Doteli, or Dotyali (डोटेली) is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by about 495,000 people, most of whom live in Nepal. It is a dialect of Khas, which is an ancient form of the modern Nepali language, and is written in the Devanagari script. It has official status in Nepal as per Part 1, Section 6 of the Constitution of Nepal 2072 (2015).[2] There are four main dialects of Doteli, namely Baitadeli, Bajhangi Nepali, Darchuli and Doteli.[3] The mutual intelligibility between these dialects is high and all dialects of Doteli are able to share language-based materials.
| Doteli | |
|---|---|
| Dotyali | |
| डोटेली | |
 | |
| Native to | Nepal |
| Region | Doti (Sudurpashchim Province) and Karnali Province |
Native speakers | 500,000 in Nepal (2021 census)[1] |
| Devanagari script (Nepali alphabet) | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | dty |
| Glottolog | doty1234 |
Names of the language edit
The language is known by various names in the far–western region of Nepal, according to the districts.
| District | Terms used for language name |
|---|---|
| Kailali | Baitadeli, Bajhangi–Nepali |
| Kanchanpur | Baitadeli–Nepali, Pahadi, Nepali |
| Doti | Dotyali, Doteli |
| Dadeldhura | Dotyali, Dadeldhuri |
| Achham | Achhami, Achhami-Nepali |
| Baitadi | Baitadi, Baitadeli, Dotyali |
| Darchula | Darchuleli, Dotyali, Sauka |
| Bajhang | Bajhangi, Bajhangi–Nepali |
Official status edit
The Language Commission of Nepal has recommended Dotyali language as official language in Sudurpashchim Province.[4]
Origin and history edit
In Nepal, Doteli is considered a Nepali dialect. However, local intellectuals and people of Doti, those who speak Doteli, are increasingly demanding their language to be recognized as one of the national languages of Nepal.
References edit
- ^ Doteli at Ethnologue (27th ed., 2024)
- ^ "Constitution Bill of Nepal 2072" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-27. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
- ^ a b Eichentopf, Stephanie R. (2014). "A Sociolinguistic Study of Dotyali" (PDF). SIL International.
- ^ "सरकारी कामकाजको भाषाका आधारहरूको निर्धारण तथा भाषासम्बन्धी सिफारिसहरू (पञ्चवर्षीय प्रतिवेदन- साराांश) २०७८" (PDF). Language Commission. Language Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 September 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2021.
External links edit
