Eastern Indo-Aryan languages
| Eastern Indo-Aryan | |
|---|---|
| Magadhan | |
| Geographic distribution | Eastern India, Bangladesh, southern Nepal |
| Linguistic classification | Indo-European
|
Early forms | Prakrit
|
| Subdivisions | Bengali–Assamese
|
| Glottolog | indo1323 (Indo-Aryan Eastern zone) biha1245 (Bihari) |
The Eastern Indo-Aryan languages, also known as Māgadhan languages, are spoken throughout the eastern Indian subcontinent (East India and Assam, Bangladesh), including Bihar, Jharkhand, Bengal, Tripura, Assam, and Odisha; alongside other regions surrounding the northeastern Himalayan corridor. Bengali is official language of Bangladesh and the state of West Bengal and Tripura, while Assamese and Odia are the official languages of Assam and Odisha, respectively. The Eastern Indo-Aryan languages descend from Magadhan Apabhraṃśa[1] and ultimately from Magadhi Prakrit.[2][3][1]
Classification[]
The exact scope of the Eastern branch of the Indo-Aryan languages is controversial. All scholars agree about a kernel that includes the Odia cluster and the Bengali–Assamese languages, while many also include the Bihari languages. The widest scope was proposed by Suniti Kumar Chatterji who included the Eastern Hindi varieties, but this has not been widely accepted.[4]
When the Bihari languages are included, the Eastern Indo-Aryan languages fall into four language groups in two broader categories:
Western Magadhan[]
- Bihari
- Bhojpuric
- Bhojpuri
- Caribbean Hindustani
- Magahi
- Maithili
- Sadanic
- Tharuic
- Chitwania Tharu
- Dangaura Tharu
- Sonha
- Kathoriya Tharu
- Kochila Tharu
- Rana Tharu
- Buksa
- Majhi
- Musasa
- Unclassified Bihari
- Kumhali
- Kuswaric
- Bhojpuric
Eastern Magadhan[]
- Bengali–Assamese:
- Bengali-Gauda
- Rarhi (Standard Bengali)
- Bangali (Dhakaiya Kutti)
- Bishnupriya Manipuri
- Chakma
- Chittagonian
- Hajong
- Manbhumi
- Noakhailla
- Rohingya
- Sundarbani
- Sylheti
- Tanchangya
- Varendri
- Kamarupic:
- Assamese (Kamrupi, Goalpariya)
- Rangpuri, Surjapuri, Rajbanshi
- Bengali-Gauda
- Odia languages
- Odia (Sambalpuri, Desia, Kataki, Baleswari, Ganjami, Sundargadi)
- Bodo Parja
- Bhatri
- Reli
- Kupia
- Halbic:
Features[]
Grammatical features of the Eastern Indo-Aryan languages:[5]
| Case | Bengali | Assamese | Odia | Rajbangshi | Surjapuri | Maithili | Bhojpuri | Tharu |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instrumental | -t̪e, -ke d̪ie | -e, -er-e, di, -e-di | -e, -re, -d̪ei | -d̪i | sɛ | -e,e˜, sə˜, d̪ea | le, leka | |
| Dative | -ke, -[e]re | -k, -ɒk | -ku | -k, -ɔk | -k, -ɔk | -ke˜ | -ke | -hənə |
| Ablative | -t̪ʰeke | pɒra | -u, -ru, ʈʰaru, ʈʰiru | hat̪ɛ, t̪ʰaki | sɛ | sə˜, -k karəne | se | |
| Genitive | -r, -er | -r, -ɒr | -rɔ | -r, -ɛr | -r, -ɛr | -ker (-k) | -kæ | -ək |
| Locative | -e, -t̪e | -t, -ɒt | -re | -t̪, -ɔt̪ | -t̪, -ɔt̪ | e, me, -hi, -tə | -mə |
References[]
- ^ a b Ray, Tapas S. (2007). "Chapter Eleven: "Oriya". In Jain, Danesh; Cardona, George. The Indo-Aryan Languages. Routledge. p. 445. ISBN 978-1-135-79711-9.
- ^ Cardona, George; Jain, Dhanesh, eds. (2003), "The historical context and development of Indo-Aryan", The Indo-Aryan Languages, Routledge language family series, London: Routledge, pp. 46–66, ISBN 0-7007-1130-9
- ^ South Asian folklore: an encyclopedia : Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, By Peter J. Claus, Sarah Diamond, Margaret Ann Mills, Routledge, 2003, p. 203
- ^ Masica, Colin (1991). The Indo-Aryan Languages. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 446–462.
- ^ (Toulmin 2006:148)
External links[]
- A Comparative dictionary of the Bihārī language, Volume 1 By August Friedrich Rudolf Hoernle, Sir George Abraham Grierson (1885)
- 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.
- Languages of India
- Languages of Bangladesh
- Languages of Nepal