Alternate Names: “Bhotia” (pej.), Ishang, Murmi, Sei
Dialects: Central-Eastern Tamang (Temal Tamang), Outer-Eastern Tamang (Sailung Tamang), Southwestern Tamang. Central-Eastern most widely understood among all tested to date: 85% by both Trisuli and Rasuwa Western Tamang ,, 93%–98% by Outer-Eastern, 87% by Southwestern Tamang ,. Comprehension of Outer-Eastern 58% by Western Rasuwa Tamang ,, 64%–75% by Western Trisuli Tamang ,, 67%–54% by Southwestern Tamang ,, 88%–93% by Central-Eastern Tamang ,, and 90%–98% among its own varieties. Southwestern Tamang , may be a bridge between Eastern and Western Tamang (Varenkamp 1996). Lexical similarity: 88%–99% with Outer Eastern varieties; 89%–100% with Central Eastern; 79%–93% with Outer Eastern and Central Eastern, 77%–82% with Southwestern Tamang ,, 86%–93% with Southwestern and Central-Eastern, 74%–80% with Eastern and Western Trisuli Tamang ,, 69%–81% with Western Rasuwa Tamang ,, 72%–80% with Northwestern Dhading Tamang ,, 63%–77% with Eastern Gorkha Tamang , (Varenkamp 1996).
Status Notes: Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Tamang.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 1,180,000 in Nepal (2001 census), increasing. Population for all Tamang varieties: 1,350,000 (2011 census). Population total all countries: 1,197,500. In some remote communities, particularly women, children and elderly people are monolingual. Ethnic population: 1,290,000 (2001 census). L2 users: 23,600 in Nepal (1991 census). L2 speakers of all Tamang.
Language Use: Vigorous. Home, friends, religion; mixed use: Work, education. All ages. Those who have been to school or traveled often speak Nepali [npi]; others have limited proficiency, especially women, older adults, children. Also use Lhomi [lhm]. Used as L2 by Danuwar [dhw], Jirel [jul], Sunwar [suz].
Language Development: Literacy rate in L1: 1%–5%. Literacy rate in L2: 25%–50%. Some non-formal and formal literacy materials, textbooks and classes. Taught in primary schools, up to class 3 as medium of instruction; to class 5 as subject. Poetry. Magazines. Newspapers. New media. Radio programs. Films. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. NT: 2011.
Typology: SOV; postpositions, genitives after nouns; noun head final; no noun classes or genders; content q-word in situ; 1 prefix, up to 3 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; ergative; aspect and tense; no passives or voice; 34 consonant and 16 vowel phonemes; CV, CVC, CCV, V, CCVC; tonal; vowel phonemes include 5 basic, 5 long, 6 diphthongs; aspiration and length are phonemic.
Writing System: Devanagari, Tibetan (Tamhig)
Nation of Origin: Nepal
Other Comments: Traditional religion, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu.