Western Tamang - Nepali Dictionary
Tamang is a language spoken by the Tamang speech community. According to the 2011 Census in Nepal, Tamang ranks as the fifth most spoken language, with 5.1% of the population using it. It is part of the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. The majority of Tamang speakers reside around the Kathmandu Valley, although the Tamang ethnic group is spread across various districts in Nepal. The Nepal government recognized the Tamang as an indigenous ethnic community in 2058 VS, and both the interim constitution of 2063 VS and the recent constitution of 2072 VS have highlighted Tamang as a national language.
The 'Do:ra song' narrates the migration of Western Tamang people from Tibet into Nepal via 'Same' in the Himalayas. This song mentions Tamang communities in places like 'Rhirhap', 'Gyagarden', 'Bompo', 'Lambu', and just above 'Same'. In Tamang culture, as described by Lama, Bompo, and Lambu, the Earth's tail is considered to be in the north and the head in the south, influencing their burial practices where the deceased's head is positioned southward before cremation. 'Same' is interpreted as 'the tail of the Earth', symbolizing significant cultural transitions from the tail to the head.
Tamang lacks its own standardized grammar and is divided into two main dialects: Eastern and Western Tamang. Eastern Tamang, spoken east of the Trisuli River, originated in the Langtang Himal and is referred to as 'Syarba'. Western Tamang, spoken in districts such as Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Lamjung, Chitawan, and Kanchanpur, is known as 'Nhurba' or 'Nhuppa'.
This bilingual dictionary is a collaborative effort by members of the Western Tamang speech community from the aforementioned districts. Each Tamang word in the dictionary is translated into Nepali, making it a valuable resource for comparative linguistic studies. However, the number of Western Tamang speakers is decreasing as more people shift to Nepali, the lingua franca, posing a significant threat to the survival of Western Tamang as a mother tongue. This dictionary plays a crucial role in the preservation, promotion, and development of the Western Tamang language.
There is a continuous effort to enhance, advance, and mature this dictionary. The speech community, stakeholders, readers, organizations, and other concerned parties are encouraged to provide insightful comments and feedback to further improve the resource.
What's New in the Latest Version 1.7
Last updated on Sep 29, 2024
- Updated on July 30, 2024
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