Dzongkha
/ˈdzɒŋ.kə/noun
The national language of Bhutan, belonging to the Southern Bodish branch of the Tibetic languages.
Did you know?Dzongkha developed around Bhutan’s dzongs—fortified religious and administrative centers—whose institutions helped spread and standardize the language.
Etymological Timeline
Early Tibetan period
Old Tibetan
rdzong
“Fortress, fortified administrative center”
Classical Tibetan
Classical Tibetan
kha
“Mouth; by extension, speech or language”
Classical Tibetan
Classical Tibetan
rdzong-kha
“The speech or language associated with the dzongs”
17th Century
Bhutanese Tibetan
རྫོང་ཁ
“The language used in Bhutan’s dzong-based religious and governmental system”
20th Century
Dzongkha
Dzongkha
“The principal national language of Bhutan”
Modern English
English
Dzongkha
“The national language of Bhutan”