Talk:Nepali language
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This looks like a badly formatted dictionary. Wikipedia is not a dictionary. On the other hand, there are several other similiar lists for other languages. Remove it or fix it? -- JeLuF 13:47 Jul 24, 2002 (PDT)
To avoid possible copyright violation I remove the previous version as it contained unformated text of phrasebook (inserted by authors?). The original version can be found at [1] If you know that authors granted the right to use this text in Wikipedia feel free to revert the change. Here's a stub instead... Youandme
- Halló! Is this the same ? Best regards Gangleri | Th | T 16:20, 2 March 2006 (UTC)
Excellent question. They are different languages despite the potential confusion: Nepali vs. Nepal Bhasa.
Nepali is an indo-european language originally spoken in far western Nepal by Khas peoples who gradually migrated eastward and became militarily and political dominant, and Nepali became the national language although it is a second language for about half the population.
Nepal Bhasa, more commonly called Newari is the Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Newar nationality that is indigenous to the Kathmandu Valley. "Nepal" originally meant just the Kathmandu valley with its three ancient cities (originally kingdoms) Kathmandu on the west, Patan on the south, and Bhaktapur on the east, to which one might add a smaller city or town Banepa further east on the rim of the valley.
Newars were farmers, craftsmen and merchants. As merchants they controlled trans-himalayan trade with Lhasa (the capital of Tibet) and have developed bazaars throughout the Middle Hills. However their language is not spoken by other ethnic groups or widely taught and is perhaps in some danger of disappearing.