Kochila Tharu

Kochila Tharu also called Morangiya, Saptari or Saptariya Tharu, Madhya-Purbiya Tharu, (मध्य-पूर्विया थारू) or Purbiya Tharu (pronounced [purbia-tʰaru-bʰasa] ) , is a diverse group of language varieties within the Tharu group of the Indo-Aryan languages. The several names of the varieties refer to the regions where they dominate. It is one of the largest subgroupings of Tharu. It is spoken mainly in Nepal with approximately 250,000 speakers as of 2003. In addition to language, cultural markers around attire and customs connect individuals into the ethnic identity Kochila. The Dutch linguist, George van Driem, described Kochila Tharu, as a dialect of the Maithili language and stated that its speakers have been heavily influenced by the culture of Mithila.

Heavily concentrated in the Eastern Terai of Nepal, speakers of Kochila Tharu live in linguistically diverse regions and are generally multilingual (except some elderly female speakers). The language is widely utilized by all members of the community and coexists with the use of Nepali.

Kochila Tharu communities are not found in isolation, but live in districts intermixed with speakers of other languages. Kochila Tharu have superficial similarities with neighbouring languages such as Bhojpuri, Maithili, Bengali and Rajbanshi due to their proximity with these various ethnicities depending upon the districts that they are present.

From Wikipedia · Kochila Tharu · CC BY-SA 4.0