Nepali, (Nepali: नेपाली भाषा) is an Indo-Aryan language derived from Sanskrit. It is the official language and de facto lingua franca of Nepal. It is spoken chiefly by in Nepal and by a significant number of Bhutanese and some Burmese people. In India, the Nepali language is listed in the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India as an Indian language having an official status in the Indian state of Sikkim and in West Bengal's Darjeeling district.[4] Nepali developed in proximity to a number of Indo-Aryan languages, most notably the Pahari languages and Maithili, and shows Sanskrit influences. However, owing to Nepal's geographical area, it has also been influenced by Tibeto-Burman languages. Nepali is mainly differentiated from Central Pahari, both in grammar and vocabulary, by Tibeto-Burman idioms owing to close contact with the respective language group.[5]
Historically, the language is believed to have been originally called Khas language (Khas kurā), then Gorkhali (language of the Gorkha Kingdom) before the term Nepali was adopted. In 1920, during the Rana regime in Nepal, the term "Nepal" which resembled the Nepal Mandala was taken from its people. Soon after that, Nepal Bhasa was renamed into Newari and the Parbate/Khas language took over as the language of Nepal. It is also known as the Khey (the native term for Khas-Arya people living in the periphery of Kathmandu valley), Partya (native term for 'Parbate' meaning 'of hill'), or simply as Parbate language among the Newar people and Pahari among the Madhesis and Tharus. Other names include Dzongkha Lhotshammikha ("Southern Language", spoken by the Lhotshampas of Bhutan).