Rabha is a Sino-Tibetan language of Northeast India. The two dialects, Maitori and Rongdani, are divergent enough to cause problems in communication. According to U.V. Joseph,[2] there are three dialects, viz. Rongdani or Rongdania, Maitori or Maitoria and Kocha (page ix). Joseph writes that "the Kocha dialect, spoken along the northern bank of the Brahmaputra, is highly divergent and is not intelligible to a Rongdani or Maitori speaker" (page ix). Joseph also writes that "[t]he dialect variations between Rongdani and Maitori, both of which are spoken on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra, in the Goalpara district of Assam and belong to the northern slopes of Meghalaya, are minimal" (pages ix-x). He concludes the paragraph on dialectal variation with: "The Rongdani-Maitori dialectal differences become gradually more marked as one moves further west" (page x).
| Rabha | |
|---|---|
| Rabha khurang/krou | |
| ৰাভা | |
| Native to | India |
| Region | Assam, West Bengal,Meghalaya |
Native speakers | 139,986 (2011 census)[1] |
| Dialects |
|
| Assamese script, Bengali script, english | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | rah |
| Glottolog | rabh1238 |
| ELP | Rabha |
 Map of where Rabha is spoken | |
In 2007, U.V. Joseph published a grammar of Rabha with Brill in their series Languages of the Greater Himalayan Region.[3]
A representation of different Rabha dialects
edit| English | Rangdani | Kocha | Maitori |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hello | Srirasong | Seolawu | Urgirasong |
| What is your name ? | Nangi ata mung ? | Nini mung utung ? | Nangi mung ato ? |
| My name is Rasan. | Angi mung Rasan. | ãni/Ini mung Rasan. | Angi mung Rasan. |
| I | Ame/ Ang | Ang | Ang |
| You | Name/Nang | Nãng | Nang |
| What | Ata | Utung | Ato |
| Why | Atana | Atanga/Atangna | Ana |
| When | Bedo | Bisomoi/Biba | Bedo |
| Where | Bisi/Bisina | Bibai | Bo/Benga |
| Speak | Kani | Brak | Tep |
| Body | Kan-ganjhi | Kan | Kan |
| Hair | Khoro | Hãwãr | Khorok |
| Eye | Neken | Mákár | Muken |
| Arm | Baha | Cãsi | Tasi |
| Sun | Rangsang | Rasan | Rangsang |
| Moon | Langgre | Rangret/Naret | Rangri |
| Morning | Fung | Mãnou | Fungi |
| Evening | Rangsri | Rasanlãi | Langgri |
| Noon | Dipor | Sandupur | Rangsangdupur |
| Night | Far | Far | Fari |
| Day | San | San | Sani |
| Tomorrow | Gafung | Ganapo | Rebakaisani |
| Week | Satpaksa | Sopta | Sopta |
| House | Nok | Nok/No | Nok |
| Door | Nok | Nakab | Noko |
| Village | Song | Song | Paham |
| Husband | Umba | Mi | Miba |
| Wife | Micik | Micik/Jãg | Michik |
| Rice | Mairung | Mairong | Mairun |
| Milk | Nu | Nono/Nuno | Nui |
| Oil | Thuchi | Tel | Thocha |
| Meat | Kaka | Kan | Makan |
| Sand | Hangceng | Hanceng | Hancheng |
| River | Tambrong | Chikajhora | Cikajhora |
| Goat | Prãn | Purun | Prun |
| Cow | Masu | Mãsu/Musu | Masu |
| Spider | Bibur | Barcek | Bhubur |
A representation of different Rabha numbers
edit| English | Rongdani | Kocha | Maitori | Standard Rabha |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zero | Tha | Riya | Slo | Slong |
| One | Sa | Sa | Sa | Sa |
| Two | Ning | Ning | Ning | Ning |
| Three | Tham | Tam | Tham | Tham |
| Four | Cesa | Bri | Ari | Bri |
| Five | Tola | Bãng/Bãnga | Campa | Bãng |
| Six | Krob | Do/Krop | Hes | Krob/Krop |
| Seven | Siya | Sin | Sorta | Sin |
| Eight | Gin | Gin | Parta | Gin |
| Nine | Bing | Gis/Bin | Pindas | Suku |
| Ten | Satha | Cha | Goda | Hasi |
| Eleven | Sasa | Chasa | Godasa | sisa |
| Twelve | Saning | Chaning | Godaning | sining |
| Thirteen | Satham | Chataam | Godatham | sitham |
| Fourteen | Sacesa | Chabri | Godaari | sibri |
| Fifteen | Satola | Chabãng | Godacampa | sibãng |
| Sixteen | Sakrob | Chakrob | Godahes | sikrop |
| Seventeen | Sasiya | Chasin | Godasorta | sisin |
| Eighteen | Sagin | Chagin | Godaparta | sigin |
| Ninteen | Sabing | Chagis | Godapindas | sisuku |
| Twenty | Ningtha | Chak | Rikha | Ningsi |
| Twentyone | Ningsa | Chaksa | Rikhasa | Ningsisa |
| Twentytwo | Ningning | Chakning | Rikhaning | Ningsining |
| Twentythree | Ningtham | Chaktam | Rikhatham | Ningsitham |
| Twentyfour | Ningcesa | Chakbri | Rikhaari | Ningsibri |
| Twentyfive | Ningtola | Chakbãng | Rikhacampa | Ningsibãng |
| Twentysix | Ningkrob | Chakkrob | Rikhahes | Ningsikrop |
| Twentyseven | Ningsiya | Chaksin | Rikhasorta | Ningsisin |
| Twentyeight | Ninggin | Chakgin | Rikhaparta | Ningsigin |
| Twentynine | Ningbing | Chakgis | Rikhapindas | Ningsisuku |
| Thirty | Thamtha | Chat | Siri | Thamsi |
| Forty | Cesatha | Chab | Arli | Brisi |
| Fifty | Tolatha | Chaba | Phala | Bãngsi |
| Sixty | Krobtha | Chakor | Hesti | Kropsi |
| Seventy | Siyatha | Chasi | Sorto | Sinsi |
| Eighty | Gintha | Chagi | Arsi | Ginsi |
| Ninety | Bingtha | Bingta | Pinsip | Sukusi |
| Hundred | sathatha | Chu | Gota | So |
| Onehundred | sathatha | Sachu | Gotasa | Sosa |
| Twohundred | Ningthatha | Ningchu | Gotaning | Soning |
| Threehundred | Thamthatha | Tamchu | Gotatham | Sotham |
| Fourhundred | Cesathatha | Brichu | Gotaari | Sobri |
| Fivehundred | Tolathatha | Bãngchu | Gotaphala | Sobãng |
| Sixhundred | Krobthatha | Krobchu | Gotahesti | Sokrop |
| Sevenhundred | Siyathatha | Sinchu | Gotasorto | Sosin |
| Eighthundred | Ginthatha | Ginchu | Gotaarsi | Sogin |
| Ninehundred | Bingthatha | Gischu | Gotapinsip | Sosuku |
| Thousand | Satha³ | Cachu | Hajar | Sohasi |
Geographical distribution
editAccording to the Ethnologue, Rabha is spoken in the following areas of India.
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Rabha at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ Joseph, U.V. 2000. Rabha–English dictionary khúrangnala. Guwahati: Don Boco Publications.
- ^ Joseph, U.V. 2007. Rabha. Leiden: Brill.
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