Saam language

Kiranti language of Nepal
Saam
Native toNepal
RegionMechi Zone
EthnicityKiranti
Native speakers
530 (2011 census)[1]
(400 Saam, 130 Lingkhim)[1]
Language family
Sino-Tibetan
  • Tibeto-Burman
    • Mahakiranti (?)
      • Kiranti
        • Central
          • Saam
Dialects
  • Bungla
  • Lingkhim
  • Sambya
Language codes
ISO 639-3raq
Glottologsaam1282
ELPSaam

Saam, Saama Kha, is a nearly extinct Kiranti language spoken in Nepal. The name Saam is ambiguous, and shared with neighboring languages.

Chukwa may be Saam if it is not Kulung.

Geographical distribution

Saam is spoken in the following locations of Nepal (Ethnologue).

  • Dobhane and Khatamma (Khartangma) VDC's, northern Bhojpur District, Kosi Zone; straddling the Irkhuwa River, in Dangmaya, Okharbote, Khartangma, and Dobhane settlements between the Phedi River and Irkhuwa River
  • Phikkal VDC, Ilam District, Mechi Zone

References

  1. ^ a b Saam at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  • v
  • t
  • e
Sino-Tibetan branches
Western Himalayas
(Himachal, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim)
Greater Magaric
Map of Sino-Tibetan languages
Eastern Himalayas
(Tibet, Bhutan, Arunachal)Myanmar and Indo-Burmese border
"Naga"
Sal
East and Southeast Asia
Burmo-Qiangic
Dubious (possible isolates)
(Arunachal)
Greater Siangic
Proposed groupingsProto-languages
Italics indicates single languages that are also considered to be separate branches.