The People’s Linguistics Survey of India tries to give an idea of the extant and dying languages of India. It is the outcome of a nationwide survey of languages that has been documented by linguists, writers, social activists, and members of different speech communities.

The given volume offers a detailed discussion about the languages spoken in the culturally and linguistically rich state of Sikkim. Its geographical location has allowed it to be influenced by the languages of Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan and West Bengal. This in turn has impacted the languages of the state too. Folktales, folk songs, origin myths and vocabulary lists are provided to help the reader have a better understanding of the linguistic scenario of the state. The volume examines grammatical features and also the number of speakers of each language, with data taken from actual field work.

G. N. Devy is the chief editor of the PLSI series. He taught at the Maharaja Sayajirao University, Baroda, till 1996 before leaving to set up the Bhasha Research Centre in Baroda and the Adivasi Akademi at Tejgadh. There, he worked towards conserving and promoting the languages and culture of indigenous and nomadic communities. Apart from being awarded the Padma Shree, he has received many awards for his work in literature and language conservation.

Balaram Pandey has been working on the languages of Sikkim and Nepal for the last twenty years. He is associated with many projects of CIIL Mysore, Sikkim Akademi, and Nepali Sahitya Parishad (Sikkim). His articles and research papers have been published in books and in national and international journals. He has also contributed towards the preparation of the Nepali Style Manual. His interests include folklore, literary criticism, sociolinguistics and history and culture of Northeast India.

The People’s Linguistic Survey of India
The National Editorial Collective
List of Volumes
Acknowledgements
Foreword
A Nation Proud of Its Language Diversity: Chief Editor’s Introduction
Introduction to the Volume
Contributors to the Volume
Appeal to Readers
List of Languages Covered in this Volume
Abbreviations

PART I SCHEDULED LANGUAGE

1. Nepali

PART II NON-SCHEDULED LANGUAGES

16. Tibetan

Index