Chittagonian language
Encyclopedia
Chittagonian is an Indo-Aryan
language spoken by the people of Chittagong
in Bangladesh
and in much of the southeast of the country. It is closely related to Bangla
, but is normally considered by linguists to be a separate language rather than a dialect of Bangla
. It is estimated to have 14 million speakers, United States
and other countries. According to the status of Top 100 Languages by Population by Ethnologue, Chittagong ranked 67th of the world.
, a branch of the wider and more vast Indo-European language family. Its sister languages include Sylheti (Cilôţi)
, Bengali (Bangla)
, Assamese (Ôxômiya)
, Oriya
, the Bihari languages
, and also less directly all other Indo-Aryan languages such as Hindi. Like other Indo-Aryan languages, it is derived from Pali
, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European
.
and Cox's Bazar District
. It has an estimated number of around 14 million speakers in Bangladesh, and also in countries where many Chittagonians have migrated. It has no official status and is not taught at any level in schools. It is regarded by many Bangladeshis, including most Chittagonians, to be a crude form of Bangla, as all educated Chittagonians are schooled in Bangla.
Essentially, Chittagonian has no standard form and is rather a continuum of different dialects, varying with location from north to south and also by religion between Muslims (professed by most Chittagonians) and Hindus. Variation between Muslims and Hindus is strictly in terms of vocabulary, whereas by location, grammar is varied as well as vocabulary.
velar
fricative [x] (like the Arabic "kh" or German "ch") in [xabar] corresponds to the Bangla voiceless aspirated
velar stop [kʰ], and the Chittagonian voiceless labiodental fricative [f] corresponds to the Bangla voiceless aspirated bilabial stop [pʰ]. Some of these pronunciations are used in eastern dialects of Bangla as well.
of vowels is contrastive in Chittagonian, as with other Eastern Indic languages. A word can change its meaning solely by changing an oral vowel into a nasal vowel
, as in আর ar "and" vs. আঁর ãr "my". Below are examples of Chittagonian phrases that include nasal vowels.
How are you (Standard Bengali
: তুমি কেমন আছ?):
-তুঁই কেন আছো? Tũi ken aso? / অনে কেন আছন ? Őney ken asõn?
I am fine (Standard Bengali
: আমি ভাল আছি।):
-আঁই গঅঁম আছি। Ãi gawm asi.
I am not fine (Standard Bengali
: আমি ভাল নাই।):
-আঁই গঅঁম নাই । Ãi gawm nai.
I am not feeling well. (Standard Bengali
: আমার ভাল লাগছে না।):
-আত্তে গঅঁম ন লাগের। Ãtte gom naw lager.
I will play Cricket (Standard Bengali
:আমি ক্রিকেট খেলব।):
-আঁই কিরকেট খেইল্যম । Ãi kirket kheillum ।
I don't want to eat anymore,i am full (Standard Bengali
:আর খেতে ইচ্ছে করছে না, পেট ভরা।):-আত্তে আর হাইত মনত ন হর, ফেট ভরি গিয়ৈ/ফেট ভইরগই । Ãtte ar haito monot no hoar, fet vori gioi/fet voirgoi.
Where are you (Standard Bengali
: তুমি কোথায়?):
-তুঁই কঁন্ডে? Tũi konde?
What's your name (Standard Bengali
: তোমার নাম কী?):
-তোঁয়ার নাম কী? Tõar nam ki?
My name is _(whatever your name is) (Standard Bengali
: আমার নাম নয়ন।):
-আঁর নাম নয়ন। Ãr nam _(whatever your name is).
I miss you (Standard Bengali
: তোমার অভাব অনুভব করছি):
-তোঁয়ার লাই আঁর ফেড ফুরের। Tõar lai ãr fed furer.
I miss you too.(Standard Bengali
: আমিও তোমার অভাব অনুভব করছি):
-তোঁয়ার লাই ও আঁর ফেড ফুরের। Tõar lai O ãr fed furer./-আত্তেও তোঁয়ার লাই ফেড ফুরের। Ãatteõ Tõar lai fed furer.
I love you (Standard Bengali
: আমি তোমাকে ভালবাসি):
-আঁত্তে তুয়ারে বেশি গঅঁম লাগে। Ãatte tuãre beshi gom lage.
Where are you going (Standard Bengali
: তুমি কোথায় যাচ্ছ?):
-- তুঁই হন্ডে যঁর? Tũi honde jor?
Where are you from? (Standard Bengali
: তুমি কোথা থেকে আসছ?):
- তুই হত্তুন আইসশুই্য ? Tũi kothtun aishshu?
Where do you live? (Standard Bengali
: তুমি কোথায় থাক?):
-- তুঁই হন্ডে থাহ ?Tũi konde thako?
I live in _(where ever you live) (Standard Bengali
:আমি সুলতান মাস্টার বাড়ী, বেঙ্গুরা, বোয়ালখালি তে থাকি।):
- Ãai _th(where ever you live) thaki.
I'm sad. (Standard Bengali: আমার মন ভালো নেই।): - আঁর দিলুত শান্তি নাই। Ãar Dilũt shanti nai.
Bangladesh is in my heart. (Standard Bengali: হৃদয়’এ বাংলাদেশ ।):বাংলাদেশ আঁর খঁইলজার টুঁরওঁ Bangladesh Ãar Khoìlĵar Ťouro./
বাংলাদেশ আঁর খঁইলজার বঁডু Bangladesh Ãar Khoìlĵar bhitor.
, particles, etc.), and some variation in word order.
Like related languages of the eastern subcontinent
, Chittagonian is a head-final language, with a subject–object–verb basic word order. Like Assamese (Ôxômiya) but unlike Bengali (Bangla), Chittagonian has preverbal negation. This means that the negative particle will precede the verb in Chittagonian, where the corresponding Bangla version would have a negative particle following the verb.
Thank You = Tuarey Doinnobaad.(তুঁয়ারে ডঁইণ্ণোবাদ্ )/Onorey Doinnobaad (অনরে ডঁইণ্ণোবাদ্ )
. It also, like Bengali, includes a significant number of imported words from Arabic, Persian
, and Turkish
, as well as, to a lesser extent, Portuguese
. In addition, English
words are widely used in spoken Chittagonian, just as it is in almost all other Indian languages, as a result of the legacy of the British Empire. Although much of the vocabulary of Chittagonian Bengali is the same as standard Bangla, there are several distinguishing features. The contribution of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish words to Chittagonian Bengali is far greater than that to standard. This is because Chittagong was a port city that was open to traders from Arabia, Persia and Turkey since ancient times, naturally absorbing their words. This is also meant that Chittagonians were amongst the first to convert to Islam an
d consequently, as Muslims, they were further influenced by Arabic, Persian, and Turkish vocabulary, as these were the languages spoken by the Muslims of the time, especially the traders. Among Europeans, the Portuguese colonists were amongst the first to reach Bengal, and Chittagong as a port city, was for a time under the administration of the Portuguese. This has meant that there is a larger proportion of Portuguese loanwords in the usage of Chittagonian speakers than that of standard Bengali speakers.
Kéti án (the farm) Kéti Ğín (the farms)
Fothú án (the picture) Fothú Ğín (the pictures)
Fata wá (the leaf) Fata Ğín (the leaves)
Tar gán (the wire) Tar Ğin (the wires)
Duar gán (the door) Duar gin (the doors)
Faár gwá (the mountain) Faár gún (the mountains)
Debal lán (the wall) Debal lún (the walls)
Kitap pwá (the book) Kitap pún (the books)
Manúish cwá (the man) Manúish shún (the men)
Uggwá fata (a leaf) Hodún fata (some leaves)
Ekkán fothú (a picture) Hodigin Fothú (some pictures)
-or- -or-
Fata uggwá (a leaf) Fata hodún (some leaves)
Fothú ekkán (a picture) Fothú hodien (some pictures)
Tar gán (the wire) Tar Ğin (the wires)
Duar gán (the door) Duar gin (the doors)
Faár gwá (the mountain) Faár gún (the mountains)
( ইঁতারা হাঁমত যার গুঁই ।)
Ítara(They) hamót(to work) źar ģui(go).
using the Bengali script
the same way Assamese people write in Assamese Language using Bengali Script.
A song's script in Chittagonian language:
শিঁনাল লগে ভাঁদি রাঁইক্কুম তুয়াঁরে ও নঁনাইঁরে
খঁইলজার ভুঁতুর গাঁতি রাঁইক্কুম তুঁয়ারে,
খঁইলজাঁর ভুঁতুর গাঁতি রাঁইক্কুম তুঁয়াঁরে।
তুঁই অঁলিদি আঁর খঁইলজাঁর বঁডূ
ফাঁরনঁর আঁদ্দাঁনঁ,
তুঁরেঁ ছাঁরাঁ নঁ টিঁকেঁর আঁর বিঁদেশঁত ফারাঁন ।
আঁর খঁন দিনঁ নঁ জাঁইঊঁম আঁই,
আঁর খঁন দিঁনঁ নঁ জাঁইঊঁম - আঁই তুঁয়ারে ছাঁরিয়ারে অঁ নঁনাইঁরে
খঁইলজার ভুঁতুর গাঁতি রাঁইক্কুম তুঁয়ারে।
তুঁই অঁলি আঁর মঁধুরঁ বাঁশী
মঁনেরি আঁশাঁ, তুঁরে ছাঁড়া হঁন্ডে ফাঁইউম ভাঁলোবাসাঁ।
সুঁন্দর সুঁন্দর গাঁন উনাঁইউমঁ
সুঁন্দর সুন্দঁর গানঁ উনাইঁউম নিঁশীত জাঁগীয়ারে অঁ নঁনাইরেঁ,
খঁইলজাঁর ভুঁতুর গাঁতি রাঁইক্কুম তুঁয়াঁরে
শিঁনাল লগে ভাঁদি রাঁইক্কুম তুয়াঁরে ,
শিঁনাল লগে ভাঁদি রাঁইক্কুম তুয়াঁরে ও নঁনাইঁরে
খঁইলজার ভুঁতুর গাঁতি রাঁইক্কুম তুঁয়ারে
শিঁনাল লগে ভাঁদি রাঁইক্কুম তুয়াঁরে ও নঁনাইঁরে ।।
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjrggXyWTg8 ( Funny Song )
Indo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages constitutes a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family...
language spoken by the people of Chittagong
Chittagong
Chittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
and in much of the southeast of the country. It is closely related to Bangla
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, but is normally considered by linguists to be a separate language rather than a dialect of Bangla
Bengali dialects
The dialects of the Bengali language are part of the Eastern Indo-Aryan language group of the Indo-European language family. Borishali , Noakhali , Rongpore , Khulna and Mymonshingh are major spoken dialects in Bangladesh...
. It is estimated to have 14 million speakers, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other countries. According to the status of Top 100 Languages by Population by Ethnologue, Chittagong ranked 67th of the world.
Classification
Chittagonian is a member of the Bengali-Assamese sub-branch of the Eastern group of Indo-Aryan languagesIndo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages constitutes a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family...
, a branch of the wider and more vast Indo-European language family. Its sister languages include Sylheti (Cilôţi)
Sylheti language
Sylheti is the language of Sylhet, which is also known as the Surma Valley and is located in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh, and also spoken in parts of the Northeast Indian states of Assam and Tripura...
, Bengali (Bangla)
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, Assamese (Ôxômiya)
Assamese language
Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language. It is used mainly in the state of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam. It is also spoken in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and other northeast Indian states. Nagamese, an Assamese-based Creole language is widely used in...
, Oriya
Oriya language
Oriya , officially Odia from November, 2011, is an Indian language, belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European language family. It is mainly spoken in the Indian states of Orissa and West Bengal...
, the Bihari languages
Bihari languages
Bihari is a name given to the western group of Eastern Indic languages, spoken in Bihar and neighboring states in India. Angika, Bajjika, Bhojpuri, Magahi, and Maithili are spoken in Nepal as well. The Angika, Bajjika, Bhojpuri, Magahi and Maithili speaking population form more than 21% of Nepalese...
, and also less directly all other Indo-Aryan languages such as Hindi. Like other Indo-Aryan languages, it is derived from Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European language
The Proto-Indo-European language is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, spoken by the Proto-Indo-Europeans...
.
Geographic distribution
Chittagonian is spoken in Southeastern Bangladesh throughout Chittagong Division but mainly in Chittagong DistrictChittagong District
Chittagong District is a district located in the south-eastern region of Bangladesh. It is a part of the Chittagong Division. The port city of Chittagong, second largest city in Bangladesh, is located in this district.-History:...
and Cox's Bazar District
Cox's Bazar District
Cox's Bazar District is a district in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh. It is named after Cox's Bazar, which is one of the world's longest natural sea beaches . It is located south of Chittagong. Cox's Bazar is also known by the name Panowa . Another old name was Palongkee...
. It has an estimated number of around 14 million speakers in Bangladesh, and also in countries where many Chittagonians have migrated. It has no official status and is not taught at any level in schools. It is regarded by many Bangladeshis, including most Chittagonians, to be a crude form of Bangla, as all educated Chittagonians are schooled in Bangla.
Essentially, Chittagonian has no standard form and is rather a continuum of different dialects, varying with location from north to south and also by religion between Muslims (professed by most Chittagonians) and Hindus. Variation between Muslims and Hindus is strictly in terms of vocabulary, whereas by location, grammar is varied as well as vocabulary.
Fricatives
Chittagonian is distinguished from Bangla by its large inventory of fricatives, which often correspond to stops in Bangla. For example, the Chittagonian voicelessVoiceless
In linguistics, voicelessness is the property of sounds being pronounced without the larynx vibrating. Phonologically, this is a type of phonation, which contrasts with other states of the larynx, but some object that the word "phonation" implies voicing, and that voicelessness is the lack of...
velar
Velar consonant
Velars are consonants articulated with the back part of the tongue against the soft palate, the back part of the roof of the mouth, known also as the velum)....
fricative [x] (like the Arabic "kh" or German "ch") in [xabar] corresponds to the Bangla voiceless aspirated
Aspiration (phonetics)
In phonetics, aspiration is the strong burst of air that accompanies either the release or, in the case of preaspiration, the closure of some obstruents. To feel or see the difference between aspirated and unaspirated sounds, one can put a hand or a lit candle in front of one's mouth, and say pin ...
velar stop [kʰ], and the Chittagonian voiceless labiodental fricative [f] corresponds to the Bangla voiceless aspirated bilabial stop [pʰ]. Some of these pronunciations are used in eastern dialects of Bangla as well.
Nasal vowels
NasalizationNasalization
In phonetics, nasalization is the production of a sound while the velum is lowered, so that some air escapes through the nose during the production of the sound by the mouth...
of vowels is contrastive in Chittagonian, as with other Eastern Indic languages. A word can change its meaning solely by changing an oral vowel into a nasal vowel
Nasal vowel
A nasal vowel is a vowel that is produced with a lowering of the velum so that air escapes both through nose as well as the mouth. By contrast, oral vowels are ordinary vowels without this nasalisation...
, as in আর ar "and" vs. আঁর ãr "my". Below are examples of Chittagonian phrases that include nasal vowels.
How are you (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: তুমি কেমন আছ?):
-তুঁই কেন আছো? Tũi ken aso? / অনে কেন আছন ? Őney ken asõn?
I am fine (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: আমি ভাল আছি।):
-আঁই গঅঁম আছি। Ãi gawm asi.
I am not fine (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: আমি ভাল নাই।):
-আঁই গঅঁম নাই । Ãi gawm nai.
I am not feeling well. (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: আমার ভাল লাগছে না।):
-আত্তে গঅঁম ন লাগের। Ãtte gom naw lager.
I will play Cricket (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
:আমি ক্রিকেট খেলব।):
-আঁই কিরকেট খেইল্যম । Ãi kirket kheillum ।
I don't want to eat anymore,i am full (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
:আর খেতে ইচ্ছে করছে না, পেট ভরা।):-আত্তে আর হাইত মনত ন হর, ফেট ভরি গিয়ৈ/ফেট ভইরগই । Ãtte ar haito monot no hoar, fet vori gioi/fet voirgoi.
Where are you (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: তুমি কোথায়?):
-তুঁই কঁন্ডে? Tũi konde?
What's your name (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: তোমার নাম কী?):
-তোঁয়ার নাম কী? Tõar nam ki?
My name is _(whatever your name is) (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: আমার নাম নয়ন।):
-আঁর নাম নয়ন। Ãr nam _(whatever your name is).
I miss you (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: তোমার অভাব অনুভব করছি):
-তোঁয়ার লাই আঁর ফেড ফুরের। Tõar lai ãr fed furer.
I miss you too.(Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: আমিও তোমার অভাব অনুভব করছি):
-তোঁয়ার লাই ও আঁর ফেড ফুরের। Tõar lai O ãr fed furer./-আত্তেও তোঁয়ার লাই ফেড ফুরের। Ãatteõ Tõar lai fed furer.
I love you (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: আমি তোমাকে ভালবাসি):
-আঁত্তে তুয়ারে বেশি গঅঁম লাগে। Ãatte tuãre beshi gom lage.
Where are you going (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: তুমি কোথায় যাচ্ছ?):
-- তুঁই হন্ডে যঁর? Tũi honde jor?
Where are you from? (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: তুমি কোথা থেকে আসছ?):
- তুই হত্তুন আইসশুই্য ? Tũi kothtun aishshu?
Where do you live? (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
: তুমি কোথায় থাক?):
-- তুঁই হন্ডে থাহ ?Tũi konde thako?
I live in _(where ever you live) (Standard Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
:আমি সুলতান মাস্টার বাড়ী, বেঙ্গুরা, বোয়ালখালি তে থাকি।):
- Ãai _th(where ever you live) thaki.
I'm sad. (Standard Bengali: আমার মন ভালো নেই।): - আঁর দিলুত শান্তি নাই। Ãar Dilũt shanti nai.
Bangladesh is in my heart. (Standard Bengali: হৃদয়’এ বাংলাদেশ ।):বাংলাদেশ আঁর খঁইলজার টুঁরওঁ Bangladesh Ãar Khoìlĵar Ťouro./
বাংলাদেশ আঁর খঁইলজার বঁডু Bangladesh Ãar Khoìlĵar bhitor.
Grammar
Chittagonian grammar is similar to that of Bangla, with significant variations in inflectional morphology (prefixes, suffixesAffix
An affix is a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word. Affixes may be derivational, like English -ness and pre-, or inflectional, like English plural -s and past tense -ed. They are bound morphemes by definition; prefixes and suffixes may be separable affixes...
, particles, etc.), and some variation in word order.
Like related languages of the eastern subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
, Chittagonian is a head-final language, with a subject–object–verb basic word order. Like Assamese (Ôxômiya) but unlike Bengali (Bangla), Chittagonian has preverbal negation. This means that the negative particle will precede the verb in Chittagonian, where the corresponding Bangla version would have a negative particle following the verb.
Thank You = Tuarey Doinnobaad.(তুঁয়ারে ডঁইণ্ণোবাদ্ )/Onorey Doinnobaad (অনরে ডঁইণ্ণোবাদ্ )
Vocabulary/Lexis
Like Bangla, most of the vocabulary of Chittagonian is derived from SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
. It also, like Bengali, includes a significant number of imported words from Arabic, Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, and Turkish
Turkish language
Turkish is a language spoken as a native language by over 83 million people worldwide, making it the most commonly spoken of the Turkic languages. Its speakers are located predominantly in Turkey and Northern Cyprus with smaller groups in Iraq, Greece, Bulgaria, the Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo,...
, as well as, to a lesser extent, Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
. In addition, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
words are widely used in spoken Chittagonian, just as it is in almost all other Indian languages, as a result of the legacy of the British Empire. Although much of the vocabulary of Chittagonian Bengali is the same as standard Bangla, there are several distinguishing features. The contribution of Arabic, Persian, and Turkish words to Chittagonian Bengali is far greater than that to standard. This is because Chittagong was a port city that was open to traders from Arabia, Persia and Turkey since ancient times, naturally absorbing their words. This is also meant that Chittagonians were amongst the first to convert to Islam an
d consequently, as Muslims, they were further influenced by Arabic, Persian, and Turkish vocabulary, as these were the languages spoken by the Muslims of the time, especially the traders. Among Europeans, the Portuguese colonists were amongst the first to reach Bengal, and Chittagong as a port city, was for a time under the administration of the Portuguese. This has meant that there is a larger proportion of Portuguese loanwords in the usage of Chittagonian speakers than that of standard Bengali speakers.
Few Chittagonian words and meanings
( singular ) ( plural )Kéti án (the farm) Kéti Ğín (the farms)
Fothú án (the picture) Fothú Ğín (the pictures)
Fata wá (the leaf) Fata Ğín (the leaves)
Tar gán (the wire) Tar Ğin (the wires)
Duar gán (the door) Duar gin (the doors)
Faár gwá (the mountain) Faár gún (the mountains)
Debal lán (the wall) Debal lún (the walls)
Kitap pwá (the book) Kitap pún (the books)
Manúish cwá (the man) Manúish shún (the men)
Uggwá fata (a leaf) Hodún fata (some leaves)
Ekkán fothú (a picture) Hodigin Fothú (some pictures)
-or- -or-
Fata uggwá (a leaf) Fata hodún (some leaves)
Fothú ekkán (a picture) Fothú hodien (some pictures)
Tar gán (the wire) Tar Ğin (the wires)
Duar gán (the door) Duar gin (the doors)
Faár gwá (the mountain) Faár gún (the mountains)
Word Order
Chittagonian word order is subject - object - verb.( ইঁতারা হাঁমত যার গুঁই ।)
Ítara(They) hamót(to work) źar ģui(go).
| Subjectt | Object | Verb |
|---|---|---|
| Aááí(I) | bát(rice) | haí(eat). |
| Ité(He) | TV(TV) | saí(watches). |
| Ití(She) | sairkélot(bicycle) | sorér(is riding ). |
Writing system
Most literate Chittagonians read and write in BengaliBengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
using the Bengali script
Bengali script
The Bengali alphabet is the writing system for the Bengali language. The script with variations is used for Assamese and is basis for Meitei, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Kokborok, Garo and Mundari alphabets. All these languages are spoken in the eastern region of South Asia. Historically, the script has...
the same way Assamese people write in Assamese Language using Bengali Script.
A song's script in Chittagonian language:
শিঁনাল লগে ভাঁদি রাঁইক্কুম তুয়াঁরে ও নঁনাইঁরে
খঁইলজার ভুঁতুর গাঁতি রাঁইক্কুম তুঁয়ারে,
খঁইলজাঁর ভুঁতুর গাঁতি রাঁইক্কুম তুঁয়াঁরে।
তুঁই অঁলিদি আঁর খঁইলজাঁর বঁডূ
ফাঁরনঁর আঁদ্দাঁনঁ,
তুঁরেঁ ছাঁরাঁ নঁ টিঁকেঁর আঁর বিঁদেশঁত ফারাঁন ।
আঁর খঁন দিনঁ নঁ জাঁইঊঁম আঁই,
আঁর খঁন দিঁনঁ নঁ জাঁইঊঁম - আঁই তুঁয়ারে ছাঁরিয়ারে অঁ নঁনাইঁরে
খঁইলজার ভুঁতুর গাঁতি রাঁইক্কুম তুঁয়ারে।
তুঁই অঁলি আঁর মঁধুরঁ বাঁশী
মঁনেরি আঁশাঁ, তুঁরে ছাঁড়া হঁন্ডে ফাঁইউম ভাঁলোবাসাঁ।
সুঁন্দর সুঁন্দর গাঁন উনাঁইউমঁ
সুঁন্দর সুন্দঁর গানঁ উনাইঁউম নিঁশীত জাঁগীয়ারে অঁ নঁনাইরেঁ,
খঁইলজাঁর ভুঁতুর গাঁতি রাঁইক্কুম তুঁয়াঁরে
শিঁনাল লগে ভাঁদি রাঁইক্কুম তুয়াঁরে ,
শিঁনাল লগে ভাঁদি রাঁইক্কুম তুয়াঁরে ও নঁনাইঁরে
খঁইলজার ভুঁতুর গাঁতি রাঁইক্কুম তুঁয়ারে
শিঁনাল লগে ভাঁদি রাঁইক্কুম তুয়াঁরে ও নঁনাইঁরে ।।
Music videos in Chittagonian Language
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU_LG71y100&feature=relatedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjrggXyWTg8 ( Funny Song )
See also
- ChittagongChittagongChittagong ) is a city in southeastern Bangladesh and the capital of an eponymous district and division. Built on the banks of the Karnaphuli River, the city is home to Bangladesh's busiest seaport and has a population of over 4.5 million, making it the second largest city in the country.A trading...
- Rohingya languageRohingya languageRohingya is a language spoken by the Rohingya people of Arakan , Burma . It is smiliar to the Chittagonian language spoken in the neighboring southeastern Chittagong Division of Bangladesh...
- Chittagong travel guide from Wikitravel
- Chittagong Division
- Chittagong Hill TractsChittagong Hill TractsThe Chittagong Hill Tracts comprise an area of 13,295 km2 in south-eastern Bangladesh, and borders India and Myanmar . It was a single district of Bangladesh until 1984. In that year it was divided into three separate districts: Khagrachari, Rangamati and Bandarban. Topographically, this is the...