How has Newari been influenced by both Tibeto-Burman and Indo-European languages?

Newari is primarily classified as a member of the Tibeto-Burman language family, which is well-represented in the northern and eastern regions of Nepal. Despite this classification, the language has been significantly influenced by Indo-European languages.1

This linguistic interaction is a result of the long history of Nepal serving as a crossroads where diverse groups have overlapped and intermingled for centuries. While the Newar people are among the earliest inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley, the region has also seen extensive historical contact with Indo-Aryan speakers—a branch of the Indo-European family—who constitute the majority of the population in the country today. This prolonged contact between Tibeto-Burman speakers and Indo-European speakers has led to the cross-pollination of linguistic features, shaping the development of Newari alongside other languages in the region.21