Wambule

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A language of Nepal

ISO 639-3
wme
Alternate Names
Ambule, Caurasia, Chaurasia, Chaurasya, Chourase, Chourasia, Ombule, Radu Yor, Tsaurasya, Umbule, Vambucauras Raduyor, Vambule, Vambule Radu Yor, Vambule Yor
Autonym
वाम्बुले‎ (Vāmbule)
User Population

14,370, all users. L1 users: 13,500 (2011 census). L2 users: 870 (2011 census). A few elderly monolinguals.

Location

Bagmati province: Sindhuli district, Phikkal municipality; Kosi province: Khotang district, Halesi Tuwachung municipality; Okhaldunga district, Manebhanjyang municipality.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing). Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Rai.

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

Bonu, Wamdyal, Udaipure, Hilepane, Jhappali. Dialects appear adequately mutually inherently intelligible. Jerung [jee] and Wambule are mutually intelligible (Opgenort 2004). Lexical similarity: 93% with Jerung [jee] (Opgenort 2005).

Typology

SOV; postpositions; noun head final; no noun classes or genders; content q-word in situ; 1 prefix, up to 4 (word-internal) suffixes and 4 phrasal affixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking (and verbal marking for agent and patient); verbal affixation marks person and number; ergativity, but an expression of volitionality causes the intransitive subject to have ergative marking; both tense and aspect; no passives or voice; nontonal; 33 consonant and 9 vowel phonemes; ingressive laterals.

Language Use

Vigorous. Home, friends, religion; mixed use: Work, education. Used by all. Also use Bahing [bhj]. Also use Jerung [jee]. Also use Nepali [npi].

Language Development

Taught as subject in primary schools. Literature. Periodicals. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Texts. NT: 2019. Agency: Wambule Rai Society of Nepal.

Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Wambule
Writing

Devanagari script [Deva].

Other Comments

Traditional religion, Christian, Hindu.