Gurung
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A language of Nepal
348,800 in Nepal, all users. L1 users: 326,000 in Nepal (2011 census), increasing. L2 users: 22,800 (2011 census). 12,000 monolinguals. Total users in all countries: 381,800 (as L1: 359,000; as L2: 22,800).
Gandaki province: Gorkha, Kaski, Lamjung, Manang, Parbat, Syangja, and Tanahun districts.
6b (Threatened). Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Gurung.
SOV; postpositions; genitives, adjectives, relative clauses precede noun heads; numerals after noun heads; noun head final; no noun classes or genders; content q-word in situ; rising intonation marks bipolar questions; one negative prefix on verbs; up to 2 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; case of noun phrases is indicated by postpositions; no subject or object referencing in verbs; split ergative system according to tense; causatives; benefactives; aspect; no passives or voice; 24 consonant and 5 vowel phonemes; CV, CCV, CCCV; tonal: voice quality or register is part of the tone system.
Children and young people use Gurung less frequently than those who are older. Passed down only a little from generation to generation (2002 UNESCO). Gurung children are learning Nepali before they enter school and formal education is conducted in Nepali (2015 SIL). Home; mixed use: Friends, religion, work, education. Some young people, all adults. The language is decreasingly being passed on to children, and Nepali usage among even very young children is increasing (2015 SIL). Positive attitudes. All also use Nepali [npi]. Also use English [eng], especially by high school graduates. Also use Lhomi [lhm].
Literacy rate in L1: 30%. Literacy rate in L2: 30%. Literature. Newspapers. Periodicals. Radio. TV. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. NT: 1982.
Buddhist, Christian, Hindu.