Sylheti language

Sylheti
ছিলটী Silôṭi
Spoken in	Primarily spoken in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh, and the Indian districts of: Barak Valley, Silchar, Hailakandi, Karimganj and Tripura. Including the Bangladeshi diaspora communities in Britain and the United States
Native speakers	10 million  (no date)
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan Eastern Group Bengali–Assamese Sylheti
Writing system	Sylheti Nagari, Bengali script
Language codes
ISO 639-3	syl

Sylheti (Sylheti: ছিলটী Silôṭi; Bengali: সিলেটী Sileṭī) 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 (the Barak Valley) and Tripura (the North Tripura district). It is also spoken by a significant population in the other north-eastern states of India and amongst the large expatriate communities in the United Kingdom, United States, and countries of the Gulf States.

Sylheti is often either considered a dialect of Bengali as well as a separate language due to significant differences between them all and lack of mutual intelligibility. On its own right, it is accepted as a separate language, however it has not been given an official status by the Government of Bangladesh. There is much debate to whether it should be recognized, for example there is greater differences of Sylheti to Bengali, than Assamese to Bengali, which is recognised as separate. Most Sylhetis are at least bilingual to some degree, as they are taught Bengali at all levels of education in Bangladesh. Sylhet was part of the ancient kingdom of Kamarupa, and has many common features with Assamese, including the existence of a larger set of fricatives than other East Indo-Aryan languages. According to George Abraham Grierson, "The inflections also differ from those of regular Bengali, and in one or two instances assimilate to those of Assamese". Indeed it was formerly written in its own script, Sylheti Nagari, similar in style to Kaithi but with differences, though nowadays it is almost invariably written in Bengali script.

History

In the 19th century, the British tea-planters in the area referred to the Sylheti language as Sylhettia. In Assam, the language is still referred to as Srihattiya, the name used in ancient literature. The Sylheti language was written in the Syloti-Nagri script, which is not widely known. Sylhet has a rich heritage of literature in the Sylheti Nagari script going back at least 200 years. The Sylheti Nagari script includes 5 independent vowels, 5 dependent vowels attached to a consonant letter and 27 consonants. The Sylheti Nagari alphasyllabary differs from the Bengali alphbets as it is a form of Kaithi, a script (or family of scripts) which belongs to the main group of North Indian scripts of Bihar. The writing system's main use was to record religious poetry, described as a rich language and easy to learn. In the 1860s, a Sylheti by the name of Moulvi Abdul Karim spent several years in Europe and learnt the printing trade. After returning home, he designed a woodblock type for the Syloti-Nagri alphabet and founded the Islamia Press in Sylhet Town in about 1870. Other Sylheti presses were established in Sunamgonj, Shillong and Calcutta. These presses fell out of use during the early 1970s. Since then the Syloti-Nagri alphabet has been used mainly by linguists and academics. During the 1971 Liberation War, when all Sylheti Nagari printing presses were destroyed, the writing system came to a halt. After Bangladesh gained independence, the government of the newly formed Bangladesh mandated Bangla studies and the use of the Bengali alphabets as a curriculum to be taught at all levels of education. Efforts to establish Sylheti as a modern language were vigorously opposed by political and cultural forces allied to successive Bangladeshi governments.

Campaigns started to rise in London during the mid 1970s to mid 1980s to recognise Sylheti as a language on its own right. During the mid 1970s, when the first mother-tongue classes were established for Bangladeshis by a non-Sylheti, Nurul Islam, the classes were given in Bengali rather than Sylheti which triggered the campaign. During the 1980s, a recognition campaign for Sylheti took place in the area of Spitalfields, East End of London. One of the main organisation was the Bangladeshis' Educational Needs in Tower Hamlets (BENTH). However this organisation collapesed in 1985 and ended the pro-Sylheti campaign in the borough. Nonetheless Sylheti remained dominant and the domestic language within the hamlet. This fact is being recognised by Tower Hamlets Council in the provision of local services in the community.

Geographical distribution

World map of the Sylheti speaking people

Sylheti is the language of the Surma Valley region bordering what are today the nations of Bangladesh and India and spoken throughout Sylhet Division in Bangladesh (comprising the districts of Sylhet, Habiganj, Maulvi Bazar and Sunamganj). It is also spoken across the border in the Barak Valley region of Assam in India, in districts such as Cachar, Karimganj, and Hailakandi all located to the east from Sylhet. There are over 10,000,000 speakers of the language throughout the globe, including 8,000,000 speakers in Bangladesh^{[citation needed]}.

Outside Bangladesh or India, the largest country in which Sylheti is spoken widely is in the United Kingdom, based on studies, over 95 percent of the British Bangladeshi community speak Sylheti mostly concentrated in the east London boroughs, and a few in Oldham and many other cities. Many of these Sylhetis arrived in the UK since the 1960-70s. Today many services provided for the Bengali community in the UK are translated in Sylheti for better understanding, for example in the Royal London Hospital, translation services (i.e. talking sign) are given in Sylheti. There are also Bangladeshi Americans who speak Sylheti, however it is not much recognized considering that the Sylheti speakers in the United States are spread around the vast country. There are many Bangladeshis that speak Sylheti in Jackson Heights, New York, Detroit & Hamtramck, Michigan and anywhere around that area^{[citation needed]}.

Sylheti grammar

Below, are the grammar similarities or differences between the two languages; Bengali and Sylheti.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Sylheti: 

Hokhol mainchor zonmo oe zemolaan azad omolaan homan izzot ar adikhar o loia. Tara hush ar gian uli takhae arokh zonor loge ruhani bhai-itta beboar zanu takhe.
(in Transcription, faithful to pronunciation)

(Word to word gloss) All humans' born are just-as free as-are equal dignity and rights taken. They are conscious and intelligible type endowing another-ones with spiritual brother-hood conduct must stay.

Bengali: 

Somosto manuṣo svadhīnbhabe somano morjyada ebong odhikaro niye jonmogrohoṇo kore. Tnadero bibeko ebong buddhi ache; sutorang sokoleroi' eke oporer proti bhratṛtvosulabho monôbhabo niye acoroṇo kora uchit.
(in Transcription, faithful to pronunciation)

(Word to word gloss) All human free-manner-in equal dignity and right taken birth-take do. Their reason and intelligence is; therefore everyone-indeed one another's towards brotherhood-ly attitude taken conduct do should.

Phonology

Sylheti is distinguished by a wide range of fricative sounds, which correspond to aspirated stops in closely related languages such as Bengali; a lack of the breathy voiced stops seen in many other Indic languages; word-final stress; and a relatively large set of loanwords from Arabic, Persian, Bengali and Assamese. Sylheti is spoken by about 10 percent of Bangladeshis, but has affected the course of standard Bengali in the rest of the state.

A notable characteristic of spoken Sylheti is the correspondence of the /x/, pronounced between [k] and [h] from [x] like the "ch" in Scottish "Loch" or the "j" in Latin American Spanish "Jalapeño", to the [ʃ], or "sh", of Bengali, e.g.

Bangla	Sylheti	Sylheti Transliteration	Meaning
Aslamalikum; Nomoskar	Aclamalixum; Nomoskar	Aslamalikhum; Nomoskar	Hello Arabic: 'Peace be upon you' Sanskrit: 'I bow to you'
Biday nicchi	Allah Hafiz	Allaa Aafiz	Goodbye (Sylheti: God is your Keeper)
Balika; meye	Furi	Furi	Girl
Balok; chele	Phua	Fua	Boy
Coroṇ sporsho	Xodom boci	Khodom bosi	Touch the feet (A welcome/farewell ritual)
Dhaka	Dhaxa	Dhakha	Dacca; Dhaka
Dhaka nogor-bhashī	Dhaxaia	Dhakhaia	People of Dhaka region
Ek lōk	Egxu maince	Egkhu mainche	A person
Ek jon	Ex zone	Ekh zone	Someone
Ek Puruṣh	Ex Beṭa	Ekh Beṭa	A man
Eisomoy	Ebuil	Ebuil	This time
Ekon	Ongxu	Ongkhu	Now
Haor	Hāor	Aaor	Shallow wetland
Hat	Hāt	Aat	Hand
Hindu	Hīndu	Indu	Hinduism
Hindustani; Bharotiya	Hīndia	India	People of Hind (Indian)
Hn̐ush	Hush	Hush	Conscious
Jamai	Furir-zamai; damand	Damand	Son-in-law
Kiser: kīser	Xixor	Khihor	What (implying in no respect)
Konya; meye	Xonia; Zi	Khonia; Zi	Daughter
Manob Jatiyo	Maincor zat	Mainchor zat	Human-kind
Osomīya	Axomia	Ahomia	People of Assam (Assamese)
Onguli; ongul	Anguil	Anguil	Finger; toe
Onguri	Anguti; angti	Angti	Finger-ring
Ognipokko	Agniphura	Agnifura	Baked; grilled
Osidharī	Axaidri	Ahaidri	Swordsman
Osur; Osuro	Axura; Axuria	Ahura; Ahuria	People of Assyria (Assyrian)
Pakira	Phaixia	Faikhia	Plural of bird; All kinds of Bird species
Paki	Phaxi	Fakhi	A (singular) bird
Prīti	Phiriti	Firiti	Love
Por	Phore; bade	Fore; bade	Later
Putrobodhū; bouma	Phuar-bow; bow	Fuar-bow; bow	Daughter-in-law
Putro	Phut	Fut	Son
Sokol; somosto	Xoxol	Hokhol	All
Sara (kon)	Xara (buil)	Hara (buil)	Every (time)
Sato Beel	Xat Bila	Hat Bila	Seven wetlands
Sat Kora	Xat Xora	Hat Khora	Seven Bitters (Sunamganji Citrus fruit)
Sat bar	Xat-bar	Hat-bar	Seven-times (Sylheti term for lots of time)
Sileṭī (স)	Ciloṭia (ছ)	Siloṭia	People of Sylhet
Su bhagyo	Allahr Hāola	Allaar Aaola	Good luck (Sylheti: With God's Authority)
Su tripti; bhalo ruchi	Taza bhux	Taza bhukh	Bon appétit
Strī	Bow	Bow	Wife
Svamī	Zamai; beṭa	Zamai; beṭa	Husband
Svagotom	Marhaba	Marhaba	Welcome
Shvoshur	Xoxur	Hohur	Father-in-law
Shashuṛī	Xoṛi	Hoṛi	Mother-in-law
Shala	Xala	Hala	Brother-in-law
Shalī	Xali	Hali	Sister-in-law
Shikśa kora	Xixa	Hikha	Learn
Shoriṣha	Xoirox	Hoiroh	Mustard
Shīẏal	Xial	Hial	Jackal
Shunṭki	Xuṭki; xukṭi	Huṭki: hukṭi	Sundried Fish
Riksha	Rishka	Rishka	Rickshaw
Apnar nam ki?	Aphnar nam xita?	Afnar nam Khita?	What's your name?
Daktar asar purbe rugi mara gelo	Daxtor awar ageu bemari mori gece	Dakhtor awar ageu bemari mori gese	Before the doctor came, the patient had died
Bohu din dekhi ni	Oto buile na dexlam	Oto buile na dekhlam	Long time no see
Kemon achho?	Bhala acoen ni?	Bala asoin ni?	How are you?
Bhalo acchi	Shuxur Allahr	Shukhur Allaar	I'm fine (Sylheti: Thanks be to God)
Ami tōmake bhalobasi	Ami tumare bhalaphai	Ami tumare balafai	I love you
Amar bhalō legeche tōmake	Tumare amar bhala lage	Tumare amar bala lage	I like you
Mangser torokariṭa ami bes bhalopeyechi	Ami ghustor calonṭa bhalaphaici	Ami gustor salonṭa balafaisi	I loved the meat curry
Mangser torokariṭa amar bhalō legeche	Ghustor calonṭa amar bhala lagce	Gustor salonṭa amar bala lagse	I liked the meat curry
Shilchor kon dike pore?	Xilcor xun baidi phorce?	Hilsor khun baidi forse?	Which way to Silchar?
Shōwchagar kōthay?	Xocailoe (ba leftin) xun xano?	Hosailoe ba liftin khun khano?	Where is the toilet?
Eiṭa ki?	Oxṭa xita?	Okhṭa khita?	What is this?

External links

• UK-Based Group that collects and republishes Sylheti literature
• Ethnologue entry