Neten Dorji | Trashigang

Hing nangpo bro nako rayo sheay sheay (Please come, you might be hungry).

Called Durungkha or Chalipaikha, this is a dialect spoken by the people of Durung in Trashigang.

The dialect, which has words from Tshangla, Khengkha and Dzongkha, among others, is at the verge of extinction today.

Tenzin Lhamo, who can speak both Durungkha and Tshangla said that not many people can speak Durungkha today.

Tashi Yangzom, 60, from the village of Durung, said that the dialect is foreign to the most of the young people in the village. “Only a few elderly can speak Durungkha there could be just about 12 of them.”

It is believed that the people of Durung were originally from Chali in Mongar. And hence, the same dialect although they are spoken with some variations.

Tshueltrim Dorji, 80, is a lam of Durung village. He said that in the past the elders would discourage the people from marrying outside the village to preserve the dialect.

Young people find learning Durungkha difficult, said Tshering Choden. “The sure sign is that the dialect has almost disappeared.”