Nepali is an Indo-Aryan language spoken in Nepal, India and Bhutan. It is the official language of Nepal. Roughly half the population of Nepal speaks Nepalese as a mother tongue, and many other Nepalese speak it as a second language.

Khaskura, as its speakers themselves call it, passes under various names. English speakers generally call it Nepali or Nepalese (i.e. the language of Nepal). Khaskura is also called Gorkhali or Gurkhali, the language of the Gurkhas, and Parbatiya, the language of the mountains.

Nepali is the easternmost of the Pahari languages, a group of related languages spoken across the lower elevations of the Himalaya range, from eastern Nepal through the Indian states of Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh. Nepali developed in close proximity to a number of Tibeto-Burman languages, most notably Newari, and shows Tibeto-Burman influences.

Nepali is closely related to Hindi but is more conservative, borrowing fewer words from Persian and English and using more Sanskritic derivations. Today, Nepali is commonly written in the Devanagari script. Bhujimol is an older script native to Nepal.

Nepali developed a small literature during the second half of the nineteenth century, which included the <Adhyatma Ramayana> by <Sundarananda Bara> (1833), Birsikka, an anonymous collection of folk-tales, and a Ramayana by Bhanubhakta. There were also several translations of Sanskrit works, and a version of the Bible.

See also: Lhotshampa

Examples of phrases in Nepali include:

• namaste. -- all-purpose Hindu greeting is often translated as "I salute the god within you".

(Namaste is also used as a salutation between New Agers) Its literal Sanskrit meaning is "your homage" and in common usage simply means "hello" or "goodbye."

• mero naam sushit ho. -- my name Sushit is -- My name is Sushit.

• khaanaa khaane Thaaun kahaan chha? -- food eating place where is - Where is a place to eat?

• kaaThmaandaun jaane baaTo dherai laamo chha. -- Kathmandu going road very long is --The road to Kathmandu is very long.

• nepaalmaa baneko -- Nepal-in made -- Made in Nepal.

• ma nepaali hum -- I Nepali am -- I am Nepali.

• pugyo —[it] arrived/sufficed — That is enough.