Alternate Names: Magari, Manggar
Dialects: Gorkha, Nawalparasi, Tanahu. Also long-extant migrant communities scattered throughout the Eastern Development Region speak a different variety from those west of Kathmandu. Reports of intelligibility between these varieties vary.
Status Notes: Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Magar.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 462,000 in Nepal (2001 census), decreasing. 789,000 all Magar in Nepal (2011 census). The identification of Magars is complicated by the fact that a number of other ethnic groups (Chantyal, Kham, Kaike, Kusunda, Raute, Raji) have claimed to be Magars to outsiders. Population total all countries: 533,700. Isolated enclaves of monolinguals are found in Nawalparasi and southern Tanahu districts. Ethnic population: 1,620,000 (2001 census). Includes Eastern and Western Magar.
Language Use: Also use Nepali [npi].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%. Poetry. Dictionary. NT: 1991.
Writing System: Akkha, Devanagari
Nation of Origin: Nepal
Other Comments: Traditional religion, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu.