kle ISO 639
Kulung
Visualizations
A language of Nepal
- ISO 639
- kle
- Alternate Names
- Jindā, Kholung, Khulung, Khulunge Rai, Kulu Ring, Kulunge, Kulungo
- Population
- 34,590 in Nepal, all users. L1 users: 33,200 in Nepal (2011 census). L2 users: 1,390 (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 34,590 (as L1: 33,200; as L2: 1,390).
- Location
- Kosi province: Bhojpur district, Salpasilichho municipality; Sankhuwasabha district, Silichong municipality; Solukhumbu district, along the Hungu river, Mahakulung and Sotang municipalities.
- Language Maps
- Eastern Nepal, India, Map 4
- Language Status
- 6b (Threatened). Language of recognized indigenous nationality: Rai.
- Classification
- Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Western Tibeto-Burman, Himalayan, Kiranti, Eastern
- Dialects
- Sotto Ring. 100% intelligibility between Kulung and Sotto Ring; only a few words pronounced differently. Related to Sampang [rav] and Nachering [ncd].
- Typology
- SOV; postpositions; noun head final; no noun classes or genders; content q-word initial; 1 prefix, up to 3 suffixes; clause constituents indicated by case-marking; verbal affixation marks person and number; ergativity; tense; no passives or voice; nontonal; 22 consonant and 6 vowel phonemes.
- Language Use
- Home, friends, religion. Some young people, all adults. Also use Nepali [npi], which almost all can understand at a basic level. Used as L2 by Eastern Mewahang [emg], Khaling [klr], Nepali [npi], Western Mewahang [raf].
- Language Development
- High motivation for literacy. Literature. Periodicals. Grammar. NT: 2016.
- Writing
- Devanagari script [Deva].
- Other Comments
- Exogamous clan marriage. The high number of Kulung reflect the tendency of smaller groups to consider themselves Kulung, but are not Kulung by origin. The Kulung possibly absorb smaller groups. Traditional religion, Christian.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Kulung
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Sikkim state: Assam Lingzey, Zoom and many other places; Uttarakhand state: Dehradun; West Bengal state: Jalpaiguri district; Assam state.
- Language Status
- 6b (Threatened) View other languages of India
Language Name
Kulung
