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Tibetan Language Facts
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| Extinct: no |
| Family: Sino-Tibetan |
| Branch: Tibeto-Burman |
| Continent: Asia |
| Country: China |
| Region: Tibet, Sichuan, Qinghai. Also spoken in Bhutan, India, Nepal, Norway, Switzerland, Taiwan, USA. |
| Countries Where Spoken: 1,066,200 in China (1990 census), including 570,000 Dbus, 460,000 Gtsang, 40,000 Mngahris out of 4,593,000 in the official nationality. Population total all countries 1,254,000. Bhutan, India, Nepal. |
| Countries Where Official: China |
| Native Speakers: 1,066,200 |
| Speakers Total: 1,254,000 |
| Phrasebase members who speak this language at a native level: 2 |
| Phrasebase members who speak this language at a conversational level: 2 |
| Phrasebase members primary language they are trying to learn: 2 |
| Phrasebase members secondary language they are trying to learn: 24 |
| Three Letter Code: TIC |
| Alternative Names: WEI, WEIZANG, CENTRAL TIBETAN, BHOTIA, ZANG, PHOKE, DBUS, DBUSGTSANG, U |
| Dialects: |
| Summary: Drokba: do not know Chinese. Xifan (Hsifan) and Bhotia are general terms for Tibetan. One of the main official nationalities, called 'Zang' in China. Probably officially includes many separate languages: Atuence, Choni, Groma, Niarong, Lhomi, Panang, Sherpa, Tseku, Tinan Lahul, Khams. Nomads in central and northern Tibet in Phala on the 15,000 foot Chang Tang plateau are known as 'Drokba'. They number around 500,000 (National Geographic June 1989.752-781). Dictionary. SOV; 4 tones. Literacy rate in second language: 30%. Motivation is high. Written Tibetan is reported to be based on a southern dialect. 2 scripts are known: U-chan is a common script used by all, the other is a less-widely known and more priestly script. Agriculturalists, pastoralists: yak, sheep, goats; weavers, salt traders (Drokba). Lamaist Buddhism, some Muslim. Bible 1948. |
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