Yamphu, Southern

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A language of Nepal

ISO 639-3
lrr
Alternate Names
South Lorung, Southern Lohorung, Southern Lorung, Yamphu, “Yamphe” (pej.)
User Population

2,500 (2011 SIL), decreasing.

Location

Kosi province: Dhankuta district, Chaubise municipality, Bodhe, Mounabudhuk, and Rajarani villages; Sangurigadhi municipality, Bhedetar village; Sankhuwasabha district, Chichila municipality, Devitar and Matsya Pokhari villages.

Language Maps
Language Status

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

Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Western Tibeto-Burman, Himalayan, Kiranti, Eastern
Dialects

None known. 61% intelligibility of Lohorung [lbr], 43%–58% (depending on site) intelligibility of Yamphu [ybi]. A Rai group, most closely related to Yamphu [ybi], but distinct in grammar and phonology (Hansson 1991). Lexical similarity: 84%–89% between Southern Yamphu varieties, 74%–83% with Yamphu [ybi], 65%–68% with Lohorung [lbr].

Typology

SOV; postpositions; verbal affixation marks person and number; tense; nontonal.

Language Use

Home, religion, work; mixed use: Friends. Some young people, all adults. Positive attitudes.

Language Development

Dictionary.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Yamphu, Southern
Writing

Unwritten [Qaax].

Other Comments

Speakers of the language identify themselves ethnically as ‘Yamphu’. Hansson (1991) described this group as two separate languages, “Yamphu” and “Southern Lorung” (cf. Ethnologue, 16th edition and earlier). Traditional religion, Christian, Hindu.