Limbu language

Limbu
Yakthuṅ pan
ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ ᤐᤠᤴ
yakthuṅ pan written in Limbu Script
Native to	Sikkim and Eastern Nepal
Region	Nepal; significant communities in Bhutan; Sikkim and Darjeeling district of India
Ethnicity	Limbu
Native speakers	410,000 (2011–2021 censuses)[1]
Language family	Sino-Tibetan Tibeto-Burman Mahakiranti (?) Kiranti Limbu
Dialects	Phedape Chhathare Panthare Tambarkhole
Writing system	Limbu script Roman script
Official status
Official language in	Nepal Koshi Province India Sikkim (additional)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	lif
Glottolog	limb1266
ELP	Limbu

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Limbu (Limbu: ᤕᤠᤰᤌᤢᤱ ᤐᤠᤴ, yakthuṅ pan) is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Limbu people of Nepal and Northeastern India (particularly Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim, Assam and Nagaland) as well as expatriate communities in Bhutan. The Limbu refer to themselves as Yakthung and their language as Yakthungpan. Yakthungpan has four main dialects: Phedape, Chhathare, Tambarkhole and Panthare dialects.^[2]

Among four dialects, the Phedape dialect is widely spoken and well understood by most Yakthungpan speakers. However, as there are some dominant Panthare scholars who have role to create knowledge and control knowledge in the Limbu communities, Panthare dialect is being popularised as a "standard" Limbu language. As Panthare Yakthungs are much more engaged in central political position and administrative positions, they are trying to introduce Panthare dialect as a Standard Yakthungpan.

Yakthungpan (Limbu language) is one of the major languages spoken and written in Nepal, Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim, and Bhutan. Linguists have reached the conclusion that Yakthungpan resembles Tibetan and Lepcha.

Before the introduction of the Sirijanga script among Limbu Kirats, the Róng script was popular in east Nepal, especially in the early Maurong state. The Sirijanga script had almost disappeared for 800 years and it was brought back into use by Limbu scholar Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe of Tellok Sinam Limbuwan present day Nepal. The Limbu script is called 'Sirijanga' after the Limbu culture- hero Te-ongsi Sirijunga Xin Thebe, who is credited with its invention.^[3]