Kham, Gamale

KGJ

vigorous

Alternate Names: Gamale

Dialects: Ghusbanggi, Tamali. Only 30% intelligibility with Western Parbate , due to radical differences in verbal morphology. Lexical similarity: 71% with Western Parbate (most similar) ,, 55% with Eastern Parbate , and Sheshi ,, 45% with Bhujel ,.

Genealogy:

Sino-Tibetan
Tibeto-Burman
Western Tibeto-Burman
Himalayan
Central Himalayan
Kham-Magar
Kham

Demographics: 13,100 (2000), increasing. 27,100 all Kham languages in Nepal (2011 census).

Language Use: Vigorous in the villages. Home, friends, work; mixed use: Religion. All ages. Positive attitudes. Younger generation uses some Nepali [npi].

Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 5%–15%.

Typology: SOV; postpositions; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks person and gender; passives and voice; tonal.

Writing System: Devanagari

Nation of Origin: Nepal

Other Comments: Traditional religion, Christian.