NON-PRONOMINALISED HIMALAYAN LANGUAGES LEPCHA-TAMANG-GURUNG-NEWARI-MANGARI-SUNWAR 328 329 LEPCHA S.GANESH BASKARAN 1. INTRODUCTION The present study gives out the grammatical sketch of Lepcha language spoken in Sikkim state based on the data collected during the field investigation from June 1997 to September 1997. 1.1 FAMILY AFFILIATION According to Grierson (1909: Vol. III) Lepcha Language belongs to the Non- Pronominalized Himalayan group of TibetoBurman sub family. As per the subsequent classification by Paul Benedict Lepcha (in Sikkim) belongs to the “Himalayan” group of “Tibetan –Kanauri (Bodish-Himalaya)” branch of Tibeto Burman sub-family. [Benedict: 1972] 1.2 LOCATION According to G. A. Grierson 1909 (reprint 1967,p-233) the Lepchas are considered as the oldest inhabitants of Sikkim. They are also found in Western Bhutan, Eastern Nepal and in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. In Indian Census the Lepcha is returned mainly from Sikkim and West Bengal. 1.3 SPEAKERS STRENGTH Language-Mother Tongue- Bilingualism The speakers’ strength of Lepcha in respect of language / mother tongue and bilingualism/ trilingualism as per 2001 Census publication is given below. Language LEPCHA TOTAL M F RURAL M F URBAN M F INDIA 50,629 26,111 24,518 48,295 24,954 23,341 2,334 1,157 1,177 Sikkim 35,728 18,505 17,223 34,289 17,753 16,536 1,439 752 687 Mother tongue LEPCHA TOTAL M F RURAL M F URBAN M F INDIA 50,629 26,111 24,518 48,295 24,954 23,341 2,334 1,157 1,177 Sikkim 35,728 18,505 17,223 34,289 17,753 16,536 1,439 752 687 330 1.4. BILINGULISM As returned in 2001 Census out of 35728 Lepcha speakers in Sikkim 26620 are the bilinguals and they are bi-linguals in the following languages in descending order. Language of Sl. Language of Trilingualism Total Male Female Total Male Female No Bilingualism among the Bilingualism 1 Nepali 21013 10956 10057 i. Hindi 2605 1516 1089 ii.English 1391 772 619 iii.Bhotia 1206 698 508 iv.Limbu 86 42 44 v.Tibetan 48 42 6 vi.Sherpa 13 3 10 vii.Tamang 4 1 3 viii.Rai 1 0 1 ix. Others @ 42 26 16 2 English 2702 1532 1170 i.Hindi 1294 740 554 ii.Nepali 1145 645 500 iii.Bhotia 28 16 12 iv.Limbu 5 2 3 v.Tibetan 2 2 0 vi.Others @ 8 6 2 3 Bhotia 1423 777 646 i. Nepali 915 517 398 ii.Tibetan 4 4 0 iii.Sherpa 1 1 0 iv.Others @ 27 18 9 4 Hindi 1357 761 596 i. Nepali 670 374 296 ii.English 328 181 147 iii.Bhotia 25 11 14 iv.Limbu 4 2 2 v.Tibetan 3 3 0 vi.Others @ 8 6 2 5 Tibetan 34 27 7 i. Nepali 20 19 1 ii.Bhotia 1 1 0 iii.Others @ 2 2 0 331 6 Limbu 27 14 13 i. Nepali 19 10 9 7 Rai 3 1 2 i.Nepali 1 0 1 ii.Limbu 1 1 0 8 Sherpa 5 1 4 I.Nepali 3 0 3 ii.Hindi 1 1 0 9 Tamang 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 Total of Others # 55 29 26 i.Nepali 6 3 3 ii.Others @ 3 2 1 Accordingly 74.51% are bilinguals among the Lepcha speakers of Sikkim. # Under the languages of Bilingualism the clubbed Total of Others comprise of Bilingual speakers strength in relevant languages below 100. But in the states of Sikkim the languages like Nepali, Bhotia, Limbu, Lepcha, Sherpa, Tibetan, Tamang and Rai are the most important languages. So, the bilingual strength in respect of these languages, even if it is below 100 speakers, have been taken separately and not clubbed under "Total of Others" @ Under the head Trilingualism the clubbed Others comprise of trilingual speakers strength in relevant languages below 100. But in the states of Sikkim the languages like Nepali, Bhotia, Limbu, Lepcha, Sherpa, Tibetan, Tamang and Rai are the most important languages. So, the trilingual strength in respect of these languages,even if it is below 100 speakers,have been taken separately and not clubbed under "Others" 332 1.5. SOCIOLINGUISTIC SETTING The Lepchas who return their mother tongue as “Lepcha” or “Rong” call themselves Rongkup or Mutanchi. Prior to 1641 Sikkim was ruled by Lepchas only who are known as the original inhabitants of Sikkim. Risley (1891) mentioned two branches among them – the Rong and Khamba-. The Lepchas are divided into several exogamous patrilineal clans. They generally follow endogamy at the community level, but marriages with the Bhotia are not discouraged. Monogamy is the norm in Lepcha community. Traditionally, the Lepchas were hunters, food gatheres and pastoralists. Now, of course, they are primarily land owning cultivators. However, a few of them are found as landless agricultural and non- agricultural labourers. The Lepcha or Rong is a language of non-pronominalised Himalayan group of Tibeto –Burman sub-family of Tibeto-Chinese Language family. They use mutencse rom ameenam script. For the intergroup communication they use Nepali, and to some extent, Hindi. Lepachas are all Buddhist. In Sikkim Lepchas are concentrated in Dzongu of North district mainly. The Lepchas have their rich tradition of folklore and folk tales. The sociolinguistic setting of Lepcha can be explained on the extent of its use as mother tongue and the extent of use as other tongue in different domains. Lepcha as a mother tongue is used in different domains like home, kin and community. The use of mother tongue is related in three ways in descending order of generation, that is, parent ego children in the home and extra kin situation. Thus in the domain of locality the mother tongue is also in use. In the parent-ego-children relationship the parents invariably interact in the mother tongue with the children and also with the aged people. Since the children of these days are exposed to other languages through education most often their speech is mixed with Nepali and with English. The use of mother tongue is more between the aged people and among the middle aged whereas among the young and between the young the use of mother tongue is comparatively less. Among the women the use of mother tongue is more in comparison to the men folk. In the formal domains of Education, Administration, Judiciary and Mass media the role of Lepcha as mother tongue is evident in the oral communication level. In the domain of the Education in the rural and urban areas the verbal interaction between the teacher and student and among the students in and outside the classroom in Lepcha only. Lepcha language is taught as a subject in a graduate level. In the Administration although all written correspondences are e through Nepali and English, Lepcha is used as the medium of the verbal interaction between the staffs and officials, between staffs and the public in the rural and semi urban areas. The state 333 Government imparts training to the officials in Lepcha language for smooth running of Administration and building up of a cordial relation with the Lepcha people. In the level of Judiciary also Lepcha language is used in informal oral communication in the lower courts during the cross examination of the convicts by the Lawyers. Sometimes the Judge, if he is a local person, also interacts with the local people in their respective language. The social workers of the registered organisations interact with both the parties of litigation in the lower courts in Lepcha and helped them to come to a possible settlement and to convince them. In the domain of Mass media, Doordarshan and private television channel telecast folk music riddles and stories in Lepcha language. Further the Government of Sikkim encourages Lepcha people to continue their cultural programme in Lepcha in respective festive occasions. The local magazines like Sikkim herald, Suttak 6 monthly publishing the poems and stories. In the All India Radio news is broad casted in Lapcha language. The Sikkim Government patronises preparation of dictionary and glossaries in Lepcha language and extends necessary financial aids to the welfare association of Lepcha for the purpose. In 1876 George Byres Mainwaring published a grammar of Lepcha language. Albert Gruen Wedel in 1898 edited and published one Lepcha-English Dictionary. Thus it is evident, through Nepali control the formal domains, but Lepcha being a regional language by the motification of Sikkim official language Act 1977 of Government of Sikkim, has a distinct socio linguistic impact in the State of Sikkim. Lepcha possesses its own ancient script ‘mutencse rom ameenam’. The Lepcha language is taught in the graduate level. 1.6 REVIEW OF EARLIER LITERATURE According to G.A. Grierson (1909-reprint 1967-: p233). The Lepchas call themselves Rong and are known to the Tibetans as Rong –pa or Mun –pa. Lepcha is a nickname given to them by the Nepalese. According to Sikkim Gazetteer the local pronunciation of the word is Lepcha or Lepche. Dr. Waddell thinks that it is composed of /lap/ ‘speech’ and /cha/ ‘vile and that it consequently means ‘vile speach’ and by extention they have became ‘vile speakers’. Presently Lepcha word is used without connotation. 334 2. PHONOLOGY There are 35 phonemes in Lepcha language of which 29 are consonants and 6 are vowels as revealed by the field study . Tone is also phonemic in Lepcha. 2.1.1 SEGMENTAL PHONEMES Vowels Front central back High i ɨ u Mid e o Low a* * The italised /a/ actually represents the low front unrounded vowel /a/ Consonants Consonants Bilabial Labio Alveolar Retroflex Palatal Velar Glottal Dental vl.