The 'Kiranti languages' form a sub-group of the
Tibeto-Burman language family, which is itself a branch of the
Sino-Tibetan languages. The Kiranti family comprises thirty to forty
languages spoken in the eastern
Himalayas by ethnic '
Kiranti', principally in
Nepal, but also, and to a lesser extent, in
Bhutan and the extreme north of
India.
The Kiranti languages are not widely spoken, and consequently, they are sparsely documented, having become the subject of systematic research only in the
1980s. Most speakers are bilingual in
Nepali, with many of the younger generation speaking it preferentially.
With approximately 250,000 speakers,
Limbu is the most widely-spoken member of the Kiranti languages, accounting for over half of the family's estimated 400,000 speakers.
★ Western Kiranti
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Thulung
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Bahing
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Sunuwar
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Khaling
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Wambule
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Jero
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Dumi
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Hayu
★ Central Kiranti
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Bantawa
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Puma
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Camling
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Dungmali
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Kulung
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Khotang
★ Eastern Kiranti
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Athpare
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Belhare
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Chintang
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Yamphu
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Mewahang
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Limbu
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The Kirat Rai Association's Web Portal
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Online kirat community