Alternate Names: Kulu Ring, Kulunge
Dialects: Sotto Ring. 100% intelligibility between Kulung and Sotto Ring; only a few words pronounced differently. Related to Sampang , and Nachering ,.
Status Notes: Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Rai.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 33,200 in Nepal (2011 census).
Language Use: Home, friends, religion. Some use among children and adolescents. Almost all can understand some Nepali [npi] at a basic level. Used as L2 by Eastern Mewahang [emg], Nepali [npi], Western Mewahang [raf].
Language Development: High motivation for literacy. Poetry. Magazines. New media. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible portions: 1976.
Typology: SOV; postpositions; noun head final; no noun classes or genders; content q-word initial; 1 prefix, up to 3 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks person and number; ergativity; tense; no passives or voice; nontonal; 22 consonant and 6 vowel phonemes.
Writing System: Devanagari
Nation of Origin: Nepal
Other Comments: Exogamous clan marriage. The high number of Kulung reflect the tendency of smaller groups to consider themselves Kulung, but are not Kulung by origin. The Kulung possibly absorb smaller groups. Traditional religion.