| Kochila Tharu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Native to | Nepal |
| Ethnicity | Tharu |
Native speakers | 258,000 in Nepal (2003)[1] |
| Dialects |
|
| Devanagari | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Tharuban ofNepal |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | thq |
| Glottolog | koch1247 |
Kochila Tharu also calledMorangiya,Saptari orSaptariya Tharu, Madhya-Purbiya Tharu, andMid-Eastern Tharu (मध्य-पूर्विया थारू), is a diverse group of language varieties within theTharu group of theIndo-Aryan languages.[2] The several names of the varieties refer to the regions where they dominate.[3] It is one of the largest subgroupings of Tharu.[4] It is spoken mainly in Nepal with approximately 250,000 speakers as of 2003.[5] In addition to language, cultural markers around attire and customs connect individuals into the ethnic identity Kochila. The Dutch linguist,George van Driem, described Kochila Tharu, as a dialect of theMaithili language and stated that its speakers have been heavily influenced by the culture ofMithila.[6]
Heavily concentrated in the EasternTerai of Nepal, speakers of Kochila Tharu live in linguistically diverse regions and are generally multilingual (except some elderly female speakers).[5][7] The language is widely utilized by all members of the community and coexists with the use ofNepali.
Kochila Tharu communities are not found in isolation, but live in districts intermixed with speakers of other languages. Kochila Tharu have superficial similarities with neighbouring languages such asBhojpuri,Maithili,Bengali andRajbanshi due to their proximity with these various ethnicities depending upon the districts that they are present.[7]
A 2013 survey bySIL International found that the language was being taught to children as their first language and used conversationally between multiple generations of speakers, characteristics of a "vigorous" language as defined byEthnologue Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale (EGIDS).[3][7]
Tharu Bhasa Sahitya Kendra is a group dedicated to promoting Kochila Tharu language.[8]
There are 3 main dialects of Kochila Tharu spoken throughout mid-central and eastern Nepal which are into the following varieties due to their intelligibility:[7]
Western Kochila: 65,000 speakers in Mid eastern Nepal
Central Kochila (Saptari or Saptariya Tharu): 140,000 speakers in Eastern Nepal
Eastern Kochila (Morangiya Tharu): 160,000 speakers in Eastern Nepal
The lexical similarity percentages among the three Kochila Tharu varieties show that the lexical similarity percentages vary from 65% to 73%. Lexical similarity follows a geographic pattern of the central variety having similar results for the eastern and western varieties, while the similarity percentage between the eastern and western varieties is slightly lower.[7]
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