Alternate Names: Dangali, “Humla Bhotia” (pej.), Humli Khyampa, Phoke
Dialects: Humli Khyampa, La Yakba, Limi, Nyinba, Upper Humla. Nyinba is nearly unintelligible to other Humla Tibetans but speakers report all dialects are mutually intelligible (Wilde 2001).
Genealogy:
Demographics: 4,000 (Sharma and Gautam 1999).
Language Use: Home, friends, religion, work. All ages. Positive attitudes. Also use Central Tibetan [bod].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 10%–15% Tibetan [bod]. Some schools using English [eng] medium, some Tibetan [bod] instruction.
Typology: SOV; postposition; noun head initial; noun classes or genders; content q-word in situ; 1 prefix, up to 3 suffixes; case-marking and word order; verbal affixation marks person (conjunct vs. disjunct distinction); tense and aspect; no passives or voice; 35 consonants (Limi variety) and 7 vowel phonemes; tonal.
Writing System: Unwritten
Nation of Origin: Nepal
Other Comments: Buddhist.