Nepal Languages

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Nepal

Languages

Description

All languages spoken as the mother tongues in Nepal are the languages of the nation. Many of the languages also have various dialects.
The 2011 National census lists 123 languages spoken as a mother tongue (first language) in Nepal.
The official working language at federal level is Nepali, but the constitution provisions each province to choose one or more additional official working languages. A total of 14 official languages have been designated.

According to the 2011 national census, the number of native speakers per spoken language is as follows:

• Nepali language - 44.64%
• Maithili language - 11.67%
• Bhojpuri language - 5.98%
• Tharu languages - 5.77%
• Newar language - also known as Newari and Nepal Bhasa - 3.20%
• Bajjika language - 2.99%
• Magar language - 2.98%
• Doteli language - also known as Dotyali - 2.97%
• Urdu language - 2.61%
• Awadhi language - 1.89%
• Limbu language - 1.30%
• Gurung language - 1.23%

Word List(s)

• Useful phrases in Nepali - Omniglot
• Family words in Nepali - Omniglot
• Useful phrases in Maithili - Omniglot
• Useful phrases in Bhojpuri - Omniglot
• Bhojpuri Common phrases - Wikipedia
• Useful phrases in Newar - Omniglot
• Useful Urdu phrases - Omniglot

Alphabet and Pronunciation

Alphabet

• Alphabet for Nepali - Omniglot
• Nepali Vowels and Consonants - Wikipedia
• Alphabet for Maithili - Omniglot
• Maithili Vowels and Consonants - Wikipedia
• Alphabet for Bhojpuri - Omniglot
• Bhojpuri Vowels & Consonants - Wikipedia
• Tamang Vowels & Consonants - Wikipedia
• Script for Newar - Omniglot
• Newar Vowels & Consonants - Wikipedia
• Magar alphabet - Omniglot
• Magar Vowels & Consonants - Wikipedia
• Alphabet for Doteli - Omniglot
• Alphabet for Urdu - Omniglot
• Urdu Vowels & Consonants - Wikipedia
• Awadhi alphabet - Omniglot
• Awadhi Vowels & Consonants - Wikipedia
• Alphabet for Limbu - Omniglot
• Limbu Vowels & Consonants - Wikipedia
• Alphabet for Gurung - Omniglot

Pronunciation

• Magar pronunciation - Omniglot
• Awadhi pronunciation - Omniglot

Language Aids and Dictionaries

Dictionaries

• Raj, Prakash A. Nepali practical dictionary : Nepali-English, English-Nepali. New York: Hippocrene Books, Inc, 2014. Available at: WorldCat.
• Sresthacharya, Iswaranand. A concise dictionary, Newar-English. Kathmandu, Nepal: Pilgrims Book House, 1995. Available at: WorldCat.
• Kölver, Ulrike and Ishwaranand Shresthacarya. A dictionary of contemporary Newari Newari - English. Verl, Bonn: VGH-Wiss, 1994. Available at: WorldCat.
• Tuladhar, Kamal. English-Nepal Bhasa dictionary. Kathmandu: J.R. Tuladhar, 2003. Available at: WorldCat.
• Ḥaqqī, Shānulḥaq. Oxford English- Urdu dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. Available at: WorldCat.
• Tumbāhāṅphe, Gambhīradhoja. Limbu-English-Nepali dictionary. Limbuvāna: Limbuvāna Adhyayana Kendra, 2015. Available at: WorldCat.
• Glover, Warren William, Deu Bahadur Gurung, and Jessie R. Glover. Gurung-Nepali-English dictionary : with English-Gurung and Nepali-Gurung indexes. Australian Nat. Univ, Canberra: Dep. of Linguistics, Research School of Pacific Studies, 1977. Available at: WorldCat.

Online Dictionaries

• Dictionary English - Nepali - Glosbe
• Dictionary English - Maithili - Glosbe
• Dictionary English - Bhojpuri - Glosbe
• Dictionary English - Dangaura Tharu - Glosbe
• Dictionary English - Newari - Glosbe
• Dictionary English - Eastern Magar - Glosbe
• Dictionary English - Dotyali - Glosbe
• Dictionary English - Urdu - Glosbe
• Dictionary Awadhi - English - Glosbe
• Dictionary Limbu - English - Glosbe
• Dictionary English - Gurung - Glosbe

Language Aids

• Nepali grammar - Wikipedia
• Maithili grammar - Wikipedia
• Manders, Christopher Jay. A foundation in Nepali grammar. Bloomington: AuthorHouse, 2007. Available at: WorldCat.
• Yadav, Ramawatar. A reference grammar of Maithili. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, 1996. Available at: WorldCat.
• Shukla, Shaligram. Bhojpuri grammar. Washington: Georgetown univ. Press, 1981. Available at: WorldCat.
• Dahita, Gopāla. Tharu grammar. Kendriya Pariyojanā Kāryālaya, Bardiyā: Yunika Nepāla, 2013. Available at: WorldCat.
• Young, David James. Urdu grammar. California: Createspace, 2014. Available at: WorldCat.
• Tumbāhāṅa, Govindabahādura and Nepāla ra Eśiyālī Anusandhāna Kendra. A grammar of Limbu. Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu: Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies, 2011. Available at: WorldCat.
• HILDEBRANDT, KRISTINE A. GRAMMAR OF GURUNG. n.p.: DE GRUYTER MOUTON, 2019. Available at: WorldCat.