HOME   FactFinder   InfoFinder   Northeast 2.0 Blogs   Photos   Quotes of the Day   Contact Us   Northeast Vigil 1999-2006 
NortheastUnlimited
You are here You are here: NortheastUnlimited HOME » Facts » Languages
This site is available on lease. If you want to take over NortheastUnlimited and run it on your own, we would like to hear from you ASAP. The offer is valid till Diwali. Write to editor@newswatch.in. We would like to know how you would want to run the site, and what you would like to do with in the the long run.
 
Login
Top Contributors
UserPoints
hemantakrnath35,350
divyalina3,675
admin3,600
digsbanin1,275
subir325
Your current points: 0
Your lifetime points: 0
more
Facts by Alphabet
  • A (8)
  • B (7)
  • D (3)
  • E (3)
  • F (1)
  • H (3)
  • I (3)
  • K (9)
  • L (3)
  • M (13)
  • N (4)
  • P (9)
  • R (2)
  • S (1)
  • T (3)
  • U (7)
  • W (1)
  • Y (1)
  • Z (2)
 
 

Tibetan, Central

Facts:    
  • Population: 1,066,200 in China (1990 census). About 86% are monolingual. Population includes 570,000 Dbus, 460,000 Gtsang, 40,000 Mngahris out of 4,593,000 in the official nationality. Population total all countries: 1,261,587.
  • Region: Tibet, Sichuan, Qinghai. Also spoken in Bhutan, India, Nepal, Norway, Switzerland, Taiwan, USA.
  • Alternatives: Wei, Weizang, Bhotia, Zang, Phoke, Dbus, Dbusgtsang, U, Tibetan
  • Dialects: Gtsang (Tsang, Lhasa), Dbus, Mngahris (Ngari). In the exile community a so-called diaspora Tibetan has developed. This is based on Central Tibetan.
  • Classification: Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Himalayish, Tibeto-Kanauri, Tibetic, Tibetan, Central
  • Language use: Official regional language. Vigorous. Speakers of other languages in the area can also speak Tibetan. All domains. All ages. Positive language attitude.
  • Language development: Literacy rate in second language: 30%. Motivation for literacy is high. Taught in primary and secondary schools. Magazines. Newspapers. Radio programs. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1948.
  • Comments: Part of the Tibetan nationality called Zang. Xifan (Hsifan) and Bhotia are general terms for Tibetan. Probably officially includes many separate languages: Atuence, Choni, Groma, Niarong, Lhomi, Panang, Sherpa, Tseku, Tinan Lahul, Khams Tibetan. Nomads in central and northern Tibet in Phala on the 15,000 foot Chang Tang plateau are known as 'Drokba'. They number around 500,000. Written Tibetan is reported to be based on a southern dialect. 2 scripts are known: U-chan is a common script used by all, the other is a less-widely known and more priestly script. SOV; tonal, 4 tones. Plateau. Very high altitude. Agriculturalists; pastoralists: yak, sheep, goats; weavers; salt traders (Drokba). Buddhist (Lamaist), Muslim.
Sources:
 • Gordon, Raymond G., Jr. (ed.), 2005. Ethnologue: Languages of the World, Fifteenth edition. Dallas, Tex.: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com/.
See also:
 • Languages
[ Entry added by Divyalina Bhuyan on May 11, 2009 ]
RATE THIS ITEM
0
No votes yet
Your rating: None
TOOLS:

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
You can change the default for this field in "Comment follow-up notification settings" on your account edit page.