Limbu
Limbu is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Nepal and India, by about 420 thousand people. Glottolog rates it shifting.
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Limbu (Limbu: ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ ᤐᤠᤴ, yakthuṅ pan) is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Limbu people of Nepal and Northeastern India (particularly West Bengal, 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.
Among four 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.
From Wikipedia · Limbu language · CC BY-SA 4.0
Words in Limbu
| Meaning | Word | Romanization |
|---|---|---|
| person | yambiCCha7* | |
| name | miN* | |
| eye | mik* | |
| ear | nEkkhoba* | |
| nose | nEboba* | |
| tooth | habo7* | |
| tongue | lEsopa* | |
| hand | huk* | |
| blood | ᤔᤠ᤺ᤰᤜᤡ | mākhi |
| bone | yEppha7* | |
| skin | horikpa* | |
| knee | thumbo7* | |
| breast | nu* | |
| liver | luNmaba* | |
| water | ᤆᤫᤠ᤹ᤸ | cwa’l |
| fire | ᤔᤡ | mi |
| sun | nam* | |
| star | kheseba* | |
| stone | luN* | |
| mountain | kokma* | |
| tree | siNbuN* | |
| leaf | tEla* | |
| night | sEndik* | |
| dog | khyaba* | |
| fish | ᤏᤠ᤺ | nā |
| louse | si7* | |
| one | thik* | |
| two | nEChi* | |
| I | aNga7* | |
| you | hEnE7* |
* in the simplified ASJP transcription
Most similar languages
Vocabulary
- AthpariyaSino-Tibetan43% alike
- YakkhaSino-Tibetan36% alike
- Southern YamphuSino-Tibetan36% alike
- BelhariyaSino-Tibetan32% alike
- YamphuSino-Tibetan30% alike
- Kulung (Nepal)Sino-Tibetan29% alike
Vocabulary compares 40 basic words (ASJP); grammar compares 195 features (Grambank). Similar is not always related.
Nearby languages
Elsewhere
Glottolog · limb1266 · Wikipedia (English) · Ethnologue · lif