The Mysterious Sikkimese Language Nobody Talks About

[00:00:05]Hello. My name is Andy.

[00:00:08]How are you? Let's talk [music] about the Sikkimese language.

[00:00:16]Sikkimese, also known as Denjongke, Lhoke, or Bhutia, is a Southern Tibetic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family.

[00:00:26]It is predominantly spoken in the Indian states of Sikkim, >> [music] >> as well as in parts of the neighboring Darjeeling and Kalimpong districts in West Bengal. Sikkimese shares strong linguistic similarities with other Tibetic languages, particularly Dzongkha, the language of Bhutan, Tromowa, the language of Chumbi Valley in Tibet, and Standard Tibetan.

[00:00:49]According to varying census data and linguistic estimates, there are approximately 30,000 to 70,000 speakers of the language today.

[00:01:00]The language is considered threatened, as many members of the younger generation increasingly prefer to use Nepali or English over Sikkimese.

[00:01:09]Sikkimese features a few regional variations among different clans.

[00:01:14]Sikkimese is written in the Tibetan Sambhota script with a few peculiarities, including word spacing, that is usually absent in Standard Tibetan, and the use of a diacritic called a Talek that modifies the sounds of certain letters. For example, ja, with the use of a Talek, is [music] pronounced pya.

[00:01:37]Sikkimese is spoken by the Lepcha or the Bhutia people, who call themselves Denjongpa, meaning people of the Sikkim, who trace their ancestry to migrants who traveled from the Kham province of Tibet to Sikkim beginning in the 13th and 14th centuries. The Bhutias are primarily involved in agriculture. The majority of the Bhutia people follows Vajrayana Buddhism, specifically the Nyingma and Kagyu schools, which incorporates older indigenous Bon influences. The Bhutias share a close-knit bonds with the Lepchas, the autochthons of the Sikkim Himalayas, and share many festivals with them. Most notably, Pang Lhabsol and Losoong or Namsoong, which is the main festival celebrated by the Bhutia community. Losoong takes place in December and serves as both the Sikkimese New Year and a harvest festival.

[00:02:35]The traditional attire worn by the Bhutias is called a Bakhu for men and a Muku for women. Traditional arts and crafts include Thanka paintings, carpet weaving, and many Bhutia women have also been involved in producing the Lepcha textile or Takro. Traditional food includes Khabze or fried snacks, Khuriku or buckwheat rolls, Kinsoong Gyatso or corn meal, and Gyari or pork. In the next part, let's listen to the beautiful sounds of their language.

[00:03:10]The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

[00:03:26]Numbers.

[00:03:41]Greetings and phrases.

[00:03:47]>> [music] >> vocabulary >> Ma.

[00:04:33]Che.

[00:04:34]Ra.

[00:04:35]Tenge.

[00:04:36]Ko.

[00:04:37]Kong.

[00:04:38]Mo.

[00:04:39]Kong.

[00:04:40]Di.

[00:04:41]Ma cha.

[00:04:43]Ku cha. Tenge zu.

[00:04:45]Kong zu.

[00:04:46]Di.

[00:04:47]Odi.

[00:04:48]Dika.

[00:04:49]Ona.

[00:04:50]Apa.

[00:04:51]Pala.

[00:04:52]Ama.

[00:04:53]Amla.

[00:04:55]Ajo.

[00:04:56]Anyo.

[00:04:57]Ana.

[00:04:58]Achu.

[00:04:59]Agya.

[00:05:00]Aji.

[00:05:01]Ai.

[00:05:02]Pu.

[00:05:03]Se.

[00:05:04]Kum.

[00:05:05]Sem.

[00:05:06]Mi.

[00:05:07]Po.

[00:05:09]Mo.

[00:05:10]Ro.

[00:05:11]Togo.

[00:05:12]Lopen.

[00:05:13]Lokchu.

[00:05:14]Mig. Chen.

[00:05:16]Namjo.

[00:05:17]Nyen.

[00:05:19]Nagu.

[00:05:20]Shang.

[00:05:21]Ka.

[00:05:22]Shel.

[00:05:23]So.

[00:05:24]Sem.

[00:05:25]Go. Bu.

[00:05:27]Gya.

[00:05:28]Uja.

[00:05:30]Kado. She. Sako.

[00:05:33]Cha.

[00:05:34]Kangbo. Shab. Ki.

[00:05:37]Ali.

[00:05:38]Pago.

[00:05:39]Pa.

[00:05:40]Luk.

[00:05:42]Dabo.

[00:05:43]Piji. Pya.

[00:05:45]Pyem.

[00:05:46]Nya. Mindo. Shing.

[00:05:49]Shi.

[00:06:33]>> Sample text.

[00:06:53]>> [music] [music] [music]