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Nepali - Nepalese Resources

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Speakeasy
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 4053 days ago

507 posts - 1098 votes 
Studies: German

 
 Message 1 of 4
05 May 2020 at 7:17pm | IP Logged 
FOR REPOSTING TO THE “A LANGUAGE LEARNERS’ FORUM” (LLORG)
During the period from February 2020 through May 2020, I conducted a complete revision to the twenty-eight (28) lists of resources which I had posted on the LLORG during the previous three-year period. As revising these types of documents directly on the LLORG in the “Edit Mode” is fraught with difficulties, I removed their contents from the LLORG, stored them on my computer, and completed the revisions. During the revision process an event occurred which prevented me from reposting the contents to their original files and, as a contingency measure, I have posted them here on the HTLAL in the anticipation that either the Administrator or the Moderators of the LLORG will copy/paste them to the LLORG. - Speakeasy

1. INTRODUCTION

Nepal
Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located mainly in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. With an estimated population of 26.4 million, it is 48th largest country by population; it is the 93rd largest country by area. It borders China in the north and India in the south, east and west while Bangladesh is located within only 27 km (17 mi) of its southeastern tip and Bhutan is separated from it by the Indian state of Sikkim. Nepal has a diverse geography, including fertile plains, subalpine forested hills, and eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Kathmandu is the capital and the largest city. Nepal is a multiethnic country with Nepali as the official language. -- Source: Wikipedia

Languages of Nepal
The 2011 National census lists 123 Nepalese languages spoken as a mother tongue in Nepal. Most belong to the Indo-Aryan and Sino-Tibetan language families. The official language of Nepal is Nepali, formerly called Khas-Kura then Gorkhali. According to the 2011 national census, the percentage of Nepali speaking people is about 44.6%. Maithili is the second most spoken language in Nepal at 11.67%. Most of the languages are written using the Devanagari script including indigenous languages. -- Source: Wikipedia

Nepali Language
Nepali, also known as Nepalese, is an Indo-Aryan language of the sub-branch of Eastern Pahari. It is the official language of Nepal and one of the 22 scheduled languages of India. Also known by the endonym Khas kura (Devanagari: खस कुरा), the language is also called Gorkhali or Parbatiya in some contexts. It is spoken mainly in Nepal and by about a quarter of the population in Bhutan. In India, Nepali has official status in the state of Sikkim, and significant number of speakers in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Uttarakhand and West Bengal's Darjeeling district and Kalimpong. It is also spoken in Burma and by the Nepali diaspora worldwide.

Nepali developed in proximity to a number of Indo-Aryan languages, most notably the other Pahari languages and Maithili, and shows Sanskrit influence. However, owing to Nepal's location, it has also been influenced by Tibeto-Burman languages. Nepali is mainly differentiated from Central Pahari, both in grammar and vocabulary, by Tibeto-Burman idioms owing to close contact with this language group. Historically, the language was called Khas Speech (Khas Kurā) Initially spoken by Khas people of Karnali Region and Gorkhali (language of the Gorkha Kingdom) before the term Nepali was adopted. The origin of modern Nepali language is believed to be from Sinja valley of Jumla. Therefore, the Nepali dialect “Khas Bhasa” is still spoken among the people of the region. -- Source: Wikipedia

Study Group, Members’ Logs

Nepali Study Group - LLORG - September 2019 to the present
     
electronicmonk's Nepali language log - LLORG - April 2019 to the present
     
Jim’s Nepali log - LLORG - September 2019 to the present
     
2. NEPALI RESOURCES: LEGACY

Nepali Courses, Supplements, etc.

Basic Course in Spoken Nepali (1974, 1988, 1999), 286 pages, by Tika B. Karki and Chij K. Shrestha; Several Publishers
Introduced in 1974 and revised a number of times, this basic course in spoken Nepali appears to have been once quite popular. Reprints can still be found at reasonable prices. No mention of audio recordings.

Colloquial Nepali (1950, reprinted 2007), 132 pages, by G.G. Rogers; Asian Educational Services
This book is NOT associated with the Routledge Colloquial series of self-instructional language courses. it is a reprint of a of another course by the same name from 1950. Only one Amazon review (deploring the contents of the course as well as and the physical condition of the book).   

Course in Nepali (1992, revised 1998, reprinted 2013 as a Kindle edition) 356 pages, by David Matthews; South Asia Books
A traditional approach to language instruction: grammar plus reading/writing/speaking exercises. The book is still in print. AUDIO recordings exist as: 5 x C60 audio cassettes (as advised by aravinda, avec mes remerciements!). Amazon customers have been quite supportive of the reprinted editions. However, Kindle users should be aware that the electronic reproduction has been unsuccessful.

DLI Nepali Basic (1960s – 1970s) – NONE

FSI Nepali Basic (1960s): AUDIO recordings (waiting to be transcribed)
Audio-lingual course from the 1960s. The Yojik and Live Lingua websites host the AUDIO recordings. As of this writing, the course manual is not available. Perhaps an Intermediate Level student of the language, or a native speaker, will volunteer to transcribe the recordings, provide an English translation, and submit these for hosting on the Yojik website?

Linguaphone Nepali - NONE
     
Nepali Newspaper Reader (1984) 274 pages, by Champa Jarmul et al.; Dunwoody Press
Nepali Newspaper Reader (1984) with (3) AUDIO cassettes
Out-of-print. However, a few copies are still available on the internet. The website of Multilingual Books offers a set comprising the reader plus three C90 AUDIO cassettes.

Nepali Self-Taught (2nd ed., 1985) 208 pages, by Yubaraj S Pradhan; Educational Enterprises
Of historical note only.

Spoken Nepali/Nepalese (1940s, 1970s); Linguistic Society of America / Spoken Language Services - NONE

U.S. Peace Corps Nepali Supplements (1962) 92 pages, by anon.
U.S. Peace Corps Lessons in Nepali (1965) 298 pages, by Joseph Connors et al
The first of the two courses was a cursory phrasebook-style language guide. The second of the two was somewhat similar to a standard introductory course. No audio recordings.

3. NEPALI RESOURCES: CURRENT

Nepali Courses, Supplements, etc.

Assimil le népali sans peine - NONE

Colloquial Nepali by Routledge – NONE
     
Complete Nepali (1st ed. 2010) ,448 pages, by Michael Hutt, Abhi Subedi; Teach Yourself Books
Staple CEFR A1 course. Amazon reviews are quite positive.

Course in Nepali (2016), 356 pages, by David Matthews; Routledge
Possibly conceived for classroom use. Heavy on grammar. Probably CEFR A2-B1. No mention of audio recordings. Two very positive Amazon reviews. One negative review for the Kindle version.

DLI GLOSS Nepali – NONE

DLI Nepali Headstart2 – NONE
          
Intensive Course in Nepali (2011) 547 pages, by Syamala Kumari B & Gokul Sinha; Central Institute of Indian Languages

Introduction to Basic Nepali Language (4th ed. 2013), 142 pages, by Sushila Shrestha; Share Nepal, Kathmandu
Editor’s description implies a well-rounded CEFR A1 course. Includes one AUDIO CD and a one hour Skype Lesson. Amazon customers are generally quite positive. Nevertheless, there are dissenting voices.

Nepali: A Beginner's Primer Conversation and Grammar (3rd ed., 2004) 225 pages
Nepali: A Beginner's Primer Conversation and Grammar (3rd ed., 2004) – PDF version
Nepali: A Beginner's Primer Conversation and Grammar (3rd ed., 2004) – ONLINE version
By Banu Oja and Shambhu Oja; published by Cornell University Press. Basic course in spoken Nepali. AUDIO recordings were prepared to accompany the course book. UPDATES:
Daristani wrote:
The audio to the Cornell University book "Nepali: A Beginner's Primer Conversation and Grammar" can, at least currently, be downloaded here: https://travelandcommunication.com/nepali-language-learning- pack-updated-library/02%20Nepali%20A%20Beginner's%20Primer%2 0Conversation%20and%20Grammar%20Audio.rar
Pinecone wrote:
It appears Cornell University's Nepali: A Beginner's Primer Conversation and Grammar course was at one time posted publicly in web page format on their website. This web based version includes the audio and is available through the Internet Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20170927171220/http://lrc.cornel l.edu/nepali/online/


Nepali in Context: A Topical Approach (4th ed., 2006, 2018), 490 pages, by D.Watters and N.Rajbhandary; Vajra Books and Publications
A listing on eBay, along with a separate offer for the accompanying AUDIO CD states that this course leads to CEFR B1. Amazon customer reviews are, for the most part, quite positive. Nevertheless, there seems to be some confusion as to whether or not all editions include the CD. The publisher’s website returned an error.
     
NFLC Nepali – University of Maryland – NONE

Parlons Népali (1996), 280 pages, by Jacques Chazaud, Evelyne Chazot; Editions L'Harmattan
Parlons Népali – AUDIO CD
Available in FRENCH only. CEFR A2. The book is available in printed format and as a PDF from the publisher. An AUDIO CD is available for separate purchase. Fairly popular amongst Amazon.FR customers.
     
Practical Nepali: Learning Nepali the Easy Way (circa 2013), 524 pages, by Virginia Dixon; Vivid Publishing
Standard CEFR A2 course. No mention of audio recordings. Amazon customer reviews are generally quite positive, but warrant close reading.
     
Nepali Phrasebooks, Language Guides, etc.

DLI Nepali Language Survival Kit
Concise phrasebook. Downloadable PDFs and MP3s.

Introductory Spoken Nepali (online) by Yasoda Suvedi; University of Michigan
Appears to be a phrasebook or language guide. It is possible that it was created to support a more expanded course offered at the university.

Kauderwelsch Nepali, by Hans G Voßmann et al.; Reise Know-How
Kauderwelsch-Sprachführer: Nepali - Wort für Wort (11th ed., 2019), 112 pages
Kauderwelsch AusspracheTrainer: Nepali – AUDIO recordings
Available in German only. Phrasebook and AUDIO recordings (extracts only). Sold separately.

Lonely Planet Nepali Phrasebook & Dictionary (7th ed., 2020), 264 pages; Lonely Planet

Nepali-English/English-Nepali Dictionary and Phrasebook (2002), 175 pages, by Prakash A. Raj; Hippocrene Books

Nepali for Trekkers: Language Tape and Phrase Book (1992), xxx pages, by Stephen Bezruchka; Mountaineers Books

Ratna's Nepali Phrasebook: English-Nepali - Classified - Roman (1993), 125 pages, by S. P. Wagley; Ratna Books

U.S. Army Special Forces 200-Hour Nepali Familiarization Course
U.S. Army Special Forces 200-Hour Nepali Familiarization Course
Emphasis on basic communication needs. The “200 hours” refers to contact time in the classroom. Materials themselves evoke a language guide. In self-study, CEFR A0 upon completion.

Nepali Grammars, etc.

Descriptive Grammar of Nepali and an Analyzed Corpus (2001), 396 pages, by Jayaraj Acharya; Georgetown University Press

Foundation In Nepali Grammar (2007), 492 pages, by Christopher Jay Manders; AuthorHouse

Nepali Language: 21 Nepali Verbs Conjugated in all Common Tenses (2016), 138 pages, by Amita Dhital; Independently published

Nepali Dictionaries, etc.

Comparative and Etymological Dictionary of the Nepali Language (1931), 935 pages, by Ralph Lilley Turner ; Kegan, Trench, Trubner & Co. Ltd.

Concise English-Nepali & Nepali-English Dictionary with Transliteration (2014), 497 pages, by Kamal Raj Adhikary; Educational Publishing House

Ekta Comprehensive English - Nepali Dictionary (2010), 1020 pages, Shreedhar Prasad Lohani et al.

Ekta Concise English - Nepali Dictionary (2010), 1600 pages, Shreedhar Prasad Lohani et al.; Bible Society

Practical Dictionary of Modern Nepali (1993, reprinted 2009), 1006 pages, by Ruth Laila Schmidt; Educa Books

Ratna's Basic Nepali Dictionary: English-Nepali and Nepali-English - Script and Roman (2nd ed., 2008), 556 pages, by S. P. Wagley; Ratna Books

Nepali Readers, Literature, etc.

Contemporary Nepali Social and Cultural Anthropology: a Reader (2018) by Laya Prasad Uprety (editor) et al; Tribhuvan University

Exotic India
Over 300 books in, or about, the Nepali language: enter “Nepali books” in the search function.

Himalayan Voices : An Introduction to Modern Nepali Literature (1991), 352 pages, by Michael J. Hutt; University of California Press

Intermediate Nepali Reader: Volumes 1 & 2 (1979), 416 pages total, by M.K.Verma; Manohar
     
Intermediate Nepali Structure and Intermediate Nepali Reader (1979) by M.K.Verma, T.N. Sharma; Manohar
     
Let's Read: Asia's Free Digital Library for Children

Modern Literary Nepali: An Introductory Reader (new edition, 2000), 302 pages, by Michael J. Hutt; Oxford University Press     

Nepali Newspaper Reader (1984) 274 pages, by Champa Jarmul et al.; Dunwoody Press
Nepali Newspaper Reader (1984) with (3) AUDIO cassettes
Also listed in the “legacy” section. Out-of-print. However, a few copies are still available on the internet. The website of Multilingual Books offers a set comprising the reader plus three C90 AUDIO cassettes.

Use of Language in the Nepali Press (1999), pamphlet, by S. Subedi Rayamajhi; Aero's

Varia:
Pinecone wrote:
… As far as readers go, one of the best option is the मेरो नेपाली (Mero Nepali) series that the government of Nepal publishes for use in schools here. There is one for each class. They contain grammar exercises and stories. PDFs of the books can be downloaded from various places, but the newest editions I am finding online are at E-Pustakalaya (https://pustakalaya.org/en/). A search for 'मेरो नेपाली' will turn up the titles. Here are links to the first three classes:
Class 1: https://pustakalaya.org/documents/detail/bb13ea93-79b1-4c08- 8378-3859f9da7de7/
Class 2: https://pustakalaya.org/documents/detail/8ec09740-3721-470d- 92f0-ceb2405f8a2c/
Class 3: https://pustakalaya.org/documents/detail/fced6bde-9b91-4285- 9d8b-eda8a0ffbae6/

(Note: In Nepal, if you want a hard copy of the मेरो नेपाली books, you will find them at stationary stores rather than book stores.)

As I was looking up where to download the मेरो नेपाली books I came across the Government of Nepal's curriculum development center and noticed they had a nice collection of children's books available in PDF form here:
http://nkcs.org.np/cdc/library/opac_css/index.php?lvl=cmspag e&pageid=6&id_rubrique=120.


Nepali Media

Arghakhanchi Media House
     
Nepali Newspapers Online – Multilingual Books

मुख्य पृष्ठ

कुकीजसम्बन्धी नीति मान्य छ भन्ने हामीलाई जानकारी दिनुहोस्।

Nepali Miscellany

Exotic India
Over 300 books in, or about, the Nepali language: enter “Nepali books” in the search function.


4. IMPROVING THIS FILE?
Please feel at liberty to post your own recommendations and/or comments and I’ll see what I can do about incorporating them into the lists above.

5. SUBSEQUENT COMMENTS
Visitors to this file are encouraged to review the subsequent comments, posted below, as they include members’ suggestions concerning materials and form a running commentary on resources for the study of this language.

EDITED:
Completely revised: April 2020


Edited by Speakeasy on 05 May 2020 at 7:19pm

1 person has voted this message useful



daristani
Senior Member
United States
Joined 7145 days ago

752 posts - 1661 votes 
Studies: Uzbek

 
 Message 2 of 4
13 May 2020 at 2:16pm | IP Logged 
It seems that the audio to both the David Mathhews "Course in Nepali" and the Dunwoody Press "Nepali Newspaper Reader" are now available for download here:

Check under "Nepali"
1 person has voted this message useful



habadzi
Super Polyglot
Senior Member
Greece
Joined 5575 days ago

70 posts - 106 votes 
Speaks: Greek*, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Hindi, French, German, Italian, Ancient Greek, Modern Hebrew, Arabic (classical), Indonesian, Bengali, Albanian, Nepali

 
 Message 3 of 4
02 July 2023 at 5:06pm | IP Logged 
This is a very valuable set of materials. Many were developed when the baby boomers
discovered Nepal, i.e. dated from the 1970s. Regardless of references to a very different-
looking country, they are very good. I personally arranged for audio files to the Matthews
textbook, and they are at https://fsi-languages.yojik.eu/languages/Abadzi.html
The vast majority of the content is elementary.
There known advanced material is the Nepali Newspaper Reader, and its audio files are found
on the yojik.eu website. (Great thanks to Eric for his dedication!) I believe Dunwoody Press
was bought by a company that publishes the old content again.

Many people find it hard to deal with the sanskrit-based vocabulary. Nepali shares that with
the other north Indian languages, so learning it in Nepali transfers it to Hindi and (with
some modifications) to Bangla.



habadzi
Super Polyglot
Senior Member
Greece
Joined 5575 days ago

70 posts - 106 votes 
Speaks: Greek*, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Hindi, French, German, Italian, Ancient Greek, Modern Hebrew, Arabic (classical), Indonesian, Bengali, Albanian, Nepali

 
 Message 4 of 4
02 July 2023 at 5:13pm | IP Logged 
A number of websites publish "FSI Nepali". This is probably NOT an FSI production, Foreign
Service Institute. I may have been the one who mislabeled it 25 years ago. The text is not
available online, but I may have a text that seems similar (by Chij Shrestha). Back then, it
was all paper. Download them from one of them and do listen to the audio. If you do need the
audio and the book, please send me a message.
Helen Abadzi (polyglot of 19 languages)



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