Sikkimese — also known as Sikkimese Tibetan, Bhutia, or by local names such as Dranjongke (Tibetan: འབྲས་ལྗོངས་སྐད་, Wylie: bras-ljongs-skad — "Rice Valley language"), Dranjoke, Denjongka, Denzongpeke, and Denzongke — is a Tibetic language spoken in parts of the eastern Himalaya. It is the traditional speech of the Bhutia community and belongs to the Tibetic branch of the Tibeto-Burman family.
Names and self-designation
Speakers commonly refer to the tongue as Dranjongke. The term Denzong (literally "Rice Valley") is used by the Sikkimese people to name their homeland; the language name derives from this place-name. Several English and local variants of the name coexist in academic and popular use.
Where it is spoken
The language is concentrated in the Indian state of Sikkim and is also found among communities across the northeast regions of Nepal. It functions as a community and household language for many Bhutia families in these areas.
Linguistic classification and features
Sikkimese is classified with the other Tibetic languages. It shares grammatical and lexical features with neighboring Tibetan varieties but has its own phonological and lexical developments. Like closely related varieties, it exhibits differences between colloquial speech and the registers used in religious and literary contexts.
Writing and registers
The language is traditionally written using the Tibetan script. Religious literature and formal written texts often draw on Classical Tibetan conventions, while everyday writing and orthographic practices reflect the local spoken forms.
Status and usage
- Sikkimese is used in homes, community events, and local cultural expressions among the Bhutia population.
- It coexists with other regional languages and with wider lingua francas in administration and education.
- Efforts to document and teach the language vary by area and community initiative.
For a general reference to the speech itself, see the entry on the language.