Byangsi (also called Byansi, Byãsi, Byangkho Lwo, Byanshi, Bhotia, and Byangkhopa) is a West Himalayish language of India and Nepal. Estimates of numbers of speakers vary, but some sources say that the language is spoken by about 1,000-1,500 people, while others estimate as many as 3,300. Byangsi is from a region of high language density, that is to say that there are many languages among few people. It is the most dominant language in this region, although it is not widely known outside of its small hill district and those who speak it have difficulty classifying themselves for central government dealings. The term Byangsi may also refer to the people that speak the language. There are also three variants of it: Pangjungkho Boli, Kuti, and Yerjungkho Boli. It is considered an endangered language, and it is most likely to be replaced by Hindi if it disappears. Geographic distribution Byangsi is part of a group of four small West Himalayish languages spoken in the former "state of Almora", now divided between India's Uttarakhand and far-western Nepal, viz., Rangkas, Darmiya, Chaudangsi and Byangsi. In Uttarakhand, the Byangsi area extends from Budi () in the south to Kuti village () in the north. The area is located in Dharchula and Munsiyari tehsils of the Pithoragarh district, and the majority of it is in the Kuthi valley near the Tibet and Nepal borders. Other villages of the area include Nabi, Gunji, Napalchyu, Rongkang, and Garbyang. In Nepal, Byangsi is traditionally spoken in Chhangru () and Tinkar () in the Tinkar river valley. The villages are in the Byans municipality in the Darchula District of Sudurpashchim Province. Later, two new villages called Rapla and Sitola were founded by Byangsi speakers to the south of the original area. History The speakers of Byangsi believe themselves to be descended from the Darchula Byangsi people, high-caste Parbatiya, and Tibetans. Until recently, the hill region where the people live was closed to foreign researchers, so very little information has been gathered on the languages of the area. Culture The people who speak Byangsi may be called Byangsi, but the people prefer Bura. In Nepal's national caste system, which the Nepalese government used to replace the three previous regionally-distinct hierarchies, the mountain peoples to which the Bura belong are placed near the middle. For legal matters with the government, the Bura consider themselves Chetri, specifically, Matwali Chetri, which signifies that