For The Lack Of An Alphabet

Dear Wolfgang,

Thank you for your mail.

Yes, I have been pointing out that our “Ngueltam/Chaetam” are incorrectly spelt.

Earlier they used to be spelt correctly with the alphabet

as follows:

In due course they came to be wrongly spelt as follows:

So far the authorities have chosen to remain unimpressed by the mistakes.

It took me a long time to find out the provable cause for the mistakes. One learned Bhutanese scholar finally explained to me that the reason may have been as a consequence of the introduction of the mechanical Dzongkha typewriters in the 1970s. He explained to me that the alphabet

was missing in the mechanical typewriters’ keyboard layout. Thus, people were forced to substitute the alphabet with the word

He tells me that even he did so in his literature writings using the Dzongkha typewriter.

Regarding the expression “Tam”, “Trum” and “Tang” … I choose to spell it “Tang” because, as you know, our metal coins have their origins in the Koch Narayani who designated their coins “Tanka”, derived from the Sanskrit, meaning money.

The term “Tam” used by Tibetans …. No one has been able to explain to me convincingly what the word stands for. Thus, until I find an acceptable explanation for the other terms, I will continue to use the term “Tang”. I do not find it necessary that we should adopt the word just because the Tibetans did it - not unless there is some basis for doing so.

Sadly, Ngueltang and Chaetang that are applied to describe our modern coins and paper money are also totally wrong.

Our paper currency “Ngueltang” means = Silver Coin ---- when it is neither silver nor coin.

Our coins that came to be called "Chaetang" means = Half coin …. It is not half but a full coin.

In my next life I will choose to be reborn as the Governor of the Royal Monetary Authority of Bhutan ….. then hopefully I will have the authority to make amends 😜