Alternate Names: Tholong Lo, Thulu Luwa, Thululoa, Thulung Jemu, Thulung La, Thulunge Rai, Toaku Lwa
Dialects: Central Thulung (Mukli Lwa), Eastern Thulung (Jubu Lwa, Lokhim Lwa), Northern Thulung (Deusa Lwa), Southern Thulung (Necha Lwa). Many cognates with Khaling ,.
Status Notes: Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Rai.
Genealogy:
Demographics: 20,700 in Nepal (2011 census). Thulung communities also in Bhojpur and Sankhuwasabha districts, scattered in Udayapur, Morang, Panchthar, and Ilam districts. Migrants may not speak Thulung as L1. A few elderly monolinguals.
Language Use: Language retention high compared to other Rai languages (Winter and Hanson 1991). Home, friends, religion. All ages. Neutral attitudes. Do not believe each other’s dialect is ’pure’ Thulung. Also use Bahing [bhj]. Women speak less Nepali [npi] than men. Most men speak Nepali well. Used as L2 by Nepali [npi].
Language Development: Poetry. Magazines. Newspapers. New media. Radio programs. Videos. Dictionary. Bible portions: 2006.
Typology: SOV; postpositions; noun head final; content q-word in situ; no prefixes, up to 4 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks person and number; ergativity; tense; passives and voice, but rare; tonal; 29 consonant and 16 vowel phonemes.
Writing System: Devanagari
Nation of Origin: Nepal
Other Comments: Interest in development among cultural associations (Thulung Rai Society). Traditional religion, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu.