Alternate Names: Dumi Bo’o, Dumi Bro, Hopupo Bro, Lsi Rai, Ro’do Bo’, Sotmali
Dialects: Kharbari, Lamdija, Makpa. Reportedly most similar to Khaling , and Koi ,. Makpa dialect is markedly divergent.
Status Notes: Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Rai.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 7,640 (2011 census), decreasing. 0 monolinguals. Ethnic population: 12,000.
Language Use: Pressure to shift to Nepali [npi] in education and communication with outsiders is strong. Few parents teach Dumi to their children or encourage their children to use their language. Home, religion. Mixed use: Friends, work. Young adults and older. Some use among children and adolescents. Most are bilingual in neighboring local languages, then in Nepali [npi].
Language Development: Poetry. Magazines. Dictionary. Grammar.
Typology: SVO; postpositions; noun head final; no noun classes or genders; content q-word in situ; 1 prefix, unknown number of suffixes; verbal affixation marks person and number; ergativity; nontonal; 25 consonant and 14 vowel phonemes.
Writing System: Devanagari
Nation of Origin: Nepal
Other Comments: Efforts have been made by some to preserve the language by creating written materials. Traditional religion, Christian, Hindu.