Languages of Bhutan - Indo-Aryan

Indo-Aryan

The Nepali language, or Lhotshamkha, is an Indo-Aryan language and the only Indo-European language spoken by native Bhutanese. Inside Bhutan, it is spoken primarily in the South by the approximately 265,000 resident Lhotshampa as of 2006. While the Lhotshampa are generally regarded as Nepali speakers, the Lhotshampa include many smaller non-Indo-Aryan groups such as the Tamang and Gurung in Southern Bhutan, and the Kiranti groups (including the Rai and Limbu peoples) found in Eastern Bhutan. Among these minorities are speakers of Camling, Limbu, and Nepal Bhasa.