1987 The Unicode Standard 5 0 Front Cover By Unicode Consortium Addison Wesley 2007 Computers 1417 pages Page 360 सरक र क मक जक भ ष क आध रहर क न र ध रण तथ भ ष सम बन ध स फ र सहर पञ चवर ष य प रत व दन स र श २०७८ PDF Language Commission Language Commission Retrieved 28 October 2021 Limbu official language in Chulachuli rural municipality Khabarhub 28 Sep 2018 Retrieved 29 October 2021 Chapagain Bhim 1 Dec 2018 Limbu language declared official language My Republica My Republica Retrieved 29 October 2021 फ ल ग नन द ग उ प ल क क सरक र क मक जक भ ष य क थ ङ ल म ब ह न Silauti Times Silauti Times 25 June 2021 Retrieved 30 October 2021 About Sikkim Sikkim Tourism Retrieved 1 November 2021 ᤜ ᤖ ᤍ PDF Government of Sikkim Retrieved 4 November 2021 A Grammar of Limbu By George van Driem 1987 a b Driem George van 1957 1987 A grammar of Limbu Berlin Mouton de Gruyter ISBN 0 89925 345 8 OCLC 16352958 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint multiple names authors list link Sprigg 1959 590 Sprigg 1959 591 592 amp MS 1 4 Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific An Encyclopedia By James Minahan 2012Further reading EditDriem George van 1987 A grammar of Limbu Mouton grammar library 4 Berlin Mouton de Gruyter ISBN 3 11 011282 5 Limbu Marohang 2017 Politics in Rhetoric and Writing in Paracolonial Context A Glimpse of Limbu Language Writing and Literacy in Yakthung Laje Journal of Global Literacies Technologies and Emerging Pedagogies 4 1 550 591 Limbu Marohang 2016 Politics of Rhetoric and Writing in the Non Western World Delinking Relinking and Linking Yakthung Epistemologies Mikphulla Laje Inghang 10 10 36 41 Tumbahang Govinda Bahadur 2007 A Descriptive Grammar Of Chhatthare Limbu Kathmandu Central Department of English Kirtipur hdl 123456789 3017 External links Edit Limbu language test of Wikipedia at Wikimedia Incubator Omniglot modern Limbu writing system Limbu English Dictionary of the Mewa Khola dialect PDF introduction Kaipuleohone s LDTC collection includes open access recordings in Limbu Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Limbu language amp oldid 1141212805, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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