DigitalResources Electronic Survey Report 2019-010 A Sociolinguistic Study of Gurung in Nepal Janel Swenson A Sociolinguistic Study of Gurung in Nepal Janel Swenson SIL International® 2019 Electronic Survey Report 2019-010, October 2019 © 2019 SIL International® All rights reserved. Data and materials collected by researchers in an era before documentation of permission was standardized may be included in this publication. SIL makes diligent efforts to identify and acknowledge sources and to obtain appropriate permissions wherever possible, acting in good faith and on the best information available at the time of publication. Abstract This report presents the results of sociolinguistic research conducted among Gurung language communities in the Western Development Region of Nepal. Language and dialect variation, ethnolinguistic identity, and language vitality were topics studied to inform future language-based development activities. The data suggests Gurung is one language with a cohesive ethnic and linguistic identity, intelligibility of a central variety of Gurung is adequate in most regions, and positive attitudes are apparent towards all varieties of Gurung. Further, results indicate Gurung language vitality is declining, as many of the childbearing generation are not passing on the language to their children. Despite diminishing vitality, communities have expressed desires for language-based development and language revitalization activities. सारांश यस प्रितवेदनमा नेपालको पि�मा�ल िवकास �ेत्रमा बसोबास गन� गु�ङ समुदायिबच ग�रएको समाजभाषावै�ािनक अनुस�ानबाट प्रा� नितजा प्र�ुत ग�रएको छ। भाषा तथा भािषकागत िविवधता, जाितभािषक पिहचान तथा भािषक जीव�ता ज�ा िवषयमा के � � त यस अ�यनले आगामी िदनमा स�ालन गन� सिकने भाषामा आधा�रत िवकास काय�क्रमलाई सहज बनाउने उ�े � िलएको छ। गु�ङ भाषा जातीय र भािषक पिहचानका �ि�ले स�ितपूण� रहेको त�ा�ले देखाएको छ। प्राय: सबैजसो �ेत्रका गु�ङह�ले भाषाको के � ी य भेद सिजलै बु�े तथा भाषाका अ� सबै भेदह�प्रित गु�ङ भाषीह�को सकारा�क अिभवृि� रहेको पाइꅍछ। धेरै जसो बाबुआमा पु�ाका गु�ङह�ले आ굍ना नानीह�लाई गु�ङ भाषा िसकाउन छोडेका कारण गु�ङ भाषाको जीव�ता घट् दै गएको दे�खꅍछ। भािषक जीव�ता घट् दै गएको यस अवथामा पिन गु�ङ समुदायका मािनसह�ले भाषामा आधा�रत िवकास काय�क्रम तथा भाषालाई पुनज�िवत गन� िकिसमका िक्रयाकलाप स�ालन गन� आका�ा �� गरेका छन्। Contents Preface प्र�ावना 1 Introduction 1.1 Purpose and overview of the survey 1.2 Geography 1.3 People 1.3.1 History 1.3.2 Culture 1.4 Language 1.5 Previous research 2 Purpose, goals, and research questions 2.1 Goal 1: Language and dialect variation 2.2 Goal 2: Language attitude assessment 2.3 Goal 3: Ethnolinguistic identity 2.4 Goal 4: Language vitality 3 Methodology 3.1 Instruments 3.1.1 Wordlist comparisons 3.1.2 Recorded text test (RTT) 3.1.3 Knowledgeable insider interview 3.1.4 Informal interviews 3.1.5 Dialect mapping 3.2 Site selection 3.3 Subject selection 3.3.1 Subject selection criteria for wordlist collection, RTT story elicitation, and RTT administration 3.3.2 Informal interview subject selection criteria 4 Language and dialect variation 4.1 Lexical similarity 4.2 Recorded text test results 4.3 Post-RTT questions 4.4 Informal interviews 4.5 Dialect mapping 5 Ethnolinguistic Identity 5.1 Language identification 5.2 Cultural patterns 5.3 Speaker perception 6 Language vitality 6.1 Domains of language use 6.1.1 Language use in the home domain 6.1.2 Language use in the religious domain 6.1.3 Language use in the village and market domains 6.2 Intergenerational transfer 6.3 Education and the extent of reading and writing in Gurung 6.4 Language attitudes and desires for development 6.5 Language vitality summary 7 Summary of findings and recommendations 7.1 Summary of findings 7.2 Recommendations iii iv 7 िन�ष�को सारसं�ेप तथा सुझाव 7.1 सारसं�ेप 7.2 सुझावह� Appendix A: Wordlists Appendix B: Recorded Text Testing Appendix C: Questionnaires Appendix D: Knowledgeable Insider Questionnaire Appendix E: Dialect Mapping Appendix F: Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale References Preface This sociolinguistic survey of Gurung was conducted in partnership with the Linguistic Survey of Nepal (LinSuN), Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal. The data collection portion of this survey was carried out in the fall of 2014 in Kaski, Syangja, Lamjung, and Gorkha districts with additional assistance provided by speakers from Tanahun and Parbat districts. The purpose of this survey was to provide insight for future language-based development activities by gathering sociolinguistic information among Gurung speakers. Without the assistance of many individuals, this survey would not have been possible. My colleagues Stephanie Eichentopf and Jessica Mitchell provided invaluable assistance and consultation before and during fieldwork. Language survey consultants Holly Hilty and Loren Maggard offered their expertise in the analysis and editing of the final report. We are indebted to many Gurung people who accompanied us on village trips, assisted with data collection, and provided invaluable language help, counsel, and guidance. I especially thank the Yangjakot Tamu Samaj, the Gurung community house, for organizing a multi-district dialect mapping session in Pokhara and arranging for the creation of the story for the recorded text test. Additionally, I am grateful to the Himali Pariwar (Lamjung) and Parbat Tamu Samaj community houses in Pokhara for hosting further dialect mapping sessions. Most of all, I am grateful to the Gurung communities we visited where we were given warm welcomes, delicious food, enjoyable dance programs, and invaluable information. Those who helped us along the way with recording, translating, and answering our numerous questions are far too many to mention by name, but I hope this report accurately represents the input you gave and will aid you in the promotion and further development of the Gurung language. It is for you this survey was undertaken. While this report was being written, a devastating earthquake struck Nepal. I will never forget that sad day in the history of Nepal when so many lives were lost. Many Gurung speakers were affected with the loss of family members and friends and with the destruction of their homes and villages. One of the villages we visited in our survey, Ajirkot in Gorkha District, is in an area most severely affected. We grieve with them in this tragedy. It is with great sadness I dedicate this report in memory of Gurung people who lost their lives in the 2015 earthquake. May 2015 Janel Swenson Kathmandu, Nepal v vi प्र�ावना गु�ङ भाषाको समाज-भाषावै�ािनक सव��ण ित्रभुवन िव�िव�ालय, कीित�पुर काठमाडौं�ारा स�ािलत नेपालको भािषक सव��ण काय�क्रमसँगको सहकाय�मा स�� ग�रएको हो। सव��णका लािग सन् २०१४ (से�े�र-अ�ोबर) मा का�ी, �ाङ्जा, ल륍जुङ तथा गोखा� िज�ाका गु�ङ भाषा बोिलने �ेत्रबाट आव�क सामग्री स�लन ग�रएको िथयो। यस क्रममा तन�ँ तथा पव�त िज�ाका गु�ङ भाषाका व�ाह�सँग समेत आव�क सहयोग िलइएको िथयो। यस सव��णको उ�े� गु�ङ भाषा भाषी समुदायबाट समाजभाषावै�ािनक सामग्री स�लन तथा िव�ेषणबाट प्रा� िन�ष�का आधारमा भिव�मा स�ालन गन� सिकने भाषामा आधा�रत िवकासका काय�क्रमह�लाई अ���ि� प्रदान गनु� हो। यो सव��ण स�� गन� क्रममा धेरै ���ह�बाट िविभ� िकिसमको सहयोग प्रा� भएको छ। �ेत्रीय अ�यन काय� था쥍नु भ�ा अिघ तथा उ� काय� स�न ग�ररहँदा समेत मेरा सहकम� िमत्रह� �ेफनी आइके�ो�् र जेिसका िमचेल�ारा ब�मू� सरस�ाह तथा सहयोग प्रा�भएको िथयो। साथै, भाषा सव��ण परामश� दाताह� हली िह�ी तथा लोरेन �ागाड�को िव�ताबाट स�िलत सामग्रीको िव�ेषण तथा अ��म प्रितवेदनको स�ादनका क्रममा मह�पूण� सहयोग िमलेको छ। म प्रितवहाँह� हािद�क कृत�ता �� गद�छु। पोखरामा आयोिजत ब�-िज�ा भािषका-सीमा�न (dialect mapping) सत्रको �वथापन तथा पाठ परी�णका लािग कथा अिभलेखन (रेकिड�ङ) तथा अ� प्रब�का लािग याङ्जाकोट तमु समाजलाई म िवशेष ध�वाद िदन चाहꅍछु। यस बाहेक, भािषका-सीमा�नका अ� सत्रह� स�ालनका लािग सहयोग गन� िहमाली प�रवार (लमजुङ) तथा पव�त तमु समाज सामुदाियक गृह (पोखरा) प्रित म आभारी छु। म ती सबै गु�ङ प�रवारप्रित हािद�क कृत�ता �� गद�छु जसबाट हामीले �ानो �ागत, िमठािमठा खानेकुरा, मनै छुने खालका नाचगान काय�क्रम तथा ब�मू� सूचना प्रा� ग앍। यौं सव��णका क्रममा हामीलाई सामग्री स�लन, अनुवाद, प्र�ो�र, छलफल आिदका मा�ममबाट हामीलाई सहयोग गनु��ने सबैको नाम उ�ेख गन� यहाँ स�व नभए पिन यहाँह�ले गरेका सबै खाले सहयोगह�को झ�ो यस प्रितवेदनमा आउने छ र यस प्रितवेदनले गु�ङ भाषाको स���न तथा िवकासमा मदत गन� छ भ�ेमा म िव�� छु। यो सव��ण तपाईंह�कै लािग स�� ग�रएको हो भ�ेमा दुईमत छैन। यो प्रितवेदन प्रकाशनको अ��म चरणमा रहेकै बेला नेपालले िवनाशकारी महाभूक�को सामना गनु�पय�। यित धेरै जनधनको �ित भएको नेपालको इितहासको यो दु:खद िदन मेरा �ृितपटलमा सध� ताजा रिहरहने छ। भूक�का कारण गु�ङ समुदायका धेरै िमत्रह�ले समेत आ굍ना प�रवारका सद� तथा साथीभाइ गुमाउनु भयो। कैयौं घरबारिवहीन �नुभयो । सव��णका क्रममा हामी पुगेको गोखा� िज�ाको अिजरकोट गाउँ भूक�बाट सबैभ�ा बढी प्रभािवत �ेत्रम�े पद�छ। यस दु:खद �णमा हामी िदव�तह�प्रित श्र�ा�िल तथा समवेदना �� गद�छौं । अ�मा, सन् २०१५ को महाभूक�मा परी जीवन गुमाएका गु�ङ 1 समुदायका मािनसह�प्रित म यो प्रितवेदन समप�ण गद�छु।0 मई, २०१५ जानेल जे.