Kurtoep and Tibetan

Abstract

Our knowledge of the languages of the Bodic branch of Tibeto-Burman has increased vastly over the past generation. Excellent descriptive work has been and is being carried out on the East and West Himalayan groups and the Tamang-Gurung-Thakali (TGT) languages, and we are finally beginning to have solid documentation for a range of Tibetan dialects - due, of course, in no small part to the initiative of Professor Bielmeier and his students at Bern. New documentation is also allowing us to look anew at the genetic relations both within Tibetan and its near cousins. This article is a preliminary attempt at sorting out the relationship between Tibetan proper and the so-called "East Bodish" languages, which include Bumthang-Kurtoep (evidently dialects of one language), mTsho-sna Monpa (Cuona Memba), the famous but barely-documented "Dakpa" , and others.