Manang language

Manang
Nyishang
ŋyeshaŋ
Native toNepal
RegionManang District
EthnicityGurungs[citation needed]
Native speakers
390 (2011 census)[1]
Dialects
  • Manang
  • Gyasumdo
  • Nar-Phu
  • Nyeshangte[2]/'Nyishangba[3]
Language codes
ISO 639-3nmm
Glottologmana1288
ELPManange

Manang, also called Manangba, Manange, Manang Ke, Nyishang, Nyishangte and Nyishangba, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken in Nepal. Native speakers refer to the language as ŋyeshaŋ, meaning 'our language'.[4] Manang and its most closely related languages are often written as TGTM in literature, referring to Tamang, Gurung, Thakali, and Manangba, due to the high degree of similarity in the linguistic characteristics of the languages.[5] The language is unwritten and almost solely spoken within the Manang District, leading it to be classified as threatened, with the number of speakers continuing to decline. Suspected reasons for the decline include parents not passing down the language to their children, in order to allow for what they see as more advanced communication with other groups of people, and thus gain more opportunities. Due to the proximity of the district to Tibet, as well as various globally widespread languages being introduced into the area, use of the native language is declining in favor of new languages, which are perceived to aid in the advancement of the people and region.[6]

  1. ^ Manang at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. ^ "Manang Atlas".
  3. ^ George van Driem. Ed. Matthias Brenzinger. 2007. Language Diversity Endangered. Mouton de Gruyter: Berlin. Print.
  4. ^ Kristine A. Hildebrant. 2004."A Grammar and Dictionary of the Manange Language" in Tibeto-Burman Languages of Nepal: Manange and Sherpa, edited by Carol Genetti. 2-189. Canberra:Pacific Linguistics.
  5. ^ Martine Mazaudon. 1978. "Consonantal Mutation and Tonal Split in the Tamang Sub-Family of Tibeto-Burman." Kailash. 6:157-179.
  6. ^ Martin Haspelmath, Uri Tadmor, and Kristine A. Hildebrandt. 2009. 'Loanwords in the World's Languages: A Comparative Handbook.' De Gruyter Mouton: Berlin. Print.