Alternate Names: Athpagari, Athpahariya, Athpare, Athpariya, Belhare
Dialects: None known. Different from Athpariya ,, although also called and closely related to it (Winter 1991). Not intelligible with Athpariya although Athpariya speakers claim full intelligibility (Bickel 1996:21).
Status Notes: Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Rai.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 600 (2011 census), decreasing.
Language Use: Many parents only use Nepali [npi] with their children, citing advantages for economic and social success. Religion; mixed use: Home, friends, work. Adults and elderly. Some use among children and adolescents. Negative attitudes. Also use Nepali [npi].
Language Development: About 5 speakers are literate in their mother tongue. Dictionary. Grammar.
Typology: SOV; postpositions; noun head final; no genders; content q-word in situ; up to 3 prefixes, up to 10 suffixes, and several clitics; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks person and number; ergativity; passives and voice; nontonal; 22 consonant and 8 vowel phonemes.
Writing System: Devanagari
Nation of Origin: Nepal
Other Comments: Athpare refers to the ethnic group made up of Belhare and Athpariya which have close cultural ties, but who recognize their linguistic differences. They clarify by calling the Dhankuta people Noupagari and the Belhare people Athpagari (Bickel 1996). Traditional religion, Hindu.