Magar language
Magar Dhut (Nepali: मगर ढुट, Nepali: [ɖʱuʈ]) is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken mainly in Nepal, southern Bhutan, and in Darjeeling and Sikkim, India, by the Magar people. It is divided into two groups (Eastern and Western) and further dialect divisions give distinct tribal identity. In Nepal 788,530 people speak the language.
| Magar | |
|---|---|
| Dhut | |
| मगर ढुट | |
| Native to | Nepal, India |
| Region | Nepal; significant communities in Bhutan; Sikkim; Assam and Darjeeling district of India |
| Ethnicity | 1.62 million Magar people (2001 census of Nepal) |
Native speakers | 840,000 (2001–2006) |
| Akkha script (official), Devanagari, Latin script | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | India
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | Either:mgp – Eastern Magarmrd – Western Magar |
| Glottolog | maga1261 |
While the government of Nepal developed Magar language curricula, as provisioned by the constitution, the teaching materials have never successfully reached Magar schools, where most school instruction is in the Nepali language. It is not unusual for groups with their own language to feel that the "mother-tongue" is an essential part of identity.
The Dhut Magar language is sometimes lumped with the Magar Kham language spoken further west in Bheri, Dhaulagiri, and Rapti zones. Although the two languages share many common words, they have major structural differences and are not mutually intelligible.