Chintang language

{{Short description|Kiranti language spoken in Nepal}}

{{Infobox language

|name=Chintang

|nativename=छिन्ताङ्

|pronunciation={{IPA|ctn|ˈtsʰintaːŋ|}}

|region=Dhankuta District, Nepal

|ethnicity=5,000 (2011 census?){{e17|ctn}}

|speakers={{sigfig|3710|2}}

|date=2011 census

|ref=e18

|familycolor=Sino-Tibetan

|fam2=Tibeto-Burman

|fam3=Mahakiranti (?)

|fam4=Kiranti languages

|fam5=Eastern Kiranti

|iso3=ctn

|glotto=chhi1245

|glottorefname=Chintang

}}

Chintang (Chintang: छिन्ताङ् Chintāṅ / Chhintang) is an eastern Kirati language spoken by 5,000 to 6,000 people in Chhintang VDC and Ahale VDC in Dhankuta District, Province No. 1, Nepal. The language has two dialects, Mulgaun and Sambhugaon. Most speakers of Chintang are also fluent speakers of the Indo-European Nepali language, which is the lingua franca of Nepal and the sole language of instruction in school, and the Sino-Tibetan , which is closely related to Chintang.{{Cite journal |last=Bickel |first=Balthasar |last2=Banjade |first2=Goma |last3=Gaenszle |first3=Martin |last4=Lieven |first4=Elena |last5=Paudyal |first5=Netra Prasad |last6=Rai |first6=Ichchha Purna |last7=Rai |first7=Manoj |last8=Rai |first8=Novel Kishore |last9=Stoll |first9=Sabine |date=2007 |title=Free Prefix Ordering in Chintang |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/4490337 |journal=Language |volume=83 |issue=1 |pages=43–73 |issn=0097-8507}}{{Cite journal |last=Stoll |first=Sabine |last2=Bickel |first2=Balthasar |last3=Lieven |first3=Elena |last4=Paudyal |first4=Netra P. |last5=Banjade |first5=Goma |last6=Bhatta |first6=Toya N. |last7=Gaenszle |first7=Martin |last8=Pettigrew |first8=Judith |last9=Rai |first9=Ichchha Purna |last10=Rai |first10=Manoj |last11=Rai |first11=Novel Kishore |date=2012 |title=Nouns and verbs in Chintang: children's usage and surrounding adult speech* |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-child-language/article/abs/nouns-and-verbs-in-chintang-childrens-usage-and-surrounding-adult-speech/3719FA4FA06878D0158EA82BA82A91CA |journal=Journal of Child Language |language=en |volume=39 |issue=2 |pages=284–321 |doi=10.1017/S0305000911000080 |issn=1469-7602|hdl=10344/3401 |hdl-access=free }} The UNESCO World Atlas of Languages classifies the language as definitely endangered.{{Cite web |title=Chintang in Nepal {{!}} UNESCO WAL |url=https://en.wal.unesco.org/countries/nepal/languages/chintang |access-date=2023-02-23 |website=en.wal.unesco.org}}