Thulung
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A language of Nepal
22,300 in Nepal, all users. L1 users: 20,700 in Nepal (2011 census). Thulung communities also in Bhojpur and Sankhuwasabha districts, scattered in Udayapur, Morang, Panchthar, and Ilam districts. Migrants may not speak Thulung as L1. L2 users: 1,600 (2011 census). A few elderly monolinguals. Total users in all countries: 22,300 (as L1: 20,700; as L2: 1,600).
Kosi province: Khotang district, Aineselukhark municipality; Okhaldhunga district, Chisankhugadhi municipality; Solukhumbu district, Dudhkaushika, Dudhkoshi, Nechasalyan, and Solududhakunda municipalities.
5 (Developing). Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Rai.
Northern Thulung (Deusa Lwa), Southern Thulung (Necha Lwa), Central Thulung (Mukli Lwa), Eastern Thulung (Jubu Lwa, Lokhim Lwa). Many cognates with Khaling [klr].
SOV; postpositions; noun head final; content q-word in situ; no prefixes, up to 4 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks person and number; ergativity; tense; passives and voice, but rare; tonal; 29 consonant and 16 vowel phonemes.
Language retention high compared to other Rai languages (Winter and Hansson 1991). Home, friends, religion. Used by all. Neutral attitudes. Also use Bahing [bhj]. Also use Nepali [npi], especially men, who tend to speak it with greater proficiency than women. Used as L2 by Khaling [klr], Nepali [npi].
Literature. Newspapers. Periodicals. Radio. Videos. Dictionary. Texts. NT: 2017. Agencies: Thulung Language Development Center; Thulung Sama.
Interest in development among cultural associations (Thulung Rai Society). Traditional religion, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu.