The project is hosted by Trinity College Dublin (TCD), funded by the European Research Council (ERC) and has a counterpart organisation in Bhutan, the Centre for Bhutan and GNH Studies (CBS). The project focus on two speech communities in Bhutan, speaking the highly endangered Gongduk and Monkha languages.
Trinity College Dublin
School of Linguistic, Speech and Communication Sciences, Trinity College Dublin
We are a team of scholars who all share a passion for human language in its various facets. We foster inclusive diversity as a powerful resource through the study of linguistics, communication, speech, and swallowing. Our work benefits individuals and communities through the lifespan. The School's vision is to be an internationally recognised reference point for the scientific study of language, communication, speech and swallowing, characterised by a distinctive focus on communication diversity and inclusion.
The School of Linguistic, Speech, and Communication Sciences research and teaching includes the following: Linguistics; Applied Linguistics; Computational Linguistics; Speech Science and Phonetics; Speech and Language Pathology; Dysphagia; Deaf Studies; Irish Sign Language; English Language Teaching; Irish Language Technology; and Asian Studies.
European Union
This project is funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe research and innovation program through a European Research Council starting grant.
The Centre for Bhutan and GNH Studies (CBS)
The Centre for Bhutan & GNH Studies (CBS) is an autonomous government research institute for social science and public policy. It conducts inter-disciplinary studies on Bhutan’s economy, polity, history, religion, society, culture, and other related themes. One of the major areas of focus since mid-2000s was on deepening the understanding of Gross National Happiness concept to influence public policy and development discourse. Towards this end, the Centre developed GNH Index, GNH Policy Screening Tools, and GNH of Business Assessment Tools to integrate GNH into national planning process and businesses. The Centre also promotes scholarship on Bhutan through publications and dissemination, organising national and international conferences, seminars, and eminent lecture series.
Monpa community
The Monpa language is spoken in three distinct speech communities living at the edges of the Black Mountain range in Central Bhutan. To the West of the range, in Wangdue Phodrang district, there is the village of Rukha, where Monkha is only spoken by a few people. To the South, in Sarpang district, there is the related community of Riti, where the language is still relatively vibrant. Rukha and Riti make up the western dialect of Monkha, Separated by a day’s walk is the village of Cungseng, where there are still several speakers of the southern dialect of Monkha. In the village of Berte, this southern variety is only spoken by a few people. The most populous Monkha speech community is that of Jangbi, Phumzur and Wangling in Trongsa district. They represent the eastern variety of Monkha.
Gongduk community
The Gongduk language is spoken in several villages and hamlets in Gongdue block of Monggar district in Eastern Bhutan. Many of these villages are remote and difficultly accessible. Limited opportunities have resulted in widespread migration and empty households. Gongduk speakers are now scattered across Bhutan and beyond. The remaining Gongduk speakers are linguistically assimilating to their more numerous Khengkha and Tshangla speaking neighbors.