Tharu
थारु, थरुवा, थरुहट
Regions in Nepal and India with significant Tharu population
Native toNepal, India
EthnicityTharu (incl. Bhoksa)
Native speakers
1.71 million in Nepal (2021 census)[1][2]
370,000 or more in India (1997–2007)[2]
Devanagari
Official status
Official language in
   Nepal
Language codes
ISO 639-3Variously:
thl – Dangaura Tharu
tkt – Kathariya Tharu
thr – Rana Tharu
the – Chitwania Tharu
thq – Kochila Tharu
tkb – Buksa Tharu
soi – Sonha
Glottologthar1284

The Tharu (Tharu: थारु, Hindi: थरुवा) or Tharuhat (Nepali: थरुहट) languages are any of the Indo-Aryan languages spoken by the Tharu people of the Terai region in Nepal, and neighboring regions of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in India.[3][4]

Tharu languages are spoken in the Tharu community. These languages are similar to other neighboring languages. Tharu language is one of the major language spoken in Nepal.[5]

Although their own precise classification within Indo-Aryan remains uncertain, Tharu languages have superficial similarities with neighbouring languages such as Kumaoni, Awadhi, Maithili, Bengali, Rajbanshi and Bhojpuri. The lexicon of certain Tharu households is indicative of an archaic, 'indigenous' substratum, potentially predating both Sino-Tibetan or Indo-Aryan settlement. Tharu languages appear to be transitional within the context of Indo-Aryan.[6]

Chitwania Tharu is spoken by approximately 250,000 speakers east of the Gandaki River, in and around the Chitwan Valley. Chitwania, as a whole, has superficial similarities with Awadhi. Nevertheless, certain Chitwania variants appear to have considerable lexical similarities with Manchad, a Sino-Tibetan language.[7]

Dangaura and Kathariya Tharu are mutually-intelligible Tharu variants spoken west of the Gandaki River, by approximately 1.3 million people.[8][9]Furthermore, an additional variant of Tharu, known as Sonha, is largely mutually intelligible with Dangaura.[10]

Rana Tharu and Buksa are mutually-intelligible Tharu variants spoken by approximately 250,000 people west of Karnali river and in the Indian states of Uttrakahand and Uttar Pradesh. It sounds similar to Western Hindi and Awadhi.[11] The Nepal Charter dated 18 May 2020 lists Rana Tharus as a distinct ethnic group and their language as a distinct language.[12]

Kochila, a diverse Tharu variant, is also spoken by approximately 250,000 people, in regions of eastern Nepal. Kochila Tharu communities are not found in isolation, but live in districts intermixed with speakers of other languages. “In contrast with western Terai where the Tharus are the only and dominant ethnic minority, the eastern – especially the far eastern – Terai is inhabited by several ethnic groups with very different linguistic affiliation”. Many ethnic Kochila have adopted Maithili.[13]

Official Status

Tharu language is the fourth most commonly spoken language of Nepal accounting for 5.88% of total population of Nepal as per the 2021 census.[14][15]The Language Commission of Nepal has recommended Tharu be made an official administrative language in Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Province.[16][17][18]The commission has also recommended Tharu be made the additional official language of Bagmati, Koshi, Madhesh, Gandaki and Karnali province for specific regions and purposes in the province. [19]

Geographical distribution

Tharu communities in different parts of Nepal and India do not share the same language.

Nepal

In Nepal Tharu language is spoken throughout the Terai region from the east to the west in following districts:[15]

With an increase in internal migrants and international emigration Tharu-speaking people have emerged in every district of Nepal and various countries such as the US and Australia.[20]

India

In India Tharu language is spoken in border side areas of Nepal. In the state of Uttrakhand it is spoken in the district of Udham Singh Nagar.[21] In Bihar it is spoken in East Champaran and West Champaran districts.[22] In Uttar Pradesh it is spoken in Lakhimpur Kheri, Balrampur, Shravasti, Gorakhpur, Basti, Bahraich and Gonda districts.[4]

Phonology

The following consists mostly of the Daungara and Rana dialects:

Consonants

Labial Dental/
Alveolar		 Retroflex Post-alv./
Palatal		 Velar Glottal
Stop/
Affricate		 voiceless p t ʈ tʃ k
aspirated pʰ tʰ ʈʰ tʃʰ kʰ
voiced b d ɖ dʒ ɡ
breathy bʱ dʱ ɖʱ dʒʱ ɡʱ
Nasal voiced m n (ɲ) ŋ
breathy m̤ n̤ ŋ̈
Fricative s h
Tap voiced ɾ
breathy ɾ̤
Trill voiced (r)
breathy (r̤)
Lateral voiced l
breathy l̤
Approximant w j
  • /n/ can be heard as a palatal [ɲ] when preceding a palatal affricate.
  • /ɾ, ɾ̤/ may be in free variation with trill sounds [r, r̤] in the Rana dialect.
  • Palato-alveolar affricate sounds /tʃ, tʃʰ, dʒ, dʒʱ/ are heard as alveolar affricate sounds [ts, tsʰ, dz, dzʱ] in the Rana dialect.[23]

Vowels

Front Central Back
High i u
Mid e ə o
Low a
Diphthong əi əu
  • Nasalization also occurs as /ĩ, ũ, ẽ, ə̃, õ, ã/.
  • Vowels /i, u, e, a/ are heard as [ɪ, ʊ, ɛ, ɑ] when in lax form.
  • /ə/ is heard as [ɐ] when preceding or following velar or glottal consonants.
  • /a/ can be heard as [æ] when following /j/ or as [ɒ] when following /w/.[24]

References

  1. ↑ National Statistics Office (2021). National Population and Housing Census 2021, mother tongue Report. Government of Nepal (Report).
  2. 1 2 Dangaura Tharu at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Kathariya Tharu at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Rana Tharu at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Chitwania Tharu at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Kochila Tharu at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    Buksa Tharu at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
    (Additional references under 'Language codes' in the information box)
  3. ↑ Office of the Registrar General, India (2001). "Uttaranchal. Data Highlights: The Scheduled Tribes. Census of India 2001" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-03-16.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. 1 2 Office of the Registrar General, India (2001). "Uttar Pradesh. Data Highlights: The Scheduled Tribes. Census of India 2001" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Guneratne, Arjun (2002). Many Tongues, One People: The Making of Tharu Identity in Nepal. Cornell University Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-8728-6.
  6. ↑ The Indo-Aryans of Ancient South Asia: Language, Material Culture and Ethnicity
  7. ↑ George van Driem, 2007, "Endangered languages of South Asia", in Matthias Brenzinger, Mouton de Gruyter
  8. ↑ Linguistic Survey of Nepal (LinSuN) Central Department of Linguistics Tribhuvan University. "Dangaura Tharu language" (PDF).
  9. ↑ "Copula Construction in Kathariya Tharu".
  10. ↑ Chaudhary, Anil Dutta. "Phonological study of the Sonaha language".
  11. ↑ Dhakal, Dubi Nanda. "Notes on Rana Tharu language".
  12. ↑ @therecord. "Five misconceptions about Rana Tharus - The Record". www.recordnepal.com. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  13. ↑ Linguistic Survey of Nepal (LinSuN) Central Department of Linguistics Tribhuvan University, Nepal and SIL International 2013. "A Sociolinguistic Study of Kochila Tharu in Southeast Nepal" (PDF).{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ "Nepal languages". Retrieved 15 Dec 2023.
  15. 1 2 "caste-ethnicity-report | national_population and housing_census_year results". censusnepal.cbs.gov.np. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  16. ↑ ""सरकारी कामकाजको भाषाका आधारहरूको निर्धारण तथा भाषासम्बन्धी सिफारिसहरू (पञ्चवर्षीय प्रतिवेदन- साराांश) २०७८" Language Commission (in Nepali)". languagecommission.gov.np. Archived (PDF) from the original on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  17. ↑ "Native language teaching fails to impress Tharu community". kathmandupost.com. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  18. ↑ "Ghorahi to start classes in Tharu language". english.ratopati.com (in Nepali). Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  19. ↑ "सरकारी कामकाजको भाषाका आधारहरूको निर्धारण तथा भाषासम्बन्धी सिफारिसहरू (पञ्चवर्षीय प्रतिवेदन- साराांश) २०७८" (PDF). Language Commission (in Nepali). Language Commission of Nepal. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  20. ↑ "Nepali Tharu community is all set to celebrate maghi festival for the first time in Australia". SBS Language. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  21. ↑ "Table C-16 Population by Mother Tongue: Uttarakhand". www.censusindia.gov.in. Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India.
  22. ↑ PTI (2022-06-12). "Bihar: Tharu and Surjapuri languages facing extinction". ThePrint. Retrieved 2023-12-15.
  23. ↑ Dhakal, Dubi Nanda. Notes on Rana Tharu Grammar Notes.
  24. ↑ Boehm, Edward D. (2003). A Descriptive Phonology of Dangaura Tharu.
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