Nepali language | History, Grammar & Writing System

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class="material-icons text-gray-400 d-lg-none" data-icon="toc"></em> <a class="font-serif font-weight-bold text-black link-blue" href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Nepali-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB">Nepali language</a> </div><button aria-label="Close" class="js-sections-close-button btn-link btn-sm btn d-lg-none position-absolute top-0 p-10 right-0"> <em class="material-icons font-26" data-icon="close"></em> </button> </div> <div class="section-content pl-10 pr-20 pl-sm-50 pr-sm-60 pl-lg-5 pr-lg-10 pt-10 pt-lg-0 bg-gray-50 clear-catfish-ad"> <div class="toc mb-20"> <div class="font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-15 mb-15 mt-20"> Table of Contents </div> <ul class="list-unstyled my-0" data-level="h1"> <li data-target="#ref1"> <div class="pl-25"> <a class="link-gray-900 w-100" href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Nepali-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB">Introduction</a> </div> <div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li> <li data-target="#ref282657"> <div class="d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Nepali-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB#ref282657">History</a> </div> <div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li> <li data-target="#ref282658"> <div class="d-flex align-items-center"> <div class="ml-25"></div><a class="w-100 link-gray-900" href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Nepali-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB#ref282658">Varieties and lexicon</a> </div> <div class="ml-40 toc-drawer sub-toc-drawer"></div></li> </ul><a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Nepali-language/additional-info?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB">References & Edit History</a> <a class="toc-extra-link link-gray-900" href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/facts/Nepali-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB">Quick Facts & Related Topics</a> </div> <div class="mb-30 tlr-related-quizzes"> <div class="text-gray-900 p-5 font-serif font-14 font-weight-bold mx-10 mb-10"> Quizzes </div> <div class="imagelink-with-image-on-the-side card card-horizontal tlr-img-with-side-link ml-15 link-gray-900 mb-10"> <div class="position-relative card-media" style="flex: 0;"><a class="ilf-image position-relative" href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/quiz/languages-alphabets?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB"> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/62/129562-131-63F782C3/wall-engravings-Buddhist-Thailand-Hands-society-history-2009.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop" alt="Buddhist engravings on wall in Thailand. 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Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). </div> <div class="type-menu"><label for="feedback-type" class="label mb-10">Feedback Type</label> <select id="feedback-type" class="form-select mb-30" name="feedbackTypeId" required> <option value="" selected>Select a type (Required)</option> <option value="1">Factual Correction</option> <option value="2">Spelling/Grammar Correction</option> <option value="3">Link Correction</option> <option value="4">Additional Information</option> <option value="5">Other</option> </select> </div><label for="feedback" class="label mb-10">Your Feedback</label> <textarea id="feedback" class="form-control mb-30" name="feedback" maxlength="3000" rows="7" required></textarea> <button class="btn btn-blue" type="submit">Submit Feedback</button> </form> <div class="success-messaging d-none mt-30"> <div class="title"> Thank you for your feedback </div> <p>Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.</p> </div> </div> </div> <div class="md-websites-modal size-lg d-none"> <div class="md-modal-body"> <div class="h2 font-serif pb-15 border-bottom font-weight-bold"> External Websites </div> <div class="pb-20"> <ul class="list-unstyled mt-20 lh-lg"> <li><a class="external" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=https://www.indianetzone.com/nepali_literature" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">IndiaNetzone - Nepali Literature</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=https://www.academia.edu/21009495/LANGUAGE_USE_IN_NEPAL" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Academia - Language use in Nepal</a></li> <li><a class="external" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=https://www.omniglot.com/writing/nepali.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener ">Omniglot - Nepali</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="toc-header-marker"></div><button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 js-header-ai-ask-button d-none btn-sm btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 mr-0 mr-lg-10 ml-5 ml-sm-10 ml-lg-0 p-10"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> <div class="caption alternate-titles"> Also known as: Gorkhali language, Gurkha language, Gurkhali language, Khaskura language, Naipali language </div> <div class="md-byline module-spacing "> <div class="font-serif font-12"><span class="written-by text-gray-700"> Written and fact-checked by </span> <div class="editor-popover popover p-0"><a class="d-block p-20 gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor" href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB"> <div class="editor-title font-16 font-weight-bold"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica </div> <div class="editor-description font-12 font-serif mt-5 text-black"> Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. </div></a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div><span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span> </div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"><span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-10-18T00:00:00CDT">Oct 18, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Nepali-language/additional-info?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div> </div> </div><button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"><button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt> Also called: </dt> <dd> Gurkha, Gorkhali, Gurkhali, or Khaskura </dd> </dl><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt> Related Topics: </dt> <dd> <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/art/Nepali-literature?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" topicid="409201">Nepali literature</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Indian-languages?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" topicid="285754">Indian languages</a> </dd> <dd> <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Eastern-Pahari-languages?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" topicid="177304">Eastern Pahari languages</a> </dd> </dl><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"><a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/facts/Nepali-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><span class="marker before-article"></span> <section data-level="1" id="ref1"> <span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref948379"></span>Nepali language</strong>, member of the <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Pahari-languages?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Pahari</a> subgroup of the <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Indo-Aryan-languages?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Indo-Aryan</a> group of the <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Indo-Iranian-languages?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Indo-Iranian</a> division of the <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Indo-European-languages?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Indo-European languages</a>. Nepali is spoken by more than 17 million people, mostly in <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/place/Nepal?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Nepal</a> and neighbouring parts of <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/place/India?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">India</a>. Smaller speech <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="communities" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communities" data-type="MW">communities</a> exist in <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/place/Bhutan?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bhutan</a>, <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/place/Brunei?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Brunei</a>, and <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/place/Myanmar?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Myanmar</a>.</p><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span> </section><span class="marker h2"></span> <section data-level="1" id="ref282657"> <h2 class="h1">History</h2><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">Patterns of <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/science/phonology?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">phonological</a> change suggest that Nepali is related to the languages of northwestern India, and particularly to <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Sindhi-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sindhi</a>, <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Lahnda-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Lahnda</a>, and <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Punjabi-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Punjabi</a>. Comparative reconstructions of vocabulary have supported this appraisal, relating Nepali to proto-<a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Dardic-languages?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Dardic</a>, Pahari, <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Sindhi-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sindhi</a>, Lahnda, and Punjabi.</p><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">Investigations of <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/science/archaeology?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">archaeology</a> and <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/history?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">history</a> indicate that modern Nepali is a descendant of the <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">language</a> spoken by the ancient <span id="ref1042781"></span><a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Pahari?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Khasha</a> people. The word Khasha appears in <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Sanskrit-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Sanskrit</a> legal, historical, and literary texts such as the <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Manu-smriti?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Manu-smriti</em></a> (<em>c.</em> 100 <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>), Kalhana’s <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Rajatarangini?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Rajatarangini</em></a> (1148 <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>), and the <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Purana?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true"><em>Puranas</em></a> (350–1500 <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>). The Khashas ruled over a vast territory <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="comprising" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comprising" data-type="MW">comprising</a> what are now western Nepal, parts of Garhwal and Kumaon (India), and parts of southwestern <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/place/Tibet?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Tibet</a>. Ashoka Challa (1255–78 <span class="text-smallcaps">ce</span>) called himself <em>khasha-rajadhiraja</em> (“emperor of the Khashas”) in a copperplate inscription found in <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/place/Bodh-Gaya?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bodh Gaya</a>. His descendants used old Nepali to inscribe numerous copperplates during the 14th century.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/quiz/languages-alphabets?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/62/129562-131-63F782C3/wall-engravings-Buddhist-Thailand-Hands-society-history-2009.jpg" alt="Buddhist engravings on wall in Thailand. Hands on wall. Hompepage blog 2009, history and society, science and technology, geography and travel, explore discovery" class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70"> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green"> Britannica Quiz </div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5"> Languages & Alphabets </div> </div></a><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">After the Muslim conquest, the <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Rajput?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Rajputs</a> of <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/place/Chittaurgarh?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Chittaurgarh</a>, the <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Brahman-social-class?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Brahmans</a> of <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/place/Kannauj?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Kannauj</a>, and many others fled to the foothills of the <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/place/Himalayas?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Himalayas</a> for shelter. The pressure of the migrants and the rising ambition of the local powers caused the Khasha kingdom to <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="fissure" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fissure" data-type="MW">fissure</a> into smaller principalities. Some Khasha moved to the eastern parts of present-day Nepal, where their language became a <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/lingua-franca?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">lingua franca</a> for the region’s linguistically <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="diverse" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/diverse" data-type="MW">diverse</a> ethnic groups.</p><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">Eventually <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/biography/Prithvi-Narayan-Shah?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Prithvi Narayan Shah</a> (1723?–75) unified the smaller principalities. During and after unification, the Nepalese were identified as <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Gurkha-people?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Gurkha</a> or Ghurkhalis, while their language was referred to by the singular forms of those names. With the growth of linguistic <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="nationalism" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalism" data-type="MW">nationalism</a>, the name Nepali became increasingly popular among the Nepalese living in Nepal and India.</p><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span> </section><span class="marker h3"></span> <section data-level="1" id="ref282658"> <h2 class="h1">Varieties and lexicon</h2><span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">Nepali includes three regional <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/dialect?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">dialect</a> groups: the western, the central, and the eastern. There is also a distinct <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="dialect" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialect" data-type="MW">dialect</a> used by the members of the royal family and the upper <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/social-class?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">classes</a>. This dialect has a special lexicon and a four-level <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/honorific?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">honorific</a> system, and it is increasingly being adopted by the educated middle class and the newly wealthy.</p><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">Nepali has a rich heritage of oral <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/art/Nepali-literature?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">literature</a> as well as a body of written literature that has been developed during last two and half centuries. The vocabulary and style of written Nepali are influenced by Sanskrit and recorded with the <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Devanagari?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Devanagari</a> script.</p> <div class="module-spacing"> <div class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"> <style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; justify-content: flex-start; } .student-promo-banner-text-wrapper { text-align: left; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 10px; } .student-promo-banner-button-wrapper { margin-right: 0; } }</style> <div class="student-promo-banner-wrapper"> <div class="student-promo-banner d-flex flex-column align-items-center bg-blue rounded p-20"> <div class="student-promo-banner-img-wrapper mb-20 mr-0 d-flex justify-content-center"><img class="rounded" style="max-width: 100px; min-width: 80px" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/BlueThistle.webp"> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-text-wrapper ml-0 mb-10 text-center text-white"> <div class="h2 mb-10"> Get Unlimited Access </div> <div class="h4 font-weight-semi-bold"> Try Britannica Premium for free and discover more. </div> </div> <div class="student-promo-banner-button-wrapper d-flex justify-content-center align-items-center ml-auto mr-auto"><a class="btn btn-m btn-orange" href="https://translate.google.com/website?sl=auto&tl=en&hl=en-GB&u=https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source%3Dpremium%26utm_medium%3Dinline-cta%26utm_campaign%3Dblack-friday-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span> <p class="topic-paragraph">As a medium of law and administration, the register of legal Nepali has been developed and enriched with <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Persian-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Persian</a> and <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Arabic-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Arabic</a> words. Technical terms for the various administrative branches of government have been <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="devised" href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/dictionary/devised?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" data-type="EB">devised</a> and borrowed from Sanskrit and <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/English-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">English</a> as needed. Modern spoken Nepali has borrowed vocabulary from <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/topic/Hindi-language?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Hindi</a>, Sanskrit, and English.</p><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span> <span class="md-signature"><a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span> </section><span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="https://www-britannica-com.translate.goog/editor/Matt-Stefon/6763?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-GB">Matt Stefon</a>.</span><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><span class="marker after-article"></span> </div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> </div> </div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript> <iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe> </noscript> <script type="text/javascript" id="_informizely_script_tag"> var IzWidget = IzWidget || {}; (function (d) { var scriptElement = d.createElement('script'); scriptElement.type = 'text/javascript'; scriptElement.async = true; scriptElement.src = "https://insitez.blob.core.windows.net/site/f780f33e-a610-4ac2-af81-3eb184037547.js"; var node = d.getElementById('_informizely_script_tag'); node.parentNode.insertBefore(scriptElement, node); } )(document); </script> <script> window.ap3c = window.ap3c || {}; var ap3c = window.ap3c; ap3c.cmd = ap3c.cmd || []; ap3c.cmd.push(function() { ap3c.init('ZO4siT4cLwnykPnzZWJtd3Byb2Q', 'https://engage.email.britannica.com/'); ap3c.track({v: 0}); }); ap3c.activity = function(act) { ap3c.act = (ap3c.act || []); ap3c.act.push(act); }; var s, t; s = document.createElement('script'); s.type = 'text/javascript'; s.src = "https://engage.email.britannica.com/app.js"; t = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); </script> <script class="marketing-page-info" type="application/json"> {"pageType":"Topic","templateName":"DESKTOP","pageNumber":1,"pagesTotal":1,"pageId":409194,"pageLength":465,"initialLoad":true,"lastPageOfScroll":false} </script> <script class="marketing-content-info" type="application/json"> [] </script> <script src="https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/js/libs/jquery-3.5.0.min.js?v=3.130.14"></script> <script type="text/javascript" data-type="Init Mendel Code Splitting"> (function() { $.ajax({ dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: 'https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-130/dist/topic-page.js?v=3.130.14' }); })(); </script> <script class="analytics-metadata" type="application/json"> {"leg":"C","adLeg":"C","userType":"ANONYMOUS","pageType":"Topic","pageSubtype":null,"articleTemplateType":"MEDIUM","gisted":false,"pageNumber":1,"hasSummarizeButton":false,"hasAskButton":false} </script> <script type="text/javascript"> EBStat={accountId:-1,hostnameOverride:'webstats.eb.com',domain:'www.britannica.com', json:''}; </script> <script type="text/javascript"> ( function() { $.ajax( { dataType: 'script', cache: true, url: '//www.britannica.com/webstats/mendelstats.js?v=1' } ) .done( function() { try {writeStat(null,EBStat);} catch(err){} } ); })(); </script> <div id="bc-fixed-dialogue"></div> <script defer src="https://static.cloudflareinsights.com/beacon.min.js/vcd15cbe7772f49c399c6a5babf22c1241717689176015" integrity="sha512-ZpsOmlRQV6y907TI0dKBHq9Md29nnaEIPlkf84rnaERnq6zvWvPUqr2ft8M1aS28oN72PdrCzSjY4U6VaAw1EQ==" data-cf-beacon="{"rayId":"8ea32716a883a8fd","version":"2024.10.5","serverTiming":{"name":{"cfExtPri":true,"cfL4":true,"cfSpeedBrain":true,"cfCacheStatus":true}},"token":"5cc7d7124de641b181da990fc8c9a0b6","b":1}" crossorigin="anonymous"></script> <script>function gtElInit() {var lib = new google.translate.TranslateService();lib.translatePage('en', 'en', function () {});}</script> <script src="https://translate.google.com/translate_a/element.js?cb=gtElInit&hl=en-GB&client=wt" type="text/javascript"></script> </body> </html>

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Nepali language | History, Grammar & Writing System | Britannica