A Sociolinguistic Survey of Chamling: A Tibeto-Burman Language

This report presents a sociolinguistic survey of Chamling, a Kiranti (Tibeto-Burman) language spoken in eastern Nepal. The study was conducted as part of the Linguistic Survey of Nepal (LinSuN) with the aim of documenting the sociolinguistic profile, patterns of language use, and vitality status of Chamling within its speech community. Data were collected through household surveys, questionnaires, participant observation, and informal interviews with speakers of different age groups, genders, and social backgrounds. The findings show that Chamling continues to function as a marker of ethnic identity and is actively used in domestic and intra-community domains, particularly among older and middle-aged speakers. However, increased contact with Nepali and, to a lesser extent, English, has led to domain reduction, especially in education, administration, and intergenerational transmission. Younger speakers display varying degrees of bilingualism, with a noticeable shift toward Nepali in formal and public contexts. The report also discusses attitudes toward the Chamling language, revealing a strong sense of linguistic loyalty alongside growing pragmatic pressures favoring dominant languages. From a vitality perspective, Chamling may be classified as potentially endangered, as intergenerational transmission shows signs of weakening despite continued community use. The report highlights the importance of community-based documentation, awareness, and educational initiatives for the maintenance and revitalization of Chamling. By providing empirical sociolinguistic data, this study contributes to the broader understanding of Kiranti languages and supports ongoing efforts to document Nepal’s linguistic diversity.