Magar language

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Not to be confused with the Magyar language, more commonly known as Hungarian

Magar (ISO 639-3: mgp /ISO 639-3: mrd) is a language spoken in parts of Nepal and Sikkim in India by Magar people. It is divided into two groups: Eastern and Western, and further dialect divisions give distinct tribal identity.^[1] In Nepal 770,116 speak the language.

While the government of Nepal developed Magar language curricula, as provisioned by constitution, the teaching materials haven't successfully reached Magar schools.^[2] At least one Magar feels that failure among members of his caste to take education seriously may be the result of school instruction is Nepali language. It's not unusual for groups with their own language to feel that the "mother-tongue" is an essential part of identity.

"If we want to develop the Magar language, we should not teach our children Nepali. We have to teach the Magar language first.. We have to teach learning and reading the language from the very beginning. For example, they are all Magar in Gulmi Bharsay hills. They don't know the Magar language, nobody speaks Magar but they are educated, they are rich too. But they do not speak the Magar language".^[3]

[edit] References

^ The Eastern Magar of Nepal. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
^ B. K. Rana. Mother Tongue Education for Social Inclusion and Conflict Resolution. Appeals, News and Views from Endangered Communities. Foundation for Endangered Languages. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.
^ Identity. Retrieved on 2007-09-12.

[edit] Further reading

Shepherd, Gary, and Barbara Shepherd. A Vocabulary of the Magar Language. Comparative vocabularies of languages of Nepal. Kirtipur: Summer Institute of Linguistics [and] Institute of Nepal Studies, Tribhuvan University, 1972.
Shepherd, Gary, and Barbara Shepherd. Magar Phonemic Summary. Tibeto-Burman phonemic summaries, 8. Kirtipur: Summer Institute of Linguistics, Tribhuvan University, 1971.