LatonyaOconnor at 21:40, 21 February 2026

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{{Short description|Tibetic language spoken in Ladakh, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox language
| name = Ladakhi
| nativename = {{bo-textonly|ལ་དྭགས་སྐད}} ''La-dwags skad''
| states = [[India]]
| region = [[Ladakh]]
| ethnicity = [[Ladakhis]]
| image = File:Ladakhi.png
| imagescale = 1.0
| image_class = skin-invert-image
| imagecaption = ''La-dwags skad'' in Tibetan Script
| speakers = 110,826
| date = 2011 Census
| ref = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language_MTs.html |title=ABSTRACT OF SPEAKERS' STRENGTH OF LANGUAGES AND MOTHER TONGUES - 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220419131619/https://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language-2011/Statement-1.pdf |archive-date=2022-04-19|access-date=2023-02-25 |format=pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| familycolor = Sino-Tibetan
| fam2 = [[Tibeto-Burman]]
| fam3 = [[Tibeto-Kanauri]] (?)
| fam4 = [[Bodish languages|Bodish]]
| fam5 = [[Tibetic languages|Tibetic]]
| fam6 = [[Ladakhi–Balti languages|Ladakhi–Balti]]
| script = [[Tibetan script]]
| nation = [[India]]
*[[Ladakh]]<ref name="OfficialLang">{{cite web |url=https://egazette.gov.in/WriteReadData/2025/263538.pdf |title=The Ladakh Official Languages Regulation, 2025 |publisher=The Gazette of India |date=2 June 2025 |access-date=27 June 2025 }}</ref>
| lc1 = lbj
| ld1 = Ladakhi
| lc2 = zau
| ld2 = [[Zangskari dialect|Zangskari]]
| glotto = kenh1234
| glottorefname = Kenhatic
| speakers2 =
| map2 = Lang Status 80-VU.svg
| mapscale = 1.0
| map_class2 = skin-invert-image
| mapcaption2 = {{center|{{small|Ladakhi is classified as Vulnerable by the [[UNESCO]] ''[[Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger]]''}}}}
| notice = IPA
}}
The '''Ladakhi language''' is a [[Tibetic language]] spoken in the Indian [[union territory]] of [[Ladakh]]. It is the predominant language in the [[Buddhist]]-dominated district of [[Leh district|Leh]], and a minority language in the district of [[Kargil district#Languages|Kargil]].

Ladakhi has several dialects: Lehskat, named after [[Leh]] where it is spoken, [[Shamskat]], spoken northwest of Leh, Stotskat, spoken in the [[Indus River|Indus valley]] and which unlike the others is tonal, Nubra, spoken north of Leh, the [[Changthang language]], spoken in the [[Changtang]] region by the [[Changpa]] people, and the [[Zangskari language]], spoken in the [[Zanskar]] region of Ladakh.

== Name ==
The Ladakhi language ({{bo|t=ལ་དྭགས་སྐད་|w=La-dwags skad}}) is also referred to as '''Bhoti''' or '''Bodhi'''.<ref>[https://himalayaninitiatives.org/courses/ladakhi-language/ Omniglot Ladakhi Language Introduction] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211108124826/https://himalayaninitiatives.org/courses/ladakhi-language/ |date=8 November 2021 }}, The Himalayan Initiatives, retrieved 23 January 2021.</ref><ref>{{citation |last=Namgial |first=Eshay |title=Ladakhi: An off Shoot of Classical Tibetan Language |journal=The Tibet Journal |volume=43 |number=1 |date=Spring–Summer 2018 |pages=35–47 |jstor=26634904}}</ref> Supporters of the Bhoti name hold a [[Lumpers and splitters|"lumper"]] view of the language: they use the term "Bhoti" to refer to [[Classical Tibetan]] and treat as the one, proper form of Tibetic languages across the Himalayas.<ref name=stawa>{{cite web |last1=Sherab |first1= Khanpo K.|title=Bhoti or Ladakhi: What should we call our language? |url=https://stawa.org/bhoti-or-ladakhi-what-should-we-call-our-language/ |website=Stawa}}</ref> This section of Ladakhi society has demanded inclusion Bhoti to the [[Schedule 8 languages|8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution]]. They say that Bhoti is spoken by Ladakhis, Baltis, Tibetans, and throughout the [[Himalayas]] from [[Baltistan]] to [[Arunachal Pradesh]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.reachladakh.com/national-seminar-on-bhoti-language-held-at-leh/1891.html |title=National Seminar on 'Bhoti Language' held at Leh |last=Tsewang Rigzin |date=13 September 2013 |website=Reach Ladakh |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924101438/http://www.reachladakh.com/national-seminar-on-bhoti-language-held-at-leh/1891.html |archive-date=2013-09-24}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/Ladakh-council-adopts-new-emblem-replacing-J-K-logo/Article1-667511.aspx |title=Ladakh council adopts new emblem replacing J-K logo |date=27 February 2011 |work=Hindustan Times |access-date=2011-02-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301060545/http://www.hindustantimes.com//ladakh-council-adopts-new-emblem-replacing-j-k-logo/article1-667511.aspx |archive-date=2011-03-01 |agency=Press Trust of India}}</ref><ref name=stawa/>

The name Bhoti or [[Enlightenment in Buddhism#Bodhi|Bodhi]] has [[Connotation|connotations]] with Tibetan Buddhism, a major religion in the area. Many Ladakhi people contest this classification as there are also Muslim, Christian, Hindu and Sikh speakers of Ladakhi.<ref name=outlook>{{Cite web |last=Wahid |first=Siddiq |date=13 May 2022 |title=Is Bhoti A Language, Religious Affiliation, Sanskrit Diminutive Or Political Tool? |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/national/is-bhoti-a-language-religious-affiliation-sanskrit-diminutive-or-political-tool--news-196525 |access-date=12 May 2023 |website=Outlook}}</ref>

== Dialects ==
The dialects of Ladakhi are:
* Lehskat, named after Leh where it is spoken.
* Shamskat, spoken northwest of Leh in the sham region of ladakh.
* Stotskat, spoken in the upper Indus valley of ladakh and which unlike the others is tonal.
* Nubraskat, spoken north of Leh in the nubra region of Ladakh.

==Classification==
[[Nicolas Tournadre]] considers Ladakhi, [[Balti dialect|Balti]], and [[Purgi language|Purgi]] to be distinct languages on the basis of [[mutual intelligibility]] (Zangskari is not as distinct). As a group they are termed '''Ladakhi–Balti''' or '''Western Archaic Tibetan'''.<ref>{{cite web |first=Nicolas |last=Tournadre |author-link=Nicolas Tournadre |year=2005 |title=L'aire linguistique tibétaine et ses divers dialectes |work=Lalies |volume=25 |pages=7–56 |url=http://tournadre.nicolas.free.fr/fichiers/2005-aire.pdf }}</ref>

[[Zangskari dialect|Zangskari]] is a dialect of Ladakhi spoken in [[Zanskar]] and also spoken by Buddhists in the upper reaches of [[Lahaul]] ([[Himachal Pradesh]]) and [[Paddar]] (Paldar).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Beek, Martijn van Pirie, Fernanda |url=http://worldcat.org/oclc/896146052 |title=Modern Ladakh : anthropological perspectives on continuity and change |date=2008 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-16713-1 |oclc=896146052}}</ref> It has four subdialects, Stod, Zhung, Sham, and Lungna. It is written using the [[Tibetan script]] by Buddhists and the [[Arabic script]] by Muslim and Christian Ladakhis.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Shakspo |first1=Nawang Tsering |title=Tibetan (Bhoti)—An Endangered Script in Trans-Himalaya |journal=The Tibet Journal |date=2005 |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=61–64 |jstor=43301113 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43301113}}</ref>

==Phonology==
=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="2" |
![[Labial consonant|Labial]]
![[Dental consonant|Dental]]
![[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
![[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
![[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
![[Velar consonant|Velar]]
![[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
|{{IPAlink|m}}
|{{IPAlink|n̪}}
|
|
|{{IPAlink|ɲ}}
|{{IPAlink|ŋ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="3" |[[Plosive]]/ [[Affricate]]
![[Voicelessness|voiceless]]
|{{IPAlink|p}}
|{{IPAlink|t̪}}
|{{IPAlink|t͡s}}
|{{IPAlink|ʈ}}
|{{IPAlink|t͡ʃ}}
|{{IPAlink|k}}
|
|-
![[Aspirated consonant|aspirated]]
|{{IPAlink|pʰ}}
|{{IPAlink|t̪ʰ}}
|{{IPAlink|t͡sʰ}}
|{{IPAlink|ʈʰ}}
|{{IPAlink|t͡ʃʰ}}
|{{IPAlink|kʰ}}
|
|-
![[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]
|{{IPAlink|b}}
|{{IPAlink|d̪}}
|{{IPAlink|d͡z}}
|{{IPAlink|ɖ}}
|{{IPAlink|d͡ʒ}}
|{{IPAlink|ɡ}}
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Fricative]]
![[Voicelessness|voiceless]]
|
|
|{{IPAlink|s}}
|{{IPAlink|ʂ}}
|{{IPAlink|ʃ}}
|
|{{IPAlink|h}}
|-
![[Voice (phonetics)|voiced]]
|
|
|{{IPAlink|z}}
|
|{{IPAlink|ʒ}}
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Trill consonant|Trill]]
|
|
|{{IPAlink|r}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! rowspan="2" |[[Lateral consonant|Lateral]]
!plain
|
|
|{{IPAlink|l}}
|
|
|
|
|-
![[Breathy voice|murmured]]
|
|
|{{IPAlink|lʱ}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" |[[Semivowel]]
|{{IPAlink|w}}
|
|
|
|{{IPAlink|j}}
|
|
|}

*{{IPA|/b d ɡ/}} can fricative sounds {{IPA|[β ð ɣ]}} as [[allophones]] that occur within free variation.
*{{IPA|/k/}} has an allophone of a retracted velar stop {{IPA|[k̠]}}.
*{{IPA|/l r/}} can have allophones {{IPA|[l̥ r̥]}} when occurring initially before a voiceless consonant.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Koshal|first=Sanyukta|title=Ladakhi Grammar|publisher=Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass.|year=1979|ISBN=0896840522}}</ref>

=== Vowels ===
Ladakhi has a regular five vowel system, but with {{IPA|[a]}} being replaced with {{IPA|[ə]}}, making it unusual, as most languages have {{IPA|[a]}}.<ref name=":0" />
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!
![[Front vowel|Front]]
![[Central vowel|Central]]
![[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPAlink|i}}
|
|{{IPAlink|u}}
|-
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|{{IPAlink|e}}
|{{IPAlink|ə}}
|{{IPAlink|o}}
|}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Vowels with allophones
!
![[Front vowel|Front]]
![[Central vowel|Central]]
![[Back vowel|Back]]
|- align="center"
![[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPAlink|i}}
|
|{{IPAlink|u}}
|-
![[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
|{{IPAlink|e}}
|
|{{IPAlink|o}}
|-
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|{{IPAblink|ɛ̝}}
|{{IPAlink|ə}}
|{{IPAblink|ɔ̝}}
|-
![[Open-mid vowel|Open-mid]]
|
|{{IPAblink|ɐ}}
|
|-
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|
|{{IPAblink|ä}}
|
|}

* Allophones of {{IPA|/ə/}} in word-final position are heard as {{IPA|[ä ɐ]}}.
* Allophones of {{IPA|/e o/}} are heard as {{IPA|[ɛ̝ ɔ̝]}}.
* Allophones occur in free variation.<ref name=":0" />

==Script==
Ladakhi is usually written using [[Tibetan script]], and the pronunciation of Ladakhi is much closer to written [[Classical Tibetan]] than that of most other [[Tibetic languages]]. Ladakhis pronounce many of the prefix, suffix and head letters that are silent in many other Tibetic languages, in particular the [[Central Tibetan language|Central Tibetan]].<ref>Bielmeier, Roland. 1985. 'A Survey of the Development of Western and South-western Tibetan dialects', in Barbara Nimri Aziz and Matthew Kapstein (eds.), ''Soundings in Tibetan Civilisation''.</ref> This tendency is more pronounced to the west of Leh, and on the Pakistani side of the [[Line of Control]], in [[Baltistan]]. Although the pronunciation is relatively conservative, the Ladakhi language has accumulated significant grammatical differences from the classical, written language.<ref name="zeisler 2006">{{cite book|chapter=Why Ladakhi must not be written – Being part of the Great Tradition Another kind of global thinking|first=Bettina |last=Zeisler|date=2006|title=Lesser-Known Languages of South Asia|editor1=Anju Saxena|editor2=Lars Borin|page=178}}</ref>

The question of whether to write colloquial Ladakhi (''phalskat'') in the Tibetan script or to write an only slightly Ladakhified version of [[Classical Tibetan]] (''choskat'') is controversial in Ladakh.<ref name="van Beek">{{cite book|title=Tibetan Modernities: Notes from the Field on Cultural and Social Change|editor1-first=Robert|editor1-last=Barnett|editor2-first=Ronald David|editor2-last=Schwartz|publisher=Brill|year=2008|chapter=Imaginaries of Ladakhi Modernity|pages=178–179|first=Martijn|last=van Beek}}</ref> Muslim Ladakhis speak Ladakhi but most do not read the Tibetan script. Most Buddhist Ladakhis can sound out the Tibetan script but do not understand Classical Tibetan, yet many Ladakhi Buddhist scholars insist that Ladakhi must be written only in a form of Classical Tibetan, seeing the vernacular-based orthography only as deviation from the "proper" language.<ref name="zeisler 2006"/> A limited number of books and magazines have been published in colloquial Ladakhi, one example being ''Ladags Melong'' from [[SECMOL]].<ref name="zeisler 2006"/>

In Ladakhi language, it is customary to add the suffix 'le' at the end of sentences as a sign of respect towards the individual being spoken to.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yangdol |first=Dechen |title=Ladakhi Language |url=https://www.lehladakhtaxis.com/practical-info/ladakhi-language-and-phrasebook }}</ref> This linguistic convention is a way to express politeness and honor towards the listener, emphasizing the cultural values of respect and courtesy.

Written Ladakhi is most often romanised using modified [[Wylie transliteration]], with ''th'' denoting an [[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]] dental ''t'', for example.

==Grammar==

===Nouns===
Ladakhi nouns inflect for [[grammatical number|number]] and [[grammatical case|case]].
There are two numbers: [[singular number|singular]] (unmarked) and [[plural number|plural]] (indicated by -''kun'', -''gun'' or -''sək'').<ref name=":0" /> For example:

{{fs interlinear|indent=3|lang=lbj
|khəŋpə → {khəŋpə'''gun'''/khəŋpə'''kun'''/khəŋpə'''sək'''}
|house {} house'''s'''
|}}

Plurality is usually unmarked when it is clear from context.

There are 7 cases:<ref name=":0" />
* [[direct case]]
* [[ergative case]]
* [[dative case]]
* [[instrumental case]]
* [[associative case]]
* [[ablative case]]
* [[genitive case]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{wikibooks|Research on Tibetan Languages: A Bibliography}}
{{Wikivoyage|Ladakhi phrasebook|Lakakhi|a phrasebook}}
*A. H. Francke 1901 [https://www.scribd.com/doc/42478983/Francke-1901-Ladakhi-Sketch-Grammar A Sketch of Ladakhi Grammar]''Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal'' 70.1 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130729111835/http://www.scribd.com/doc/42478983/Francke-1901-Ladakhi-Sketch-Grammar |date=29 July 2013 }}

{{incubator|lbj}}

{{Languages of Kashmir}}
{{Sino-Tibetan languages}}
{{Bodic languages}}
{{Languages of India}}
{{Ladakh}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bodic languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Gilgit-Baltistan]]
[[Category:Languages of Ladakh]]
[[Category:Culture of Ladakh]]
[[Category:Languages written in Tibetan script]]

Ladakhi language - Revision history

LatonyaOconnor at 21:40, 21 February 2026