Dutch Linguist Driem’s ‘A Grammar of Limbu’ Released

A book titled ‘A Grammar of Limbu (Based on the Phedape Dialect of the Old Limbu Heartland)’, authored by Dutch linguist George van Driem, was released on Wednesday.

The book was unveiled during a special ceremony held in Myanglung, the headquarters of Tehrathum, with the support of Myanglung Municipality.

Author Driem, renowned for his expertise in ten languages, first published the book in 1987 through a German-based British Publishing House. The Nepali edition of the book has been republished by Jagadamba Prakashan, Kathmandu with the support of the Swiss Embassy in Nepal.

The book extensively documents the grammar of the Phedape Limbu dialect, an important linguistic heritage of the Limbu community.

Speaking at the event, Santosh Tigela, Chair of Chhathar Rural Municipality, said the book would serve as a valuable resource for global researchers interested in studying the Phedape Limbu language. He expressed gratitude to the author for his significant contribution to preserving the language.

Similarly, Yadav Khapung, Chair of Menchayem Rural Municipality, urged concerned authorities to take the preservation of the language seriously, especially when a foreign linguist has published a book on its grammar.

Author Driem, a national of the Netherlands, studied the Phedape Limbu language in 2039 BS (1982 AD) while living in Tamphula village (formerly Tamfula) of Myanglung-10, Tehrathum. He conducted his research with the assistance of local resident Narayan Limbu.

Mayor of Laligurans Municipality, Arjun Babu Mabohang, expressed hope that Tehrathum could become a global hub for linguistic and anthropological research if Driem’s research — which suggests the Bhot-Burmese language family originated from Phedape and the entire human race expanded from the Kumbhakarna and Dhaulagiri mountain regions of Nepal — is scientifically validated.

Recalling his journey, Driem said his professors had sent him to Nepal’s Limbuwan region after he came across a research paper claiming that the ancient form of the Chinese Bhot-Burmese language could be found in Limbuwan.

Jagadamba Prakashan stated that the new edition, brought out three decades after the original publication, was republished with the support of the Swiss Embassy and other organizations to make it accessible to Nepali readers.