The Bhutan National Corpus (BNC) is a large and diverse corpus of Dzongkha text that serves various linguistic and language-related research purposes. It was created to provide researchers, linguists, and language enthusiasts with a comprehensive and representative sample of the Dzongkha language as it is used in both written and spoken contexts. The BNC was initially planned in 2015. Here are some of the primary uses of the Bhutan National Corpus:

Linguistic Research: Linguists and language researchers use the BNC to study various aspects of the Dzongkha language, such as vocabulary, grammar, syntax, semantics, and discourse patterns. The corpus provides a vast and structured dataset for conducting quantitative and qualitative linguistic analysis.

Lexicography: Lexicographers and dictionary compilers use the BNC to gather examples of word usage and collocations. It helps in the compilation and revision of dictionaries, thesauri, and language reference materials.

Language Teaching and Learning: Dzongkha teachers and learners can use the BNC to access authentic examples of Dzongkha usage in different contexts. It helps learners understand how words and phrases are used in real-life situations.

Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP researchers and developers use the BNC to train and evaluate language models, machine translation systems, sentiment analysis tools, and various other language-related applications.

Sociolinguistics and Dialectology: Sociolinguists use the BNC to analyze language variations across different regions, social groups, and time periods. It helps in studying dialects, language change, and sociolinguistic phenomena.

Corpus Linguistics: The BNC is a valuable resource for corpus linguists who aim to investigate linguistic patterns and trends by analyzing large collections of text. It facilitates the development of linguistic theories and models.

Academic Research: Researchers in fields such as literature, communication studies, anthropology, and psychology may use the BNC to support their investigations into language-related topics.

Text Mining and Information Retrieval: The BNC can be used in text mining and information retrieval tasks to extract valuable insights and information from large volumes of text.

Language Policy and Planning: Governments and language policy makers may use the BNC to study language usage patterns and make informed decisions regarding language policies and planning.

Overall, the Bhutan National Corpus serves as a valuable resource for understanding how the Dzongkha language is used in various contexts and for advancing our knowledge of linguistics and language-related fields.