Nyagrong Minyag: Prestige and maintenance of a traditional language on the Tibetan periphery

Nyagrong Minyag is an endangered language spoken on the periphery of the Chinese Tibetosphere. This article examines the external and internal forces that are contributing to the language’s endangerment. Nyagrong Minyag is at the bottom of a prestige hierarchy which also includes varieties of Tibetan and Chinese. Speakers’ shift away from Nyagrong Minyag and toward these other languages is occurring alongside changes in education, technology, language attitudes, and access to the Chinese economy. In addition, relocation as a result of the construction of a hydroelectric dam may have significant consequences for the future of this language.