Sylheti language

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
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
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.[1] 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,[2] 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,[3] "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.[4]

Contents

[edit] History

In the 19th century, the British tea-planters in the area referred to the Sylheti language as Sylhettia.[5] In Assam, the language is still referred to as Srihattiya, the name used in ancient literature.[6] The Sylheti language was written in the Syloti-Nagri script, which is not widely known.[7][8] Sylhet has a rich heritage of literature in the Sylheti Nagari script going back at least 200 years.[9] 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.[9] The writing system's main use was to record religious poetry, described as a rich language and easy to learn.[10] 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.[11] 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.[12]

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.[13]

[edit] 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 [14] 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 [15] 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.[16] 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.[17] 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].

[edit] Sylheti grammar

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

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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 () Ciloṭia () 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?

[edit] References

  1. ^ Glanville Price (2000). Encyclopedia of the Languages of Europe. pp. 91-92.
  2. ^ Edward Gait, History of Assam, p. 274
  3. ^ George Grierson, Language Survey of India, Vol II, Pt 1, p224
  4. ^ "Sylheti Literature". Sylheti Translation And Research. http://www.sylheti.org.uk/page2.html. Retrieved 2007-04-24. 
  5. ^ Grierson, G.A. 1903. Linguistic Survey of India, Vol. 5, Part I. Calcutta.
  6. ^ JamesLloyd-Williams & SueLloyd-Williams (Sylheti Translation and Research/STAR); Peter Constable (SIL International) Date: 2002-11-01
  7. ^ Syloti Nagri alphabet
  8. ^ Sylheti unicode chart
  9. ^ a b Sylheti Literature
  10. ^ Sylheti Literature
  11. ^ Sylheti Alphabets
  12. ^ Anne J. Kershen (2005). Strangers, Aliens and Asians: Huguenots, Jews and Bangladeshis in Spitalfields, 1660-2000. Routledge. page. 147
  13. ^ Anne J. Kershen (2005). Strangers, Aliens and Asians: Huguenots, Jews and Bangladeshis in Spitalfields, 1660-2000. Routledge. pages. 148-150
  14. ^ Sylheti
  15. ^ Gardner K (1995) International migration and the rural context in Sylhet. New Community 18: 579–590
  16. ^ Hampshire School
  17. ^ Talking Sign Sylheti not Bangla Video.

[edit] External links

Personal tools
Namespaces
Variants
Actions
Navigation
Interaction
Toolbox
Print/export
Languages