Language Information by Source

A Grammar of the Thangmi Language

Mark Turin. 2012. A Grammar of the Thangmi Language. Leiden: Brill.

Threatened
100 percent certain, based on the evidence available
18991
Native Speakers Worldwide
Speaker Number Trends

Speaker Number Trend 2

A majority of community members speak the language. Speaker numbers are gradually decreasing.

2
Domains of Use

Domain Of Use 2

Used in some non-official domains along with other languages, and remains the primary language used in the home for many community members.

2
Transmission

Transmission 2

Most adults in the community are speakers, but children generally are not.

2

Speakers

Native or fluent speakers:
No results found.
Second-language speakers and learners
No results found.
Semi-speakers or rememberers
No results found.
Children:
No results found.
Young adults
No results found.
Older adults
No results found.
Elders
No results found.
Ethnic or community population
33500-38500
Year information was gathered
No results found.
Comments on speakers
"Thangmi men and women over the age of fifty are often monolingual Thangmi speakers, while Thangmi youths under twenty years of age usually have lisle more than a passive understanding of their own tongue. The middle generation, between the ages of twenty and fifty are most likely to be bilingual, using Thangmi for most intra-ethnic linguistic exchanges and Nepali in conversations with members of other ethnic groups and castes." (p. 101)

Location and Context

Countries
Nepal; India
Location Description

mostly in Dolakhā, Sindhupālcok, Jhāpā, Rāmechāp, Ilām, and Moraṅ districts of Nepal; Thamigaon and West Pendam in east Sikkim, and the area around Darjeeling municipality and the villages encircling tea plantations in Bijanbārī, Siṅlā and Tāmsāṅ of West Bengal of India

Government Support
No results found.
Institutional Support
No results found.
Speakers' Attitude
No results found.
Other Languages Used By The Community
Nepali
Number of Other Language Speakers:
many
Domains of Other Languages:
None

Writing Systems

Standard orthography:
No results found.
Writing system:
No results found.
Other writing systems used:
No results text.
Comments on writing systems:
No results found.

Community Members