Summary
Rongpo (also known as Rangpo[1] and Rang Po Bhasa[2]) is a West Himalayish language spoken in Uttarakhand, India. George Abraham Grierson originally called the language the Garhwal dialect of one of the Tibetic languages, but is now considered its own independent language.[2]
| Rongpo | |
|---|---|
| Rangpo[1] | |
| /r~øpø/[2] | |
| Native to | India |
| Region | Uttarakhand |
| Ethnicity | Rongpo people |
Native speakers | 7,500 (2001)[3] |
Sino-Tibetan
| |
| Dialects |
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | rnp |
| Glottolog | rong1264 |
| ELP | Rongpo |
Geographical distribution
editRongpo is spoken in the following locations of Uttarakhand, India (Ethnologue).
- Niti Valley, Joshimath tehsil, Chamoli District, Garhwal Division, Uttarakhand (in Niti, Gamshali, Bampa, and Malari villages)
- Mana valley, Joshimath tehsil Chamoli District, Garhwal Division, Uttarakhand: Mana, Indradhara, Gajkoti, Pathiya-Dhantoli, Hanuman Chatti, Benakuli, and Aut.
Dialects
editThe two different dialects of Rongpo are called the Marcha (Marchha) and the Tolcha (Tolchha) dialect,[1] Both dialects only have a difference in the phonetic level and are written in the same way.[2]
Marcha
editMarcha dialect is spoken in Mana and Niti valleys.[2]
Tolcha
edit| Tolcha | |
|---|---|
| Tolchha[1] | |
| Native to | India |
| Region | Niti Valley |
| Ethnicity | Tolcchas |
| Extinct | since the 1950s[4] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | None (mis) |
| Glottolog | tolc1238 |
| ELP | Rongpo |
There are a few Tolchha dialect speakers in Niti valley. Tolcha is usually considered its own independent and separate language from Rongpo.[5][6] Tolcha has been considered extinct by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger since the 1950s.[4]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Endangered Languages Project - Rongpo". ELP. Retrieved 23 December 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Randy J. LaPolla (2001). The Tibeto-Burman Languages of Uttar Pradesh (PDF). University of Hong Kong. p. 2,9. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
- ^ "Rongpo". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
7,500 (2001 D. Bradley).
- ^ a b Christopher Moseley; Alexandre Nicolas (2010). "Atlas of the world's languages in danger". UNESCO. p. 203. Retrieved 22 December 2024.
- ^ "The Endangered And Extinct Languages Of India". Outlook. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
- ^ "Of native tongues vanished & in peril". Hindustan Times. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 4 January 2025.