Languages of Nepal

• 16 Dec 2024
• Hillary Treks

As you traverse different landscapes in Nepal, you will likely encounter different languages. Nepal is rich not just for its ethnic diversity but also for its language diversity. Within the area of 147,516 square Kilometers resides 142 different ethnicities and 124 languages spoken by those groups of People. With each changing kilometer, you might encounter someone who speaks a different language and has a different culture and history.

If we were to discuss the languages of Nepal in-depth, this blog would certainly not do justice to the diversity there. But we have tried to surmise that variousness. If you are about to visit Nepal and want to know more about the country’s language, you might find this article helpful.

Major Languages of Nepal

The 2021 census shows that there are a total of 124 languages in Nepal. Many are spoken as a mother tongue, while some are secondary. These languages belong to the Shino-Tibetan language family, indo-aryan language family, ethnic languages, and Indigenous languages. Here are some of the languages spoken by most people in Nepal. 

Nepali 

Nepali belongs to the indo-aryan language group. It is the country’s administrative language. According to the 2021 census, there are a total of 13,084,457 who speak Nepali. Being a Lingua Franca, a bridge language, many Nepalese having different birth languages also use it for communication. The term Nepali was adopted by the government in 1933. Before that, it was called “Khas Kura,” meaning the language of the “Khas people” of the Khas Kingdom in western Nepal. 

Maithili 

After Nepali, Maithili is the second most spoken language of Nepal. the 2021 census shows that, out of 30.9 million people in Nepal, 3,222,389 people speak Maithili. That’s 11.05% of the total population. The number of people who spoke Maithili, according to the 2011 census, was 3,092,530. Like Nepali, it also belongs to the Indo-Aryan family. Mostly spoken in the Terai region of Nepal, it is also the official administrative language of Koshi and Madhesh Province. 

Bhojpuri 

It is Nepal’s third most spoken language, with a recent census showing 1,820,795 people speaking it throughout Nepal. The number seems to have significantly increased, as it was 1,584,958 in the 2011 census. It shares its roots with Maithili, Madhi, Odia, and other eastern Indo- Aryan languages. It originated from Magadh Prakrit. People of Nepal, especially from the Terai region of Madhesh, Lumbini, Gandaki, and Bagmati, speak Bhojpuri to communicate. Madhesh Pradesh of Nepal recognizes Bhojpuri as the state’s authorized language. 

Tharu

Tharu Language is the language of Tharu people in the terai of Nepal. Like Bhojpuri, Maithili, and Nepali, it is also an Indo-Aryan language. It shares its similarities with Kumaoni, Awadhi, Maithili, and Bengali. Within Nepal, there are various dialects. The Tharu Language is spoken in two different places, sounds different, and sometimes has different grammar. The recent census shows that Tharu is a secondary language for 89,606 people and a first language for 1,714,091 people. It is the fourth most spoken language in Nepal. 

Newari

Newari, or Nepal Bhasa, is a Shino-Tibetan language that is widely spoken in Kathmandu Valley and surrounding areas. It was the language of the government during the Malla Dynasty from the 14th century till 1769. The literature of Newar is at least 600 years old, making it one of the oldest in Nepal. Nepal Bhasa is the state language of Bagmati Provinces. A total of 863,380 (2.96%) of the total population speaks Newari as per the 2021 census. The 2011 census shows that 846,557 (3.20%) spoke this language. It is also in the Kathmandu Valley’s curriculum from Grade 1 to 8. 

Tamang

Like Nepal Bhasa, Tamang is another shino-tibetan language spoken by the Tamang community of Nepal. It is the fifth most spoken language in the country, with a total of 1,423,075 number people recognizing it as a mother language. There are several varieties and dialects in the Tamang languages. The dialects can be categorized into Eastern Tamang, Western Tamang, and East Gorkha Tamang. These can also be further divided into sub-dialects. Tamyig script is the script to write Tamang. 

Sherpa 

Out of many shino-tibetan languages spoken in Nepal, Sherpa is one. The census of 2021 shows that a total of 117,896 people recognized it as their birth language. It shares its similarities with the Tibetan language. Sherpa language is more prominent in the Khumbu Region of Nepal. It is the language you will encounter multiple times in your Everest Base Camp Trek.

124 Languages of Nepal

Origin of Nepali Language

The origin of the Nepali language traces back to the 10th-14th centuries. It was during the times of the Khasa Kingdom that it evolved from Sanskrit, Prakrit, and Apabhramsa. It further developed when the Khasa Kingdom was divided, and people from western Nepal migrated eastward to the lower valleys. During the Sena Dynasty, many Indian languages, like Bhojpuri and Maithili, influenced the Nepali Language. At those times, Nepali also became Lingua Franca, a bridge language for people. This resulted in the simplification of language from its grammar to Vocabulary.

In the 18th century, Nepali became the state language, meaning the then state used it for documentation and means of communication. With the unification of Nepal, the Nepali language became paramount amongst government bodies and people. Bhanubhakta Acharya later translated Ramayana, a Hindu epic, into Nepali from Sanskrit. This resulted in the cultural, emotional, and linguistic unification of Nepal. However, the Nepali dialect was different. The modern-day Nepali saw its prominence in the 20th century during the Rana Dynasty. 

Official Language of Nepal

The official language of Nepal is Nepali. However, the government recognizes other languages as the official language of states in addition to the Nepali language, given that it is spoken by most people within the state. Here is the list of official Languages in Nepal across 7 provinces

English as a Second Language in Nepal

According to the 2021 census, there are a total of 102,561 people in Nepal who speak English as their secondary language. The number 10 years back, in 2011, was 81,447 only. However, this number indicates the group of people who use English as a secondary language. Many people are not proficient in English, but they can hold conversations.

Considering this, the English-speaking population of Nepal is relatively high. With such a significant rise in English speakers, it is safe to assume that anyone with English as their primary or secondary language visiting Nepal wouldn’t have a communication problem. It has also become an integral part of the country’s diplomacy. Everything is in English, from educational materials to brochures to guidebooks. So, if you are traveling to Nepal, you don’t have the 

Common Nepali Phrases and Translation

Here are some Common phrases in Nepali with their Devanagari and English translations. These phrases can be extremely useful if you remember them before your trip to Nepal. 

You can buy an English-Nepali dictionary at any local bookshop in Kathmandu. You can use that to communicate with people. 

Language Policies and Challenges in Nepal

When a country is diverse in culture and language, it is the duty of the government to prevent and promote it along with the citizens. The government of Nepal has also regulated some policies to ensure that all the languages that are spoken in Nepal are safe. Let us look at some of those policies; 

• The law ensures no discrimination against anyone based on language. 
• All the mother tongues are the national languages of Nepal. 
• Each community has the right to receive basic education in their mother tongue. 
• Each community can preserve and promote their language. 
• Everyone has the right to speak in their own language. 

Besides these, the government also formed a Language Commission in 2016 to protect and develop the languages and pursue multi-lingual policy. 

Having a policy doesn’t mean there are no challenges. There are many languages in Nepal that are on the brink of extinction. Take Kusunda as an example, the language of the Kusunda People in Central and Western Nepal. According to the 2021 census, there are only 23 people who speak this language. Out of 30 million people, JUST 23. With no proper measure, the language is doomed to vanish.

The credit for its extinction would also go to modernization and extensive use of Nepali and English. That is why it is important for a government to actively work on safeguarding endangered languages. They can be taught in schools like Newari, which is being taught in Kathmandu, or they can be recorded in books and videos. 

Resources for Learning Languages in Nepal

Here are a few resources on how you can learn languages in Nepal; 

• Institutions like Nepal Bhasa Campus offer courses in various languages. You can join the classes. 
• Websites and Apps are available on the internet. You can use them to learn Nepali and other languages. 
• Various groups in Nepal are actively working to preserve their mother tongue. You can approach them to learn the language. 
• You can also learn it from cultural gatherings. 

Conclusion

Language is not just a tool for communication. It carries the culture and history of people and places. The linguistic diversity of Nepal speaks for itself. Most of the languages spoken in Nepal belong to Indo-Aryan and Sino-Tibetan language families. This signifies the history that we share with our neighboring nation. We know this article will not help you understand the country’s languages, but we hope it helped you understand the importance of languages in Nepalese people and their culture.

You can also check – Culture And Traditions in Nepal

Thank you for reading!

Hillary Treks

info@hillarysteptrek.com

My name is Hillary. Since completing the Government Guide Training from Nepal's Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation (KEEP and HRA), I have been a specialist in mountain trekking and peak climbing. With specific expertise in the Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan regions, I have now been a trekking guide and tour operator in Nepal, and across the Himalayas, since 2012.