Sernya

Who are the peoples of Nepal, and what can their languages reveal about their origins?

Join us this Thursday, June 25th at 5:30 p.m. for the public CIRDIS lecture on “The Kathmandu Valley, Nepal and the Eastern Himalayas. Ethnogenesis and Ethnolinguistic Prehistory“ by George van Driem (Institut für Sprachwissenschaft, Universität Bern).

Although the name Nepal originally referred only to the Kathmandu Valley, the region's deeper history extends far beyond the emergence of the modern nation-state. Nepal lies at the crossroads of major language families, including Indo-European and Trans-Himalayan, while the wider Himalayan region is also home to Dravidian, Austroasiatic, Kra-Dai, and Kusunda-speaking communities.

Drawing on evidence from historical linguistics, archaeology, and genetics, this presentation explores the ethnolinguistic prehistory of Nepal and surrounding regions. By examining language relationships, population history, and recent ancient DNA findings, it offers new perspectives on the origins and historical development of the Himalayan peoples.

https://stb.univie.ac.at/news-events/detail/news/the-kathmandu-valley-nepal-and-the-eastern-himalayas-ethnogenesis-and-ethnolinguistic-prehistory/

The lecture will take place in seminar room 1 of the ISTB (University Campus, Spitalgasse 2, Hof 2.7, 1090 Vienna). Join us on site or online via Zoom:
https://univienna.zoom.us/j/67189333764?pwd=zJ2ZQrpnVnmOJDeDlePU3KaVo3kwDS.1

On CIRDIS:
Established at the University of Vienna in 2006, CIRDIS (Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Documentation of Inner and South Asian Cultural History, cirdis.univie.ac.at) is a center of excellence at the University of Vienna.

Through initiatives in documentation and archiving, fieldwork-based primary research, interdisciplinary collaboration, graduate education, and translation and public engagement, CIRDIS fosters innovative approaches and new research directions in the study of South and Inner Asia.