Learn how to say hello in Newari language or Namaste in Newari.
In English Hello
In Nepali Namaste
In Newari Jwojalapa
jwo-ja-la-pa If it is hard for you to understand then you can also remember it as jo jo lapa.
ज्वजलपा
To say hello in Newari you can simply say “Jwojalapa” (ज्वजलपा). It is pronounced as jwo-ja-la-pa. Jwojalapa and Nasmate in Nepali are the same. We keep our hands together in front of our chest. According to the Newari culture people don’t say Jwojalapa to friends, husband, wife, mother, father, etc. Normally it is said to give respect to elder relatives and so on. Please also say Jwojalapa to your uncle, aunt, and teacher.
According to the changes in time, there is a change in people’s behavior also. about 20-30 years before in Kathmandu when son-in-law visited the house he used to bow down to father’s in law feet to give respect but nowadays people simply say” Jwojalapa”.
If you’re visiting Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, and Lalitpur then people will understand when you say Jwojalapa but outside these cities, people might not understand this word as there are less number of Newa people outside these cities. Officially Newari is called Nepal Bhasha. Word Newari is popular but some people prefer to say the official name Nepal Bhasha. So you need to keep this in mind as some people get upset when you call Newari to Nepal Bhasha.
Jojolapa literally means a pair of hands put together in respect
Jwo is an extensive form of Jod meaning a pair in the Indic languages and lha means hand in Nepal Bhawan and lafa means a slap by the hand in the Indic languages….Nepal Bhasa predominantly is Tibeto-Burman but with the advent of the Lichhavis and the Malla rule, they brought in the Indic/ Sanskrit inputs into the Nepal Bhasa and thus, experts assume almost 40-60% Indic origin vocabulary in the Nepal Bhasa.
Hello! Jojolapa means “hello” in Newari.