Ghale Language Resource

Part of CoRSAL

About the Language

Ghale (ISO 639-3 ghe) is a language of the Tamangic subfamily within the Tibeto-Burman language family, spoken in the Gorkha District of Gandaki Province, Nepal. According to the 2021 census of Nepal, there are 23,049 Ghale speakers. The language is spoken by people of both Gurung and Ghale ethnicity in this region. While the language is called Gurung by the Gurung people, it is important to note that there is another distinct language also known as Gurung. To avoid confusion and following linguistic literature and the census of Nepal, the name Ghale is used for the language in this collection. The endonym used by the Ghale people themselves is Lila Ke. The Ghale language has several varieties: Northern Ghale (ISO 639-3 ghh), spoken in the northern part of the Ghale-speaking area, and Southern Ghale (ISO 639-3 ghe), spoken in the southern part. This collection represents Southern Ghale and specifically includes materials from the variety spoken in Barpak, a village located in the southern part of the Ghale-speaking area.

About the Collection

This is a collection of audio and video recordings of the Ghale language as spoken in Barpak, along with photographs, primarily gathered in Barpak, Nepal by Shigeki Yoshida. The collection features recordings of traditional stories, personal narratives, cultural practices, and community events from Barpak and surrounding areas. Notable content includes retellings of famous stories such as "The Pear Story" and "The Frog Story," as well as detailed descriptions of traditional crafts like making a traditional woolen garment and weaving bamboo fences. The collection also offers personal narratives that provide insights into daily life, including working experiences, reflections on village life, and accounts of the 2015 Nepal earthquake. Additionally, it contains monologues on religious practices, community activities, and the role of the mother's group (Aama Samuha). The photographs and videos document various cultural artifacts, traditional food preparation methods, ancestral rituals, and place names, adding depth to the documentation of the Barpaki people's cultural heritage and traditional life.

This research was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Number JP23KJ0748 and the JSPS Overseas Challenge Program for Young Researchers: ‘Describing Ghale: A Collaborative Documentation Project.’