Alternate Names: Halung, Halungge, Walongchung Gola, Walung, Walungchung Gola, Walunggi Keccya
Dialects: Ghunsa River, Olangchung Gola (Upper Tamar River), Topke Gola (Mewa River). High intelligibility of Thudam ,. Reportedly similar to Tibetan dialect in Tingay District of Tibet. Lexical similarity: 71% with Lhasa Tibetan ,, 68% with Dolpo ,, Loke ,, and Kyerung (Kyirong) ,, 66% with Lhomi , and Helambu Sherpa ,, 64% with Nubri ,, 57% with Jirel ,, 55% with Sherpa ,.
Status Notes: Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Walung, Topkegola.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 1,500 in Nepal (2001 census), decreasing. 1,200 in the original language area. High language loss among those who have left the language area.
Language Use: Positive attitudes.
Writing System: Tibetan
Nation of Origin: Nepal
Other Comments: Cut off from the Lhomi, with more links to Tibet. Some intermarriage with Lhomi and Tibetan. The people call themselves Sherpa. They do not have a specific language name which groups all varieties of the language together and distinguishes the language from other Tibetan languages. The word “Walungge” comes from a name of one of the main villages in the language area. Buddhist.