Darai

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A language of Nepal

ISO 639-3
dry
Autonym
दरै‎ (darai)
User Population

12,050, all users. L1 users: 11,700 (2011 census), decreasing. L2 users: 350 (2011 census). Very few monolinguals.

Location

Bagmati province: Chitwan district, Bharatpur, Khairahani, Ratnanagar, and Rapti municipalities; Gandaki province: East Nawalparasi district, Bungdikali and Bulingtar municipalities; Tanahun district, Byas, Ghiring, and Rhishing municipalities.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b (Threatened). Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Darai.

Classification
Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Unclassified
Dialects

Chitwan, Tanahun. Lexical similarity: 85%–90% with Bote [bmj].

Typology

SOV; postpositions; noun head final; 2 noun classes or genders; 1 prefix, up to 4 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks for person and number; nominal-based split ergativity; both tense and aspect; passives and voice; nontonal; 29 consonant and 6 vowel phonemes; head-marking of noun in genitive construction.

Language Use

Rapidly assimilating to Nepali [npi] (Van Driem 2007). Home; mixed use: Friends, religion, work. Some young people, all adults. Positive attitudes. Most also use Nepali [npi].

Language Development

Newspapers. Periodicals. Radio. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Darai
Writing

Devanagari script [Deva], used since 2014.

Other Comments

Darai do not have social subdivisions found in most other Nepali groups. They do not organize communities into social, religious, economic, or political organizations (Bista 1996). Hindu.