Bodo language
Encyclopedia
Bodo is a language that belongs to the branch of Barish section under Baric division of the Tibeto-Burman languages
and spoken by the Bodo people
of north-eastern India
and Nepal
. The language is one of the official languages of the Indian state of Assam
, and is one of the 22 scheduled languages that is given a special constitutional
status in India.
of Assam
and the Garo language
of Meghalaya
. It is also a very closely related language of Kokborok language
spoken in Tripura
. The Bodo speaking areas of Assam
at present are stretching from Dhubri
in the west to Sadiya
in the east. In parts of Tripura
and Nagaland
also there is a small number of the Boros or Boro Kacharis. In Jalpaiguri
and other adjacent districts of Bengal, the Boros are known as "Mech". The Bodo language of Assam
has atleast four clear-cut dialect-areas with a sufficient number of dialectal variations; there may be called North-eastern, south-western, north-central and southern dialect areas with phonological, morphological
and glossarial differences.
UGC
(University Grants Commission) has included Bodo
as subject in NET examination.
. The language has attained a position of pride with the opening of the Post-Graduate course in Bodo language and literature in the University of Guwahati
in 1996. The Bodo language has to its credit large number of books of poetry, drama, short stories, novels, biography, travelogues, children's literature and literary criticism. Though the spoken language has been affected by other communities, especially the Bengalis, in and around Kokrajhar, it is still to be heard in its pure form, in and around Udalguri district.
, Tripuri, Lalunga, Bore.
. Some researchers have suggested that the language originally used a now-lost script called Deodhai
.
But there is a difference in using the letters in Bodo than the Devanagari. Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha
gathered a few specimen of the Deodhai alphabet from an informant of Dimapur
area which was noted for the Kachari
reign and remains representing the art and architecture.
Tibeto-Burman languages
The Tibeto-Burman languages are the non-Chinese members of the Sino-Tibetan language family, over 400 of which are spoken thoughout the highlands of southeast Asia, as well as lowland areas in Burma ....
and spoken by the Bodo people
Bodo people
The Bodos are an ethnic and linguistic community, early settlers of Assam in the North-East of India. According to the 1991 census, there were 1.2 million Bodos in Assam which makes for 5.3% of the total population in the state. Bodos belong to a larger ethnic group called the Bodo-Kachari. The...
of north-eastern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. The language is one of the official languages of the Indian state of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
, and is one of the 22 scheduled languages that is given a special constitutional
Constitution of India
The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens...
status in India.
Classification and related languages
Bodo language, a branch of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages, is a language of the Bodo group under the Assam-Burmese group of languages. It is closely related to the Dimasa languageDimasa language
Dimasa language is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Dimasa people in the state of Assam in North East India.-Phrases:English / Dimasa1)Where are you? = Ning baraha dong?2)I am here. = Ang eraha dong?...
of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
and the Garo language
Garo language
Garo is the language of the majority of the people of the Garo Hills in the Indian state of Meghalaya. Garo is also used in Kamrup, Dhubri, Goalpara and the Darrang districts of Assam, India as well as in neighboring Bangladesh...
of Meghalaya
Meghalaya
Meghalaya is a state in north-eastern India. The word "Meghalaya" literally means the Abode of Clouds in Sanskrit and other Indic languages. Meghalaya is a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country about 300 km long and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 8,700 sq mi . The...
. It is also a very closely related language of Kokborok language
Kokborok language
The Borok language, or Kok Borok, also spelled Kokborok and also known as Tripuri, is the native language of the Tripuri people of the Indian state of Tripura and neighboring areas of Bangladesh. The word Kok Borok is a compound of kok "language" and borok "people", which is used specifically for...
spoken in Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
. The Bodo speaking areas of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
at present are stretching from Dhubri
Dhubri
Dhubri is the headquarters of Dhubri district India. It is a small old town on the bank of the Brahmaputra and Gadadhar Rivers. In 1883, the town was first constituted as a Municipal Board and is situated about west from Guwahati, the state capital.Dhubri was an important commercial centre and...
in the west to Sadiya
Sadiya
Sadiya is a small town in the Tinsukia district of the North-eastern Indian state of Assam. It stands on a grassy plain, nearly surrounded by forested Himalayan mountains, on the right bank of what is locally considered the main stream of the Brahmaputra river...
in the east. In parts of Tripura
Tripura
Tripura is a state in North-East India, with an area of . It is the third smallest state of India, according to area. Tripura is surrounded by Bangladesh on the north, south, and west. The Indian states of Assam and Mizoram lie to the east. The capital is Agartala and the main languages spoken are...
and Nagaland
Nagaland
Nagaland is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur...
also there is a small number of the Boros or Boro Kacharis. In Jalpaiguri
Jalpaiguri
Jalpaiguri is a city in the state of West Bengal, India. It is the headquarters of Jalpaiguri district, and the divisional headquarters of the North Bengal region.-History:...
and other adjacent districts of Bengal, the Boros are known as "Mech". The Bodo language of Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
has atleast four clear-cut dialect-areas with a sufficient number of dialectal variations; there may be called North-eastern, south-western, north-central and southern dialect areas with phonological, morphological
Morphology (linguistics)
In linguistics, morphology is the identification, analysis and description, in a language, of the structure of morphemes and other linguistic units, such as words, affixes, parts of speech, intonation/stress, or implied context...
and glossarial differences.
UGC
UGC
UGC is the second largest cinema operator in Europe with, as of August 2005, 49 sites and 553 screens across four countries:* France: 37 cinemas, 357 screens* Spain: 5 cinemas, 88 screens* Belgium: 3 cinemas, 43 screens* Italy: 4 cinemas, 66 screens...
(University Grants Commission) has included Bodo
Bodo
- Locations :* Bodø, A city in Norway*Bodo, Alberta, a hamlet in Central Alberta, Canada, close to the Saskatchewan border.*Bodo , a town and commune in Côte d'Ivoire*BoDo, a district of Boise, ID; the name of which stems from Boise Downtown....
as subject in NET examination.
History
In the aftermath of socio-political awakening and movement launched by the Bodo organizations since 1913, the language was introduced as the medium of instruction (1963) in the primary schools in Bodo dominated areas. Currently, the Bodo language serves as a medium of instruction up to the secondary level and an associated official language in the state of AssamAssam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
. The language has attained a position of pride with the opening of the Post-Graduate course in Bodo language and literature in the University of Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
in 1996. The Bodo language has to its credit large number of books of poetry, drama, short stories, novels, biography, travelogues, children's literature and literary criticism. Though the spoken language has been affected by other communities, especially the Bengalis, in and around Kokrajhar, it is still to be heard in its pure form, in and around Udalguri district.
Dialects
Chote, Mech. Related to DimasaDimasa language
Dimasa language is a Tibeto-Burman language spoken by the Dimasa people in the state of Assam in North East India.-Phrases:English / Dimasa1)Where are you? = Ning baraha dong?2)I am here. = Ang eraha dong?...
, Tripuri, Lalunga, Bore.
Writing system
The language is officially written using the Devanagari script, although it also has a long history of using the Roman script and Assamese scriptAssamese script
The Assamese script is a variant of the Eastern Nagari script also used for Bengali and Bishnupriya Manipuri. The Eastern Nagari script belongs to the Brahmic family of scripts and has a continuous history of development from Nagari script, a precursor of Devanagari...
. Some researchers have suggested that the language originally used a now-lost script called Deodhai
Deodhai script
Deodhai was a language script used by ancient Bodos. Nowadays, some of the Bodos use the Latin alphabet and some the Devanagari script. Assamese script was also used in the past....
.
But there is a difference in using the letters in Bodo than the Devanagari. Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha
Bishnuprasad Rabha
Bishnu Prasad Rabha was born in Dhaka on 31 January 1909. He was a multifaceted artist and revolutionary singer of Assam. A doyen of the Arts, he is popularly known as Kala Guru . From an early stage, he played an active role in the struggle for Indian independence. However, he never joined Indian...
gathered a few specimen of the Deodhai alphabet from an informant of Dimapur
Dimapur
Dimapur in Nagaland is bounded by Kohima district on the south and east, Karbi Anglong district of Assam on the West, the Karbi Anglong and stretch of Golaghat District of Assam, in the west and the north...
area which was noted for the Kachari
Kachari
Kachari or Cachari may refer to:*Kachari people*Kachari Kingdom*Kachari language*The Kachari Ruins in Dimapur...
reign and remains representing the art and architecture.
External links
- Abley, Mark (2006) The Verbs of Boro, Lost Magazine, March 2006
- Bodoland.org
- Boro Language
- Bodo computing resources at TDIL
- Language Information Service – India