"...in 2019, we recorded the [two living] speakers, Gyani Maiya Sen Kusunda and Kamala Khatri, together... In early 2020, Kusunda ceased being spoken in a natural language environment [with the passing of Gyani Maiya]. As one speaker still lives (Kamala), Kusunda does not yet fulfil Leonard’s definition of a ‘sleeping’ (or ‘dormant’) language in the strictest sense... Nonetheless, describing the present efforts to recreate a vibrant speech community as ‘awakening’ Kusunda is apt. because Kusunda was basically dormant for the last 50 to 60 years. There is no active speech community, all new learners have no extant knowledge of the language, and the process of revitalisation is similar in many respects to starting with no speakers at all."

7 (2005 SIL). 87 reported in 2001 census, living in Pyuthan, Dang and Tanahun. Ethnic population: 164.

1

“I feel very sad for not being able to speak with people from my own community. They neither understand nor speak the Kusunda language – it will die with me.” -- Gyani Maiya Sen, last fluent speaker

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"Gyanimaya Kusunda and her sister Kamala Kusunda, who are among the handful of people who can still speak their native language in its original form, were delighted to see a group of people from their community learning their language in a classroom of Aadarsha Secondary School in Lamahi, Dang, on Thursday.

The class, which will be held regularly from now onwards, was organised by the Language Commission in a bid to preserve the dying Kusunda language. The commission has assigned 80-year-old Gyanimaya and 43-year-old Kamala as the resource persons for the language class."

"At the moment, 20 people from the Kusunda community are taking the language course, but Awasthi said the class was open to anyone who wanted to learn the language."

The last fluent speakers are "Gyani Maiya Sen, a 75-year-old woman from western Nepal" and Kamala Khatri, who left Nepal to find work.

"Gyani Maya Kusunda, one of the two fluent mother-tongue speakers from a nearly extinct language, died last year in her hometown Lamahi, Dang in western Nepal."