ཨ་མདོ་སྐད་
Amdo Tibetan
DUMBOWhat is commonly called Tibetan is increasingly known to linguists as Tibetic, a substantial and diverse branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family with over 50 varieties of often limited mutual intelligibility spoken across the traditional Tibetan cultural sphere of the Himalaya in today’s China, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bhutan — and, increasingly, around the world. For many, not only Tibetan Buddhism and the Tibetan alphabet, but also the Classical Tibetan of religious scripture and the modern "Diaspora Standard" Tibetan (based on the Lhasa variety), and sometimes a mixed Ramaluk all serve as common lingua francas uniting people whose home languages are quite different. Among the large groups in New York for whom Tibetan is a common second or third language are speakers of Sherpa, Loke, Dzongkha, and varieties of Amdo and Kham Tibetan (themselves very internally diverse).
A
mdo Tibetan is a broad term covering some of the diverse Tibetic language varieties spoken in Amdo, the traditional province of northeastern Tibet. Queens is the center of gravity for at least half a dozen distinct Amdo organized communities (e.g. those from Kokonor/Tso Ngonpo) representing these quite distinct language varieties. Many Amdo communities have long been nomadic pastoralists. Dorje Ling temple, led in part by a rinpoche from the Golok region of Amdo, is a religious hub for the Brooklyn Himalayan community. The Amdo community may also include a small number of speakers of non-Tibetic languages from Amdo, such as Gyalrong. (ELA recognizes that the Chinese government's rule in Tibet, where this language is spoken, is disputed.)
Note that the language above may be used throughout the New York area — this is just one significant site.