Pronunciation [wýkɛʔ, wýʔtsáŋ kɛʔ] Writing system Tibetan script | Standard forms Standard Tibetan | |
Native to China (Tibet Autonomous Region), Nepal, India Native speakers (1.2 million cited 1990 census) Language family Sino-Tibetan
Tibeto-Kanauri ?
Bodish
Tibetic
Central Tibetan | ||
Central Tibetan, also known as Dbus a.k.a. Ü or Ü-Tsang, is the most widely spoken Tibetic language and the basis of Standard Tibetan.
Dbus and Ü are forms of the same name. Dbus is a transliteration of the name in Tibetan script, དབུས་, whereas Ü is the pronunciation of the same in Lhasa dialect, [wy˧˥˧ʔ] (or [y˧˥˧ʔ]). That is, in Tibetan, the name is spelled Dbus and pronounced Ü. All of these names are frequently applied specifically to the prestige dialect of Lhasa.
There are many mutually intelligible Central Tibetan dialects besides that of Lhasa, with particular diversity along the border and in Nepal:
Limi (Limirong), Mugum, Dolpo (Dolkha), Mustang (Lowa, Lokä), Humla, Nubri, Lhomi, Dhrogpai Gola, Walungchung Gola (Walungge/Halungge), Tseku, BasumEthnologue reports that Walungge is highly intelligible with Thudam, Glottolog that Thudam is not a distinct variety. Tournadre (2013) classifies Tseku with Khams.