Sherpa Language | Joshua Project

Home People Groups Lists Language: Sherpa

Language: Sherpa

Estimated Global Speakers

151,000

People Groups Speaking as Primary Language

Scripture Status

New Testament

Audio Bible

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Jesus Film

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Gospel Recordings

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Map Notes

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Progress Scale: ●●●●●
☀
= Frontier peoples
People Group ▲	Country	Country Population	Global Population	Indigenous	Primary Religion	Progress Scale	% Christian Adherent	% Evangelical	Est. Workers Needed *
Dolpa	Nepal	4,000	4,000	●	Buddhism	1 ●	1.10 %	-1	1
Sherpa	Bhutan	9,900	162,000		Buddhism	0 ☀	0.00 %	0.00 %	1
Sherpa	China	1,200	162,000	●	Buddhism	0 ☀	0.00 %	0.00 %	1
Sherpa	Nepal	107,000	162,000	●	Buddhism	1 ●	4.22 %	-1	2
Sherpa	United States	5,000	162,000		Buddhism	0 ☀	0.00 %	0.00 %	1
Tokpegola	Nepal	1,500	1,500	●	Buddhism	0 ☀	0.00 %	0.00 %	1
Totals: 6						6 ●			7

* An estimate of the number of pioneer workers needed for initial church planting among unreached people groups by country. Estimates are calculated only for unreached people groups and are based on ratio of 1 worker-unit (single person or married couple) per 50,000 living in an unreached people group by country, or for example one team of four worker-units per 200,000 people. Some workers may already be onsite. Many more workers are needed beyond this initial estimate.

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Progress Scale: ●●●●●
☀
= Frontier peoples
People Group ▲	Country	Population	Global Population	Indigenous	Primary Religion	Progress Scale	% Christian Adherent	% Evangelical	Est. Workers Needed *
Asur	India	32,000	33,000	●	Hinduism	2 ●	8.47 %	-1	-1 -
Baiga	India	573,000	576,000	●	Hinduism	1 ●	0.22 %	-1	11
Bhote	Nepal	13,000	13,000	●	Buddhism	1 ●	1.40 %	-1	1
Bhotia	India	114,000	114,000	●	Buddhism	1 ●	4.90 %	-1	2
Bhotia Sikkim	Bhutan	6,200	90,000		Buddhism	0 ☀	0.00 %	0.00 %	1
Bhotia Sikkim	India	84,000	90,000	●	Buddhism	1 ●	4.44 %	-1	2
Bodh (Buddhist traditions)	India	117,000	118,000	●	Buddhism	1 ●	0.35 %	-1	2
Chhetri	Nepal	4,269,000	4,521,000	●	Hinduism	1 ●	0.14 %	-1	85
Gurung Ghale	Nepal	22,000	22,000	●	Buddhism	2 ●	6.40 %	-1	-1 -
Gurung Ghaleg	Nepal	511,000	630,000	●	Buddhism	2 ●	5.00 %	-1	-1 -
Gyalsumdo	Nepal	400	400	●	Buddhism	1 ●	4.01 %	-1	1
Jad	India	2,200	2,200	●	Buddhism	1 ●	0.59 %	-1	1
Kanaura	India	54,000	54,000	●	Hinduism	0 ☀	0.07 %	-1	1
Lhomi, Shing Saapa	Nepal	1,100	4,400	●	Buddhism	1 ●	0.88 %	-1	1
Momba	India	4,500	13,000	●	Buddhism	1 ●	0.69 %	-1	1
Newah	Nepal	1,284,000	1,455,000	●	Hinduism	1 ●	0.91 %	-1	26
Rai	Nepal	602,000	733,000	●	Other / Small	2 ●	5.56 %	-1	-1 -
Rongkup	India	75,000	82,000	●	Buddhism	2 ●	25.65 %	-1	-1 -
Sarki	Nepal	365,000	395,000	●	Hinduism	1 ●	2.14 %	-1	7
Sauria Paharia	India	53,000	58,000	●	Hinduism	2 ●	46.85 %	-1	-1 -
Sherpa	India	39,000	162,000	●	Buddhism	2 ●	15.81 %	-1	-1 -
Swangla	India	9,600	9,600	●	Hinduism	0 ☀	0.00 %	0.00 %	1
Tamang	Nepal	1,490,000	1,733,000	●	Buddhism	2 ●	6.60 %	-1	-1 -
Totals: 23						15 ●			143

Download Data Data Sources Definitions

Item	Value
Status	Living
Ethnologue Code	xsr
Written	Yes
Bible Translation	New Testament
Progress Scale	●

Language Alternate Names
Central Sherpa (Solu)
Dolakha
East Sherpa (Dolakha)
Khumbu
North Sherpa (Khumbu)
Ramechhap
Serwa
Sharpa
Sharpa Bhotia
Sherwi tamnye
Solu
South Sherpa
West Sherpa
Xarba
Xiaerba

Dialects
Central Sherpa
East Sherpa
Khumbu
North Sherpa
Ramechaap
Solu
Twerpa

Dialect Alternate Names
Khumbu
Namche Bazar
Serwa: Solu
Sharpa: Solu
Sherpa
Sherpa: Solu
Sherpa: Solu Khumbu
Sherpa: Solu-Khumba/Namche Baz
Sherpa: Solukhumbu
Sherpa: Solu-Khumbu
Solu Khumbu
Solu-khumba/namche Baz
Solukhumbu
Solu-khumbu
Xiaerba: Solu

Bible Translation	Year / Status
Bible Portions	1975-2008
New Testament	2014
Complete Bible	None Reported

Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
Virtual Storehouse
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
World Bibles

Resource Directories
Scripture Earth
Language Archives
Linguist List
SIL Resources

Format ▲	Resource
Audio Recordings	Audio Bible teaching (Global Recordings Network)
Audio Recordings	Online New Testament (Faith Comes By Hearing)
Audio Recordings	Online Scripture / Portions
Audio Recordings	Story of Jesus audio (Jesus Film Project)
Film / Video	God's Story Video
Film / Video	Jesus Film: view in Sherpa
Film / Video	LUMO film of Gospels
General	Gospel resources links (Scripture Earth)
Mobile App	Download audio Bible app as APK file from Faith Comes By Hearing
Text / Printed Matter	Bible: कोन्छ्‌योककी सुङ
Text / Printed Matter	The Ancient Path (Sherpa)

The Joshua Project Progress Scale is an estimate of the progress of church planting among a people group, people cluster, country or language. The Progress Scale is derived from people group values for percent Evangelical and percent Christian Adherent.

Level	Description	Criteria
1	Unreached - Few evangelicals and few who identify as Christians. Little, if any, history of Christianity.	Evangelicals <= 2% Professing Christians <= 5%
2	Minimally reached - Few evangelicals, but significant number who identify as Christians.	Evangelicals <= 2% Professing Christians > 5% and <= 50%
3	Superficially reached - Few evangelicals, but many who identify as Christians. In great need of spiritual renewal and commitment to biblical faith.	Evangelicals <= 2% Professing Christians > 50%
4	Partially reached - Evangelicals have a modest presence.	Evangelicals > 2% and <= 10%
5	Significantly reached - Evangelicals have a significant presence.	Evangelicals > 10%

Disclaimers:

Joshua Project data is drawn from many sources and of varying accuracy depending on source and editorial decisions. Populations are scaled to the current year. Other data may have varying ages. We welcome suggested updates.
A displayed zero can mean true zero, a very small rounded number or sometimes unknown. Blanks mean an unknown value.
The data is sometimes not as precise as it appears. Values for %Christian Adherent and %Evangelical (which determine unreached status) are often informed estimates, some more accurate than others. We recommend against using %Christian Adherent and %Evangelical to calculate absolute numbers.
Joshua Project makes every effort to ensure that the subject in an image is in fact from the specific people group. In rare instances a representative photo may be used.
Joshua Project may be able to provide more information than what is published on this site. Please contact us.
On-the-ground reality may vary from what is presented here. Before making travel plans based on data presented here, please confirm with other sources to the extent possible.

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