Limbu language
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Limbu | ||
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Spoken in: | Limbuwan, Nepal; Sikkim and Darjeeling district West Bengal, India | |
Total speakers: | 333,633 in Nepal (2001 census) ~28,000 in India (1997) |
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Language family: | Sino-Tibetan Tibeto-Burman Himalayish Mahakiranti Kiranti Eastern Limbu |
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Writing system: | Limbu script and Devanagari | |
Official status | ||
Official language of: | Sikkim (India) | |
Regulated by: | no official regulation | |
Language codes | ||
ISO 639-1: | none | |
ISO 639-2: | sit | |
ISO/FDIS 639-3: | lif
Template:Infobox Language/ |
Limbu is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken in Nepal, Sikkim and Darjeeling district, West Bengal, India, by the Limbu community. Virtually all Limbus are bilingual in Nepali.
The name Limbu is an exonym of uncertain origin. Limbus refer to themselves as yakthumba, and their language as Yakthung Pan.
[edit] Writing
Limbu has its own unique Tibetan writing system, the Limbu script. Far more Limbus are literate in Nepali than in Limbu, and so many Limbu publications will be accompanied by a Nepali version.
Limbu is also written in Devanagari.
[edit] References
- Driem, George van (1987). A grammar of Limbu. (Mouton grammar library; 4). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. ISBN 3-11-011282-5