Sikkimese

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A language of India

ISO 639-3
sip
Alternate Names
Bhutia, Dandzongka, Danjongka, Danyouka, Denjong, Denjong-skad, Denjongke, Denjongkha, Denjongkä, Denjongpa, Denjonka, Denjonke, Denzong Ke, Denzongke, Denzongpe Ke, Denzongpeke, Dranjoke, Dranjongke, Drendzongké, Lachengpa, Lachungpa, Lhoke, Sikami, Sikkim Bhotia, Sikkim Bhutia, Sikkimese Bhutia
Autonym
འབྲས་ལྗོངས་སྐད‎ (’bras ljongs skad)
User Population

25,000 (2019). Some elderly people in some rural communities may be monolingual (Yliniemi 2019). Ethnic population: 48,800 (Yliniemi 2019).

Location

Sikkim state: all districts; West Bengal state: Darjeeling.

Language Maps
Language Status

6b (Threatened).

Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Western Tibeto-Burman, Bodish, Central Bodish, Central, Southern
Dialects

Tashiding, Lachung. Partially intelligible of Dzongkha [dzo] of Bhutan. Lexical similarity: 65% with Dzongkha [dzo] of Bhutan, 42% with Tibetan [bod].

Language Use

Some young people, all adults. Positive attitudes. Most also use Nepali [npi], for education and trade (Yliniemi 2019). Some also use Central Tibetan [bod], which is viewed as appropriate for religion. Also use English [eng] (Yliniemi 2019). Also use Hindi [hin] (Yliniemi 2019).

Language Development

Literacy rate in L2: 68% for Bhutia in Sikkim (2001 census). Grammar.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Sikkimese
Writing

Tibetan script [Tibt].

Other Comments

Buddhist.