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Bunan, also known as Gahri, Ghara, Lahuli of Bunan, Boonan, Punan, Poonan, Erankad or Keylong Boli, is a Tibeto-Burman minority language, largely spoken in the Kyelang block of Lahaul and Spiti district, in the northernmost region of Himachal Pradesh, India. The number of people speaking the language is only approximately 4,000 in India. The Tibeto-Burman language family consists of fourteen languages spoken in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, and Bunan is assigned to the West Himalayish branch.
The language has its own grammar, as documented by various scholars. The Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages organisation worked extensively on the documentation of the Bunan language.
Other commonly spoken languages of the Bunan community are Hindi, Tibetan, Manchad, and English. The language has 37% lexical similarity with Lahauli Tinan language, 24% lexical similarity with Lhasa Tibetan language, and 34% lexical similarity with Central Tibetan languages.
Bunan is also spoken in Barbog, Bokar Gompa, Billing, Chhelling, Gozang, Greimas, Gumlink, Gumrang, Gyuskhar, Lepchang, Katchra, Kardang, Kardang Gompa, Mongwan, Mangmore, Namchia, Paspara, Pyaso, Pyukar, Sasure Gompa, Sikkeling, Styingri, Tayule, and Yurnad regions.
The Bunan language is sometimes confused with the Bunun language, which is spoken in Taiwan and belongs to the Austronesian language family.
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