official language of sikkim Archives

Languages and Literature of Sikkim

Today, all the main languages spoken in Sikkim have been given the status of a “State language”.
Notably, Bhutia, Lepcha and Limboo languages have been included in college curricula, while other languages, such as Rai, Gurung, Pradhan (Newar), Mangar and Tamang, are taught till the secondary school level.
Financial help is directly given to different communities to promote research in their respective languages
Sikkim is inhabited by over twenty ethnic communities, each unique in their tradition, customary practices, language and attire.
The outstanding beauty of these people living in harmony and sharing in amity each other’s cultures, ethos and traditions is a colourful mosaic of Sikkimese society

Bhutia People Language of Sikkim

Bhutias are divided into two groups – Tongdu-ruzhi with four clans and Bebtsengyed with eight clans, though there are a number of other sub castes.
They speak and write in the Bhutia language which is also called Lhokey although their script, language, religion, dress and ornaments have semblance with the Tibetans.
The Bhutia language, a long with the Lepcha and Limboo languages are taught in Sikkim till t he univer ity level.

Lepcha People Language of Sikkim

They have their own language, known as ‘Rongring’, with its script, ‘Mutanchi Rong Aming’.
The State Government has accorded official status to the language, along with the Bhutia and Limboo languages.
Since the year 2000 it has been taught in schools and colleges in Sikkim and from 2016 it has been taught at the university level.

Bhujels People Language of Sikkim

They have their own language, called Puhgal Gnur which is a part of the Tibeto-Burman sub-family and Sino Tibetan family of languages.
Some o f them converse in their own language .

Gurungs People Language of Sikkim

Gurungs have their own language, Tamu Kye and script, Khema.
The Gurung language (along with six others) was given official status in 1995 by Chief Minister Pawan Chamling, and is being taught in selected Government schools up to the secondary level.
Text books, magazines and dictionaries have also been published in Tamu Kye.
Since 2001, the Gurung edition of the Sikkim Government weekly newspaper, the Sikkim Herald, is also being taken out.

Jirels People Language of Sikkim

Jirels are known to have an ethnic and linguistic semblance with the Sherpas and Central Tibetan tribes.
Their language, like the Sunuwar language, is also a part of the Kanauri branch of Tibeto-Burman.

Kagatey People Language of Sikkim

The community is divided into several sub-groups like Dongba, Sarpa, Shyangba, Lama and Chyaba.
They speak in Kagate, a language of the Kyirong-Kagate language sub-group of the Sino-Tibetan language family, which has similarities with languages of Yolmo, Sherpa and Bhutia

Majhis People Language of Sikkim

Majhis converse in their own language but have no script of their own.
They are dark brown in complexion, medium in height and well built, and have classic Mongoloid features

Mangar People Language of Sikkim

They have their own language, belonging to the Tibeto-Burman family, and also have their own script, ‘Akkharika’.
In 1995, the State Government recognized this language as one of the State languages of Sikkim along with the Rai, Gurung, Tamang, Sherpa, Newar and Sunuwar languages.
The teaching of the Mangar language is being introduced in schools that have the greatest number of Mangar students

Newars People Language of Sikkim

The Newars have their own language.
They used to have a number of scripts as well but in Sikkim the “Prachalit” script is the one in use.
The “Ranjana” script is used in Buddhist Monasteries and the Tantric Kutaktshar Mantra of Buddhists consists of seven letters of Ranjana script.
The Newar language has been declared an Official Language of Sikkim in 1995 and has been introduced in selected Government schools’ curricula from the year 2002.

Rai People Language of Sikkim

The Rai or Kirat Khambu Rai community is one of Sikkim’s major indigenous ethnic communities and has been living in Sikkim from ages past.
Their language and script, which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family of languages, was recognised as one of the official languages of Sikkim with effect from 31 March, 1995 vide the Languages (Amendment) Act, 1995, and published in the Sikkim Government Extraordinar y Gazette No. 76 dated 21 April, 1995.
This language has, since the year 2002, been taught in various Government schools in Sikkim.

Sherpas People Language of Sikkim

They have their own dialect, which belongs to the Tibeto-Burman languages, and they use the Sambhota script as a medium of writing books in their language.
The Government of Sikkim granted official status to the Sherpa language in 1995 along with other languages and the language is being taught in selected Government schools up to the secondary level.
The Sikkim Herald – the official newspaper of the Sikkim Government – Sherpa edition started publication in the year 2001 and has since been in print on a weekly basis

Sunuwar People Language of Sikkim

Mongoloid in appearance, they speak both in Nepali and Koinchlo, which originates from the Sino-Tibeto-Burman family of languages.
Their script is believed to be of ancient origin and possesses only six vowels and twentyfour consonants.
Koinchlo was recognised by the Sikkim Government under the Sikkim Official Languages Act, 1977, and is being taught in Government schools till Class V.
Since 2001, the Sikkim Government weekly newspaper, Sikkim Herald (Sukhim Neskutek) is also being produced in the Koinch language.

Yolomo People Language of Sikkim

Theys peak the Yolmo language o f the Kyiron g-Ka gate branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family, which has a similarity to the Kagatey, Sherpa and Tibetan languages.
They use the Sambhoti (Tibetan) script, though modern academics pre fer to use the Devana gari scri pt as well.

Thakuri People Language of Sikkim

They speak and write Nepali, using the Devanagari script.
But their spoken language is markedly different from that of common Nepali.
For instance, Thakuris use the word ‘darshan’, instead of ‘namaste’ or ‘namaskar’.
Claiming to have belonged to Rajgharana, they also use a respectable dialect of Nepali like “maiya sahiba”, “babu sahib,” “yuraj,” dulahi rani,” “muma hajur,” “buba hajur”, “khaisyo”, “laisyo” etc.