Nepali

Nepali is an Indo-Aryan language of the sub-branch of Eastern Pahari. It is the official language of Nepal and one of the 22 scheduled languages of India. Also known by the endonym Khas kura (Devanagari: खस कुरा), the language is also called Gorkhali or Parbatiya in some contexts.

History

Nepali developed in proximity to a number of Tibeto-Burman languages, most notably Nepal Bhasa, and shows Tibeto-Burman influences. Historically, the language was first called Khas language (Khas Kurā), then Gorkhali or Gurkhali (language of the Gorkha Kingdom) before the term Nepali was coined. Other names include Parbatiya ("mountain language", identified with the Parbatiya people of Nepal) and Lhotshammikha (the "southern language" of the Lhotshampa people of Bhutan).

Phonology

Nepali has, like most Indo-Aryan languages, a rich set of phonemes, the smallest units of sound that can differentiate meaning. Both the vowels and consonants in Nepali are articulated from five different positions: front, central, back, high, and low. Some sounds are unique to Nepali, including a series of retroflex consonants.

Grammar

Nepali grammar is the study of the morphology and syntax of Nepali, an Indo-Aryan language. The grammar of Nepali shares many features with other Indo-Aryan languages. The Nepali grammatical system is based on two main components: the verb, which conveys action, and the noun, which conveys substance.

Writing system

The Nepali writing system is essentially phonemic in nature. The script is written from left to right and employs a postpositioned head-line. The alphabet is categorized into vowels and consonants. There are 36 consonants and 12 vowels in the Nepali language.

See also

• Languages of Nepal
• Languages of Bhutan
• Languages of India

References

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External links

• Omniglot - Nepali

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