Classical Newar

Classical Newar or Classical Nepal Bhasa (, ) also known as Old Newar, is the vernacular and literary form of Nepal Bhasa used prior to the 19th century. The term is most generally used to describe the form of Nepal Bhasa used in manuscripts and other sources from the Malla dynasty.

The antiquity of the Newar language is not known. The Sanskrit stone inscriptions from the Licchavi Dynasty contains frequent use of Tibeto-Burman words, especially for proper nouns like names of person, settlements and rivers, suggesting the existence of a vernacular Tibeto-Burman language, which is believed to be an early form of the Newar language.''''

Ancient era

The earliest known (dated) document in Nepal Bhasa is called "The Palmleaf from Uku Bahal" which dates back to 1114 AD (235 NS).

:छीन ढाको तृसंघष परिभोग। छु पुलेंग कीत्य बिपार वस्त्र बिवु मिखा तिवु मदुगुन छु सात दुगुनव ल्है
:chīna ḍhākō tr̥saṃghaṣa paribhōga, chu pulēṃga kītya bipāra vastra bivu mikhā tivu maduguna chu sāta dugunava lhai

Medieval era

The language continued growing in the Medieval period, and enjoyed royal patronage. Noted royal writers include Mahindra Malla, Siddhinarsingh Malla, Jagatprakash Malla etc. An example of the language used in that period is provided by lines of Mooldevshashidev written by Jagatprakash Malla which verse describes Shiva and the use of a tiger skin as his seat.

:धु छेगुकि पाछाव वाहान
:dhu chēguki pāchāva vāhāna
:तिलहित बिया हिङ लाहाति थाय थायस
:tilahita biyā hiŋa lāhāti thāya thāyasa

History

This language was the official language of Nepal from Licchavi era to Malla era of Nepal. Newar words appeared in Sanskrit inscriptions in the Kathmandu Valley for the first time in the fifth century. The words are names of places, taxes and merchandise indicating that it already existed as a spoken language during the Licchavi period (approximately 400–750 AD). The inscriptions from the Licchavi period includes Newari words. Hence, it indicated that Newari was the common language during Licchavi dynasty although the official use of the period was Sanskrit, but ''Nepal Bhasa'' was already in use. The earliest dated stone inscription in Thakuri dynasty is in Newari, dated Nepal Sambat 293 (1173 CE).

ISO

Classical Nepal Bhasa was introduced in ISO 639-2 code list in 2004.

Grammar

References

External Links

A Course in Reading Classical Newari
by Felix Otter Heidelberg: CrossAsia, 2021
{{Newar

Newar
Newar language
Languages attested from the 12th century