Newar language
Nepal Bhasa is a language spoken by indigenous Newa people of Nepal. It is a Himalayan language of Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages group.
| Newa | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nepal Bhasa नेवाः भाय् Newāh Bhāy | ||||
 The word "Nepal Bhasa" written in the Ranjana alphabet and the Prachalit Nepal alphabet | ||||
| Native to | Nepal | |||
| Ethnicity | 1.26 million Newa people (2001 census?)[1] | |||
| Native speakers | 860,000 (2011 census)e18 | |||
| Language family | Sino-Tibetan
| |||
| Early forms: | Classical Newa
| |||
| Dialects |
Dhankuta
Chitlang
| |||
| Writing system | Ranjana alphabets and various in the past, Devanagari currently | |||
| Official status | ||||
| Regulated by | Nepal Bhasa Academy | |||
| Language codes | ||||
| ISO 639-2 | new | |||
| ISO 639-3 | Either: new – Newar nwx – Middle Newa | |||
| Linguist List | newa Nepal Bhasa | |||
| nwx Middle Newa | ||||
| ||||
Newah Bhaaye is the term used for Nepal Bhasa by its native speakers. The term 'Newari' has been used in derogatory form to replace the original name of the language. [2]
Linguistics
Nepal Bhasa shares the feature of Kirant and Tibetan dialects of Northern Himalayas. It consists of five major dialects and several sub-dialects spoken by Newa people living throughout the country.
Newar Language Media
A line from an inscription dated 1706 using the term "Nepāla Bhāṣā" in Pracalit script to refer to the language.
A stone inscription in Classical Newar at Bhaktapur.
Copper plate inscription at Swayambhunath, dated Nepal Sambat 1072 (1952 AD)
ka kha yā mye ("a song of ka and kha"), a Newar language poem written by Briddhi Lakhmi, the queen consort of Bhaktapur.[3]
Sit-in outside the prime minister's residence to mark Black Day on 1 June 2013.
Cover of Buddha Dharma wa Nepal Bhasa ("Buddhism and Nepalese") magazine dated 1929.
'Aesop's Fables' in Newar by Jagat Sundar Malla, first published in 1915.
Nepal Bhasa Patrika daily newspaper dated 5 November 1960.
Detail of King Pratap Malla's inscription at Kathmandu Durbar Square of 1654 AD written in Nepal Lipi.
Prayer wheels with the mantra "Om Mani Padme Hum" in Ranjana script at Swayambhu, Kathmandu.
References
- ↑ Newa at Ethnologue (15th ed., 2005)
- ↑ Kapali, Rukshana (2018-12-08). "Why using the word 'Newari' is problematic". Rukuchee Blog. Retrieved 2018-12-13.[dead link]
- ↑ Tuladhar 2000, p. 64.
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This language has its own Wikipedia project. See the Newar language edition. |
