Tibetic Languages - Classification

Classification

Tournadre (2005, 2008)

Tournadre (2005) classifies the Tibetic languages as follows:

• Ü-Tsang

  The basis of Standard Tibetan and including various Nepalese dialects

• Kham–Hor
• Amdo
• Dzongkha–Lhokä

  Dzongkha, Lhokä (Sikkimese), Lakha, Laya, Chochongacha, Brokkat (Dur), Bjokha (Brogpa), and probably Chumbi (Dhromo)

• Ladakhi–Balti

  Ladakhi, Purik, Zangskari, Balti

• Lahuli–Spiti
• Kyirong–Kagate
• Sherpa–Jirel

  Sherpa, Jirel

The other languages (Thewo-Chone, Zhongu, Khalong, Dongwang, Gserpa, Zitsadegu, Drugchu, Baima) are not mutually intelligible, but are not well enough known to classify.

Bradley (1997)

According to Bradley, the languages cluster as follows (dialect information from the Tibetan Dialects Project at the University of Bern):

• Ladakhi (non-tonal)
• Amdo Tibetan (including Thewo-Chone) (non-tonal)
• Khams Tibetan (tonal)

  "Western Archaic Tibetan", including Balti and Purik

• Central Tibetan (slightly tonal)
  • Western Innovative Tibetan (Lahuli–Spiti)

    Dialects of Upper Ladakh and Zanskar, of the Northwest Indian Border Area (Lahul, Spiti, and Uttarakhand), and of Tholing (westernmost Tibet)

  • Dbus AKA Ü (alternate romanisations of ) – Central Tibetan proper

    Most dialects of Ngari Prefecture in western Tibet, of the northern Nepalese border area in Nepal, Tsang Province dialects of Shigatse Prefecture, and Ü Province dialects (Lhokha, Lhasa, etc.). The basis of Standard Tibetan.

  • Northern Tibetan

    Dialects of Gêrzê, of Nagqu Prefecture in north-central Tibet, and of Nangqên in Southern Qinghai
    (Considered dialects of Khams by Tournadre)

  • Southern Tibetan

    Tromowa of Chumbi Valley in southern Tsang, Sikkimese in India, Sherpa and Jirel in Nepal, and various languages of Bhutan:
    Dzongkha, Adap, Brokkat, Brokpa, Chocangaca, Lakha, Laya, Lunana.

Other

Some classifications group Khams and Amdo together as Eastern Tibetan (not to be confused with East Bodish, which is not ethnically Tibetan). Some like Tournadre break up Central Tibetan. Phrases such as 'Central Tibetan' and 'Central Bodish' may or may not be synonymous: Southern (Central) Tibetan can be found as Southern Bodish, for example; 'Central Tibetan' may mean dBus or all tonal lects apart from Khams; 'Western Bodish' may be used for the non-tonal western lects while 'Western Tibetan' is used for the tonal lects, or 'Bodish' may even be used for other branches of the Tibeto-Kanauri languages.