A practical dictionary of modern Nepali

✍ Scribed by Schmidt Ruth Laila.

• Leaves: 411
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Publisher: Ratna Sagar
Publication date: 1994
Number of pages: 488

Nepali or Nepalese is a language in the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family.
It is official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal and is also spoken in Bhutan, parts of India and parts of Myanmar (Burma). In India, it is one of the country's 23 official languages: Nepali has official language status in the formerly independent state of Sikkim and in West Bengal's Darjeeling district. Similarly, it is widely spoken in the state of Uttaranchal, as well as in the state of Assam.
A Practical Dictionary of Modern Nepali is one of the few major dictionaries of any South Asian language compiled specifically for English-speaking learners. The term 'Modern' in the title refers to Nepali as spoken at present by educated native speakers living in the Kathmandu Valley. The word 'Practical' stresses that this is a dictionary intended for those who need to communicate with Nepali speakers within the entire range of circumstances in which English speakers find themselves in Nepal. Finally, as a 'Dictionary', this is a tool for use at all stages of the language acquisition process, from those who have just learned a few Nepali words, to the nearly-fluent non-native speaker of the language, who needs specific information about Nepali usage, specialized termi-nology, and words in context.
Since A Practical Dictionary of Modern Nepali is meant for learners at all levels, the entries are given in both the Devanagari script, which is the normal medium for writing and reading Nepali, as well as in a transliteration and transcription system in the Roman alphabet. The many illustrations are given only in the Roman transcription, in order to keep the bulk of the Dictionary from increasing to an unmanageable size. This transcription should be readily understood by both the experienced reader of Nepali, as well as to the learner who has yet to learn the elegant and efficient Devanagari script.
Nearly seven years of continuous effort has gone into the research, compilation, review, and production of A Practical Dictionary of Modern Nepali. This work was supported by a series of grants from the U.S. Department of Education and was carried on both in Nepal and at the University of California at Berkeley, and involved the coopera-tion of many Nepalis and Americans.

✦ Subjects

Языки и языкознание;Непальский язык;Словари и разговорники