Bengali–Assamese languages

The Bengali–Assamese languages (also Gauda–Kamarupa languages) is a grouping of several languages in the eastern Indian subcontinent. This group belongs to the Eastern zone of Indo-Aryan languages. The languages in this group according to Glottolog includes Assamese, Bengali, Bishnupriya, Chakma, Chittagonian, Hajong, Kharia Thar, Kurmukar, Lodhi (also categorised as a Munda language), Mal Paharia, Noakhailla, Rajbangshi, Rohingya, Sylheti, Tangchangya and Surjapuri.

Bengali–Assamese
Gauda–Kamarupa
Geographic distribution	Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Nepal
Linguistic classification	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan Eastern Odia–Bengali–Assamese^[1] Bengali–Assamese
Early form	Magadhi Prakrit
Glottolog	gaud1237  (Gauda–Kamrupa)
A map showing geographical distribution of the sub-branches of Bengali–Assamese languages according to the classification of Suniti Kumar Chatterji.^[2]

Languages

Language	Native name	Script	Alphabet	Number of speakers (in millions)	Native region
Assamese	অসমীয়া Oxomiya	Bengali–Assamese script	Assamese alphabet	15.3^[3]	India (Assam)
Bengali	বাংলা Bangla	Bengali–Assamese script	Bengali alphabet	261.8^[4]	Bangladesh (national and official)   India (West Bengal, Jharkhand, Tripura, parts of Assam, Andaman and Nicobar islands)
Bishnupriya Manipuri	বিষ্ণুপ্রিয়া মণিপুরী Bișnupriya Monipuri	Bengali–Assamese script	Bengali alphabet^[5]		India (Assam, Manipur and Tripura)   Bangladesh (Sylhet Division)
Chakma	𑄌𑄋𑄴𑄟 চাকমা Sangma	Bengali–Assamese script Chakma script Latin script^[6]		0.32^[7]	Bangladesh (Chittagong Division)   India (Mizoram and Tripura)   Myanmar (Rakhine State)
Chittagonian	চাটগাঁইয়া সিটাইঙগা siʈaiŋga	Bengali–Assamese script Arabic script Latin script^[8]	Chittagonian Alphabet	13^[9]	Bangladesh (Chittagong Division)   Myanmar (Rakhine State)
Hajong	হাজং Hazong	Bengali–Assamese script Latin script	Assamese alphabet^[10]^[11] Bengali alphabet^[12]	0.06^[12]	India (Assam and Meghalaya)   Bangladesh (Mymensingh Division)
Rangpuri/ Kamtapuri/ Rajbongshi	রংপুরী কামতাপুরী রাজবংশী কোচ ৰাজবংশী राजबंशी Rongpuri Kamatapuri Rajbongši Kʊch rajbongsi Rajbanshi	Bengali–Assamese script, Devanagari^[13]	Bengali alphabet,^[14] Assamese alphabet^[15]	10.8^[14]	Bangladesh (Rangpur Division)   India (West Bengal and Assam)     Nepal (Koshi Province)
Noakhalian	নোয়াখাইল্লা Noakhailla	Bengali–Assamese script	Bengali alphabet	7	Bangladesh (Greater Noakhali)   India (Tripura)
Rohingya	رُاَࣺينڠَ Ruáingga	Arabic script Hanifi script Latin script^[16]		2.52^[17]	Myanmar (Rakhine State)   Bangladesh (Chittagong Division)
Surjapuri	सुरजापुरी সুরজাপুরী Surjapuri	Devanagari Bengali–Assamese script	Bengali alphabet	2.26^[18]	India (Bihar, West Bengal)     Nepal (Koshi Province)
Sylheti	ꠍꠤꠟꠐꠤ ছিলটি Siloŧi	Bengali–Assamese script Sylheti Nagari script	Sylheti alphabet^[19]	11.8^[19]	Bangladesh (Sylhet Division)   India (Assam, Meghalaya, North Tripura)
Tanchangya	𑄖𑄧𑄐𑄴𑄌𑄧𑄁𑄉𑄴𑄡 তঞ্চংগ্যা Toncongya	Chakma script^[6]		0.02^[20]	Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts)

Language comparison chart

* = borrowed terms (including tatsamas, ardhatatsamas and other borrowings)

English	Assamese	Bengali	Chakma	Chittagonian	Hajong	Kamata	Rohingya	Sylheti
beautiful	dhunia, xundor	shundor	dol	khubsurôt,šundor			cúndor*, hásin*	šundor*, kubsurot*, mayasurot
big	daṅor/daṅar, bor	boṛo, ḍagor, ḍaṅor		đôñr		boro, daṅar	boro, ákbor*, kobira*	boṛo
blood	tez, rokto*	rôkto*, khun*, lohu	lo	lou, rôktô			lou, hún*, kún*	lou, roxto*, kun*
bread	ruti (flat), pau*ruti, luf*, bred*	pão*ruṭi, ruṭi (flat)		fõruţi			fiçá, luthi	ruṭi (flat), luf*
brother	bhai (younger), kokai/kaka (elder), dada (elder)*	bhai, dada, bhaiya		bái, bôdda		bhai	bái	bái
cat	mekuri, birali, biral	biṛal, beṛal, billi, bilai, biṛali		bilai,bilei			bilai	mekur, bilai
dark	andhar, endhar	ãdhar, andhar, ondhokar*		ãdár			añdár, miyonda	andáir
daughter	zi, mai, zhia	meye, konna*, jhi		zee, maifuā		beti	futúni, zíi	zi, fuṛi
day	din, rüz*, bela	din, bêla, roz*, dibôš*		din		din	din	din, ruz*
dog	kukur	kukur, kutta		kutto			kuñr	atu, kutta
door	duar*, dorza*, dar	dôrza*, duar*, doja*, dôroza*, dôrwaza*		duōr, kebar		duar*	duar*	xeir, dorza*, duar*
earth	bhũi, p(r)ithiwi/p(r)ithibi*, dunia*	duniya*, prithibi*, dhora, jahan*		duniye,fithibi,			duniyai*	duniai*, dunia*, zahan*
egg	koni, dima	ḍim, anḍa, boida*	boda*	đim,anḍa		ḍima	andha, dhim	enḍa, ḍim, boida*
elephant	hati	hati		áti		hati	áñti, háñtih	átti
eye	soku, sokhu, noyon*	chokh, chokkhu*, ãkhi, noyon*		sóg			suk	soku, uki, souk
father	deuta*, bap, büpai/bapa, baba*, aba/abba/abu/abbu*	bap, abba, baba, waled*, abbu*, babaji, pita*		baf, ba,abba			abbá*	baf, bazi
fear	bhoy, dor	bhôy*, ḍor		đôr			ḍor	ḍor
finger	aṅuli	aṅgul, onguli*		ôuñl	ouñl			aṅguil
fire	zui, aguni*, ogni*	agun*, ogni*, nar*, atosh*, anol*, pabok*, dahon*		ôin*			ooin*	aguin*, nar*, atosh*
fish	mas	machh		mas		mas	mas	mas, mai*
food	khüabostu*, ahar*, khayddo*, khana*	khabar, khaon, khana*, khani*, khaddo*, ahar*		hána		hána, háñna	xani
god	bhogowan*, issôr*, deu, khüda*	Khoda*, isshôr*, bhagôban*,allah* ,shrishtikarta*, Ishôr		khúda*,rôb, ūôr ôla			ila*, rob*, ixor*	mobud*, mola*, rob*, xoda*, bhogòban*
good	bhal	bhalo		bála, gôm	bhala	bhal	gom	bála
grass	ghah, kher (hay)	ghaš, khôṛ (hay)		kér		ghaṣ	kérr	ga, gaš
hand	hat	hat		át		hat	árt	át
hand fan	bisoni	hat-pakha, biuni, bijoni		bisôin, bisein				bisoin, fanka
head	mur, matha, math	matha, shir*, kolla*		mata, hôlla			matá	sir*, xolla*, mata
heart (emotion)	hia, ontor*, koliza/koilza, hidoy*	hridôy*, ôntor*, hiya, dil*, kolob*, kolija		dil*, hôilze, ridôy, ôntôr			dil*	dil*, hia
heart (organ)	dil, amothu	hritpindo*,dil*, kolija					dil*	gurda
horse	ghüra	ghoṛa		gúṛa			gúñra, gúra	gúṛa
house	ghor	ghôr, baṛi, basha, khana*		gór			gor, bari	gór, bari, xan*
hunger	bhük	khudha*, khida*, khide*, bhuk		búk			búk	buk, feto(r) buk
language	bhaxa*, mat (call), kotha*, raw	bhaša*, buli, joban*	hodá*	basha,zúban,buli		raw, bhaṣa*	zoban*, hodá*	mat, bul, rau, zoban*, basha*
laughter	hahi	haši		aši		haṣi		aši
life	ziwon/zibon, ziu (soul), zindegi*, hayat*	jiu, jibôn*, zindegi*, hayat*		zibon,zindegi*,hayat*		zibon		zindegi*, hayat*
moon	zün, san(d), sond(r)o*	chád, chôndro*,bôdôr*, shashôdhor*, chand		sãn	san		san	san(d), sondoni
mother	ma, ai, mai, ammi/amma*	ma, amma*, ammu, waleda*, mata*, ai, mamoni		ma		maö, ai		mai, ai, maizi
mouth	mukh*	mukh*		mukh*		muk*		muk*
name	nam, naü	nam		nam			nam	nam
night	rati, nixa*, ratri*	rat, ratri*, shob*		rait		rati	rait	rait, rati, nii, shob*, lailot*
peace	xanti*, xokah	shanti*, aman*, salamôt*		šanti*		ṣanti*		niraii, shanti*, salamôt*
place	thai, zega/zaga*, than	jayga*, ṭhai, sthan*, jaga*		ṭai, zāga*				zega*, tan
queen	rani	rani, shahbanu*		rani		rani	rani	rani, razbibi, sha(h)banu*
rest	zironi, aram*	aram*, bisram*, jirano*, jiron*		dom*,zirôn,aram gôrôn				zirani, aram*
river	noi, gaṅ, nodi*	nôdi*, doriya*, ɡaṅg		dôijja*,dôirge			hál	ɡaṅg, nodi*
road	bat, ali, rasta*, poth*	rasta*, shoṛok, pôth*						sorox, rah*, rasta*, ail, fot*
salt	nimokh*, lün, nun	lôbôn*, nun, nomok*		nun, lôbôn*				nimox*, nun, lobon*
sister	bhoni (younger), ba/bai (elder)	apa, bon, didi, apu, api, didimoni, bubu, boin		bóin,afa/bôbbu/dî/afu (elder)				bóin, buai
small	xoru	chhoṭo, pati		guro				huru, nii, kuṭimuti, gura, titkina, geda, suṭu
son	put, pü, putro/putto*	chhele, putro*, put, poa, bêṭa		(morod) fuā, fut		beṭa	fut	fut, fua
soul	ziu, atma*	attã*, pran*, pôran*, ruh*,jiu		foran*, rû*				ru*, atma*, zaan*
sun	beli, xuruz*, xuydzo*	shurjo*, shuruj*		beil, šuroz*			beil	suruz*, shurzo*
ten	doh, dos*	dosh		doš		doṣ		dosh, do
three	tini	tin		tín			tin	tin
village	gaü	gram*, gã, gão		geram				gau
waist	kokal, kakal	komor*, maja		keĩl			keñil	xomor*, xaxal
water	pani	pani, jôl*		fani	pani	pani, zol*	faní	fani, ab*, tam
when	ketia, ketiyake	kôkhon, kobe, kon shomoy*, kon bêla		hótte		könbela		kunbala(n->m), kunomoy
wind	botah/batah, hawa*	batash*, hawa*, ba, bayu*, bao, bat*, anil*		ába*, bataš*				boyar, batash*, hawa*
wolf	kukurnesia bagh, xial (jackal, fox)	nekṛe-bagh, sheyal/shiyal (jackal, fox)		neṛi kutta				atubag, hial (jackal, fox)
woman	maiki manuh, tiri*, tirüta, mohila*	mohila*, nari*, beṭi manush, ccheri		maiye fua,maifuā (soft)		beṭi saöa		beṭi, moíla*
year	bosor, son*	bochhor, shal*, borsho*		bosor		bosor		fira, bosor, son*, shal*
yes	hoy, o, ü̃, mm	hễ, ji*, agge, hã		ô, ôy			ô, ôy	óe, i, zi* óe
no	nohoy, nai, ühü, na	na, nai, nay, noy, nei, non		nô, nôy			nô, nôy	na, nai, nay
yesterday	kali, züa-kali	(goto*-)kal(-ke), (gelo-)kal(-ke),kal(-ke)		goto* hail, goto* halia				(gese-)xail(-ku), xail(-ku)
English	Assamese	Bengali	Chakma	Chittagonian	Hajong	Kamata	Rohingya	Sylheti

* = borrowed terms (including tatsamas, ardhatatsamas and other borrowings)

Verbs

English	Assamese	Sylheti	Bengali	Chakma	Chittagonian	Kamata	Rohingya	Hajong
ask	xudh-, xudhpus kor- (investigate)	zika-, fus-, zar-	jiggaśa kor-, puchh-, puch kor-, jiggesh kor-, jiga-		pũsar ɡor-
bite	kamur-, kamür mar-	xamṛa-, xamor mar-	kamoṛ mar-, kamṛa-		hõr-
blow	phu de-, phuk-, phu kor-	fu de-, hu de-	phu de-
breathe	uxah lo-	dom lo-	šãš ne-, šãš lo-, dôm ne-, dôm lo-
bring	an-	an-	an-		an-
can	par-	far-	par-
catch	dhor-	dór-	dhôr-
come	ah-	a-	aś-		a-		a-	ah-
count	gon-, hisap kor-, gonti kor-	gon-, isab xor-	gon-, hišab kôr-
cry	kand-, kan-	xand-, xan-	kãd-		hãd-
cut	kat-	xaṭ-	kaṭ-
do	kor-	xor-	kôr-		gor-		ɡor-
die	mor-, dhuka-	mor-	môr-		mor-
dig	khand-	kur-, kus-	khõṛ-, khõc-
drink	kha-, pi kha-, pi-	xa-, fia xa-, fi-	kha-, pan kor-, pi-
eat	kha-	xa-	kha-				há-
fall	por-	foṛ-	poṛ-
fear	bhoy kha-, dora-	ḍora-	bhoy pa-, ḍora-
fight	zũz-, maramari/moramori kor-	mair xor-, xaijja xor-	maramari kor-, jhogṛa kôr-
float	üpoṅ-, bhah-	bai-, bo-	bhaš-
flow	bo-	bo-	bo-
fly	ur-	uṛ-	uṛ-		ur-		ur-
give	de-, di-	de-, di-	de-
go	za-, ɡo-/ge-	za-, ɡo-, ɡe-	ja-, ɡe-		za-, zo-		za-, zo-
happen	ho-	ó-	ho-		ó-
hear	xun-	hun-	śun-		un-
hit	mar-, pit-, kila-	mar-, fiț-, kila-	mar-, kela-
kill	mar-, mari pela-	mar-, mari de-	mar-, mere fel-, mariya fal-
know	zan-	zan-	jan-
laugh	hah-	aś-	haś-		aś-
learn	xik-, xikh-	hik-	śekh-, śikh-					hik-
lie (in bed)	baɡor-, kati ho-, bisonat/bisnat por-	xait o-, hut-	shuye por-
live	thak-, zi(ai) thak-, tik-, basi thak-	tax-, zia-, basi tax-	thak-, jibito thak-, jinda thak-, bece thak-, bãchiya thak-		thah-
look	sa-	sa-	dekh-, ca-, taka-		sa-
open	khul-	kúa-	khol-, khul-		uid-, khúl-
play	khel-	xél-	khel-
pull	tan-	ṭan-	ṭan-
push	thel-	ṭel-, dekka-	ṭhel-
read	porh/poh/por-	foṛ-	poṛ-		foṛ-
run	dour-, daur-	douṛ-	douṛa-, choṭ-, chuṭ-		dũr-
say	ko-, mat-, bul-	xo-, mat-	bol-, ko-	ho-	ho-
scratch	ãsür-	xawza-, xamsa-	ãcoṛ de-, ãcṛa-, khamca-
see	dekh-	dex-	dekh-		sa-
sew	xi-, sila-, bo- (weave)	sia-	śela-, śila
sing	ɡa-, gan ga-	ɡa-	ɡa-, gan ga-
sit	boh-	bo-	boś-		bo-
sleep	xu-, ɡhuma-, tüponi za/mar-	hut-, ɡúma-	ɡhuma-, śo-, śu-		ɡhum za-
smell	xuṅ-	huṅ(ɡ)-	śũk-, śõk-		ũ-
spit	thu pela-, pik-, pik pela-	sef fal-, fik fal- (betel nut/leaf)	thu phel-, thu phal-
split	phal-	atra-	bhag kor-, bhang-
squeeze	sep-, hẽs-	sif-	cap-, pesh-, cip-
stand	thio ho-, thia-	uba-	dãṛa-, khaṛa-			thio-	tía-
stab	khũs-, han-	kus-, gauua-
suck	suh-, sup-, xüh-	sua-	chosh-, chush-
swell		ful-, fit-			phuler
swim	xatũr-	hatra-	śatar kor-, shatra-
think	bhab-, sinta kor-, sint-	bab-, sinta xor-	bhab-, cinta kôr-, mone kôr-
throw	dolia-	ița-, iṭa mar-	chõṛ-, ḍhêla mar-, dol-
tie	bandh-	ban(d)-	bãdh-
vomit	bomi kor-	bait xor-	bomi kor-
walk	khüz karh-, bul-	aṭ-	hãṭ-		ãd-
want	lag-, bisar-	maɡ-, sa-	ca-		sa-
wash	dhu-	dó-	dho-				dú-
wipe	mos-, müs-	fus-, mus-	moch-, much-, poch-, puch-
English	Assamese	Sylheti	Bengali	Chakma	Chittagonian	Kamata	Rohingya	Hajong

References

1. Toulmin, Mathew W S (2006). Reconstructing linguistic history in a dialect continuum: The Kamta, Rajbanshi, and Northern Deshi Bangla subgroup of Indo-Aryan (PhD). The Australian National University. p. 305.
2. Suniti Kumar Chaterjee (1926). The origin and development of Bengali language. p. 140.
3. "Assamese". Ethnologue. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
4. "Bengali". Ethnologue. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
5. Kim, Amy; Kim, Seung. Bishnupriya (Manipuri) speakers in Bangladesh: a sociolinguistic survey (PDF). SIL INTERNATIONAL. p. 11. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
6. "Chakma". Ethnologue. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
7. "Chakma". Ethnologue. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
8. "Chittagonian". Ethnologue. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
9. "Chittagonian". Ethnologue. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
10. Hajong, Phillips & Phillips (2008, p. 1)
11. "Hajong".
12. "Hajong". Ethnologue. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
13. Minahan, James B. (30 August 2012). Ethnic Groups of South Asia and the Pacific: An Encyclopedia: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-1-59884-660-7. Generally, the Rajbongshi language is known as Rangpuri in Bangladesh and Kamta or Rajbangshi in India. The language is usually written in Bengali script in Bangladesh, while the Kamtapura script is favored in India. In Nepal, the language is Devanagari script which is also sometimes used by the Indian Rajbongshis.
14. "Rangpuri". Ethnologue. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
15. "As a ritual of purgation they are discarding the Bengali /r/ with a dot and the same is replaced with the original /r/ with a diagonal slash, as used in Assamese script despite the fact that the Rajbanshis in Bengal have been conditioned to use the Bengali /r/ owing to the long processes of forceful imposition of Bengali language upon them." (Pradhani 2012:52)
16. "Rohingya". Ethnologue. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
17. "Rohingya". Ethnologue. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
18. "Surjapuri". Ethnologue. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
19. "Sylheti". Ethnologue. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
20. "Tangchangya". Ethnologue. Retrieved 12 March 2018.

Bibliography

• Hajong, Abonis; Phillips, D; Phillips, V (2008), Hajong–English Phrase Book (PDF), SIL International
• Pradhani, Jyotirmoy (2012). "Resonance of Identity in Rajbanshi Poetry" (PDF). The NEHU Journal. X (1).