Western Tamang - Nepali Dictionary

Tamang is spoken by the Tamang community. Nepal's 2011 census identifies Tamang as the fifth most spoken language in the country, accounting for 5.1% of the population among 123 languages. It belongs to the Tibeto-Burman group of the Sino-Tibetan language family. While most Tamang speakers live around the Kathmandu Valley, Tamang communities also reside in various districts across Nepal. Recognizing its distinct ethnic identity, the Nepal government classified Tamang as an indigenous community in 2058 VS. Similarly, the interim constitution of 2063 VS and the current constitution of 2072 VS recognize Tamang as a national language.

According to the 'Do:ra song', Western Tamang people migrated from Tibet into Nepal through 'Same' in the Himalayas. The song indicates Tamang settlements in areas such as 'Rhirhap' and 'Gyagarden', below 'Bompo' and 'Lambu', and just above 'Same'. In Tamang tradition, Lama, Bompo, and Lambu describe the Earth as having its tail in the north and head in the south, which is why the deceased are carried upwards during funerals. The body is positioned with the head facing south before cremation. In this culture, 'Sa' means Earth and 'me' means tail, so 'Same' is interpreted as 'the tail of the Earth'. It is also believed that significant changes occur as one moves from the tail to the head.

Tamang lacks formal grammar and has two main dialects: Eastern and Western. The Eastern dialect, spoken east of the Trisuli River and originating from the Langtang Himal, is called Eastern Tamang. The Western dialect, spoken in districts to the west—including Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Lamjung, Chitawan, and Kanchanpur—is known as 'Nhurba' or 'Nhuppa'. Eastern Tamang speakers are referred to as 'Syarba'.

This bilingual dictionary results from the collaborative efforts of Western Tamang speakers from Rasuwa, Nuwakot, Dhading, Gorkha, Lamjung, Chitawan, and Kanchanpur. Each Tamang word (source language) is translated into Nepali (target language), making it a helpful resource for comparative studies. However, the number of Western Tamang speakers is gradually declining due to the widespread use of Nepali as a lingua franca. Given this threat to the language's survival, this dictionary plays an essential role in preserving, promoting, and developing Western Tamang.

Finally, there is great potential to enhance this dictionary for future improvement and refinement. The speech community, stakeholders, readers, organizations, and relevant authorities are encouraged to provide valuable feedback and suggestions.

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