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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > India > Adi

Adi

A language of India

ISO 639-3: adi

Population  238,000 in India (2000 USCWM). 1,200 Palibo. Population total all countries: 241,190.
Region  Arunachal Pradesh, East, West, and Upper Siang districts, Upper Subansiri and Dibang Valley districts; Assam, north hills of Assam Valley, between Bhutan and the Buruli River. Also in Bhutan, China.
Alternate names   Abhor, Abor, Boga’er Luoba, Lhoba, Luoba
Dialects  Ashing, Bokar (Boga’er Luoba), Bori, Gallong (Galong), Karko, Komkar, Milang, Minyong, Padam, Pailibo, Pangi, Pasi, Ramo, Shimong, Tangam. Sun (1993) lists Tani varieties as Apatani [apt], Milang, Damu, Mising [mrg], Bangni [dap], Tagin [dap], Sagli, south Aya, Leli, and perhaps the Padam, Bokar, Pailibo, Ramo, Bori, Minyong and Pasi dialects of Adi; Asing, Panggi, Simong, Karok, Hill, Miri [mrg], and some northern and western dialects of Nisi [dap]. Intelligible with Adi Galo [adl] but sociolinguistically distinct. A different language from Yidu Lhoba [clk]. Bokar, Milang, Pailibo, and Ramo are very divergent—possibly separate languages.
Classification  Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, North Assam, Tani
Language use  Also use Assamese [asm], Hindi, or Nepali [nep].
Language development  Literacy rate in L2: 59%. Radio programs. Grammar. Bible: 2005.
Writing system  Latin script. Tibetan script, used in China.
Comments  A Scheduled Tribe with several subgroups. ‘Adi’, meaning ‘hillman’, is a cover term for eastern Tani languages. SOV; particles indicate grammatical relations; long-short vowel distinction; most words polysyllabic; loans mainly from Tibetan. Agriculturalists: rice, grain, beans, fruit, eggs; hunters. Traditional religion, Christian.

Also spoken in:

China

Language name   Luoba, Boga’er
Population  1,090 in China (1999 J. Ouyang). 400 monolinguals.
Region  Southeast Tibet, Lhunze and Mainling counties, south of Yaluzangjiang River, Luoyu area.
Language map  China
Alternate names  Abor, Adi, Adi-Bokar, Bengni-Boga’er, Boga’er, Bokar, Lho-Pa, Lhoba
Language use  Vigorous. All domains. All ages. 55% also use Tibetan [bod] or Tawan Monba [twm]. 23% also use Tibetan [bod] or Chinese [cmn] in Mainling and Lhunze counties, and Tibetan, Chinese, or Tawan Monba in Medog County. Elementary schools use Tibetan [bod], Chinese [cmn], or Monba [twm].
Language development  27% attended school, 31% have some degree of literacy, less than 1% have a university degree.
Comments  In China classified as Lhoba nationality. Different from Lowa [loy] (Loba) in Nepal. Swidden agriculturalists: rice, maize, barley, cotton; hunters; forestry; animal husbandry; fishermen. Traditional religion, Buddhist (Lamaist).