Documenting and describing Kagate, an endangered Tibeto-Burman language of Nepal

The Endangered Language Documentation Programme (ELDP) provides grants worldwide to for the linguistic documentation of endangered language and knowledge. Grantees create multimedia collection of endangered languages. These collections are preserved and made freely available through the Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR) housed at the library of SOAS University of London.

This project will document and describe Kagate through collection of audio and video recordings in genres of key cultural importance. Kagate is an endangered member of the Central Bodic branch of the Tibeto-Burman family, spoken by around 1500 people in Ramechhap (Eastern Nepal). Younger community members now prefer Nepali and English for education and economic opportunity. There are very few written materials in Kagate, and no recordings of traditional songs, stories and cultural practices. Speakers of Kagate would like to document these genres before they are lost, and to create resources to help promote use of Kagate at all ages. Primary investigator: Lauren Gawne

Project Details


Location: Nepal, Southern Asia, Asia Organiser(s): Endangered Languages Documentation Programme Project partner(s): SOAS, University of London Funder(s): Arcadia Funding received: £91,815.00 Commencement Date: 01/2011
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