Sociolinguistic Survey of Eastern Magar in Nepal
Written by: Holly J. Hilty
Research conducted by: Holly J. Hilty Benjamin D. Hilty Vijay Lungeli Magar
Participatory methods research conducted by: Vijay Lungeli Magar Suman Lungeli Magar Ganesh Rana Magar Dipak Thapa Purna Rana Magar
Linguistic Survey of Nepal (LinSuN) Central Department of Linguistics Tribhuvan University, Nepal and SIL International 2013
Abstract
This report presents the results of sociolinguistic research conducted among Eastern Magar language communities in western, central and eastern Nepal. The research was conducted in two phases. Phase one of the research was conducted by a team of Magar men who used participatory methods tools in ten different districts. Phase two utilized sociolinguistic tools such as informal interviews, word lists and Recorded Text Tests in Nawalparasi, Sarlahi, Panchthar and Dhankuta districts. The lack of sociolinguistic research on Eastern Magar [mgp] was one motivating factor for this work. Other goals for this research included gathering information related to the homogeneity of Eastern Magar throughout the rather large geographic area, language use and vitality, Eastern Magar demographics and desires for language development. The data shows that throughout the Central and Eastern Regions where Eastern Magar is spoken, the language is quite uniform, and intelligibility is high. The Eastern Magar spoken in Nawalparasi district (Western Region) has lower lexical similarity with and intelligibility among speakers in eastern Nepal. Language use is high in many domains, though the levels of vitality on the EGIDS scale vary by community, anywhere from 6a-Vigorous to 7-Shifting. While vitality varies by village, overall, it is strong enough to warrant further language development in all Eastern Magar communities. Each community expressed a desire for language-based development, many of them expressing an interest in activities such as literacy, various publications and Magar curriculum, and this should be supported in appropriate ways. Strong ethno-linguistic identity and language use point towards high vitality and continued language use.
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सारांश
यस तवेदनमा पूव ली मगर भा षक समदायह ु बीच प चमी, म य, र पूव नेपालमा संचालन गिरएको
सामा जक–भा षक अनस ु धानबाट ा त भएका कु राह त तु गिरएका छन्। अनस ु धान दईु चरण गरी संचालन
गिरएको थयो। प हलो चरणको अनस ु धान दशवटा ज लाह मा मगरह को टोली ारा सहभागीमूलक तिरकाको
औजार योग गरेर संचालन गिरएको थयो। दो ो चरणको अनस ु धान, अनौपचािरक अ तवा ता , श द सूची, टेपमा
भिरएको कथा ारा जाच,ँ ज ता सामा जक–भा षक औजार योगमा याई नवलपरासी, सला ही, पाचथर,ँ र
धनकु टा जल्लामा गिरएको थयो। पूव का मगरह बारे सामा जक–भा षक अनस ु धानको अभाव यस कामको
ला ग एउटा उजा थयो। यस अनस ु धानका अ य ल यह मा, न न कु राह सगँ स ब धत जानकारीह संकलन
गन ु थयो— ज तैः– तलना ु मक पले वशाल भौगो लक े भ को पूव का मगरह को एक जा तयता, भा षक