Mugom language, also known as Mugom-ket, is the Sino-Tibetan language of the Mugali people of Mugu district in Nepal.
Language name Mugom speakers self-identify as “Moa,” and are referred to as “Mugali” by non-Tibetan peoples of the area. Mugom speakers simply refer to their language as “mugu jillako bhote bhasa,” lit. ‘the Tibetan language of Mugu district.’
Speakers Mugom is spoken by roughly 500 people originating from the village of Mugugau along the Mugu Karnali River in Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality.Japola, Mari-Sisco. (2002). Mugom Survey. United Mission to Nepal, Mugu Education Project internal report: unpublished.Central Bureau of Statistics. (2014). National population and housing census 2011. Kathmandu: Government of Nepal. The language is specifically associated with Mugali people. A small diaspora community of Mugali exists in Bouddha, in the northeast part of Kathmandu.
Language vitality In 2002, a sociolinguistic study found that Mugom speakers in diaspora consistently used their own language with each other, and that the language was being transmitted to children. The Ethnologue has assigned EGIDS level 6a “vigorous” to the Mugom–Karmarong (ISO 639-3: muk). This level denotes oral use of Mugom is stable, and that the speaker population is not decreasing.Lewis, M. Paul, and Gary F. Simons. (2016). Sustaining language use: Perspectives on community based language development. Dallas, TX: SIL International.
Resources
Mugom primer: A clear reflection of Mugom: Book 1 Mugom primer: A clear reflection of Mugom: Book 2 Sociolinguistic Study: Japola, Mari-Sisco. (2002). Mugom Survey. United Mission to Nepal, Mugu Education Project internal report: unpublished.
Notes There have been attempts to create health-education materials aimed at the Mugali and Karani that take into account their culture and levels of literacy specifically.
References
External links Short summary on health education initiative