Kathmandu, March 30:

The first dictionary in Jirel language accompanied with English and Nepali meanings has been released amidst a function organised by the Jirel Community Uplift Association at Jiri, which is considered the capital of the community.

Social worker Dhan Bahadur Jirel said the dictionary would help conserve the language and culture of the marginalised community, adding that it would also be useful for people wishing to learn about the community. Swiss national Yesther Striem and German national Anita Mybame, who have been conducting research on the language for the last three-and-a-half decades, prepared the 850-page dictionary.

Striem, Mybame and Dr Olak Jirel who contributed to prepare the dictionary were honoured on the occasion. President of the Association Nir Bahadur Jirel said the launching of the dictionary was a historical event for the Jirel community.

Indra Bahadur Khadka, a teacher at the Jiri Technical School, stressed the need to protect the languages and cultures of marginalised communities. The function was conducted in Jirel language.