Tsum language explained

Tsum
Also Known As:	Tsumke
Region:	Nepal
Date:	2000 census
Ref:	e25
Familycolor:	Sino-Tibetan
Fam2:	Tibeto-Kanauri ?
Fam3:	Bodish
Fam4:	Tibetic
Fam5:	Kyirong–Kagate
Iso3:	ttz
Glotto:	tsum1240
Glottorefname:	Tsum

Tsum is a language from the subgroup of Tibetic languages^[1] spoken by the Tsum people primarily in the Tsum Valley of the Gorka District of Nepal. The language is also known as Tsumke.^[2]

Speakers

There are over 4000 speakers of Tsum, known as Tsumpas.^[3] Many speakers of the language have migrated away from the Tsum valley, and now live in Kathmandu and abroad. Younger Tsumpas are more likely to be educated in Nepali and English, leading to attrition of the language.

Language structure

Tsum has a two-tone language system.

Relationship to other languages

There is a varying degree of mutual intelligibility between Tsum and other Kyirong-Yolmo varieties. It is most closely related to Nubri and Gyalsumdo, and more distantly related to other languages in the family.^[4]

Sources

• Dhakal, Dubi Nanda & Mark Donohue. 2015. Inchoative/causative verb pairs in Tsum. Nepalese Linguistics 30. 45-49.
• Donohue, Mark & Dubi Nanda Dhakal. 2016. A Tsum Lexicon. (Languages of the World/Dictionaries, 61.) München: LINCOM. 197pp.
• Liu, Naijing. 2015. Tsum tone: a challenge for typology and phonological description. (MA thesis, Australian National University).
• Webster, Jeff. 1992. A Socio-linguistic Survey of the Tibeto-Burman Dialects of North Gorkha District, Nepal. Ms.

Notes and References

1. N. Tournadre (2005) "L'aire linguistique tibétaine et ses divers dialectes." Lalies, 2005, n°25, p. 7–56 http://tournadre.nicolas.free.fr/fichiers/2005-aire.pdf
2. Book: Mark Donohue and Dubi Nanda Dhakal. A Tsum Lexicon. LINCOM. 2016. 9783862886821. München. ii.
3. Book: Webster, Jeff. A Socio-linguistic Survey of the Tibeto-Burman Dialects of North Gorkha District. ms, SIL. 1992.
4. Gawne. Lauren. 2013. Report on the relationship between Yolmo and Kagate. Himalayan Linguistics. 12. 1-27.