Humla

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A language of Nepal

ISO 639-3
hut
Alternate Names
Dangali, “Humla Bhotia” (pej.), Humli Khyampa, Phoke
Population

4,000 (Sharma and Gautam 1999).

Location

Seti Zone, Bajura district; Karnali Zone, Humla district, villages northwest from Simikot towards China border, villages slightly northeast of Simikot; Kathmandu.

Language Maps
Language Status

6a (Vigorous).

Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Western Tibeto-Burman, Bodish, Central Bodish, Central, gTsang
Dialects

Humli Khyampa, La Yakba, Limi, Nyinba, Upper Humla. Nyinba is nearly unintelligible to other Humla Tibetans (Levine 1988:269, cited in Wilde 2001) but speakers report all dialects are mutually intelligible (Wilde 2001).

Typology

SOV; postposition; noun head initial; noun classes or genders; content q-word in situ; 1 prefix, up to 3 suffixes; case-marking and word order; verbal affixation marks person (conjunct vs. disjunct distinction); tense and aspect; no passives or voice; 35 consonants (Limi variety) and 7 vowel phonemes; tonal

Language Use

Home, friends, religion, work. All ages. Positive attitudes.

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 10%–15% Tibetan [bod]. Some schools using English [eng] medium, some Tibetan [bod] instruction.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Humla
Writing
Unwritten.
Other Comments

Buddhist.