International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 4, Issue 2, February 2014 1 ISSN 2250-3153

Variation in the lexicon of the Mech (Boro) dialect of North and standard spoken in

Rujab Muchahary

Abstract- The Bodos are known by different names in different words used by the Boro speakers of two geographical areas .. places. In they are known as Mech, in as North Bengal and Assam. Meche, in the of Assam as Boro or Bodo. Racially they are the people of Mongoloid origin and linguistically to the Tibeto-Burman branch of Sino-Tibetan III. METHODOLOGY . Lexical variations can be observed among the During data collection, primary and secondary methods were Boro speakers of different geographical areas. As such there are used. For primary data sources, a visit was made to the areas of variations in the lexicon among the Boro speakers of North North Bengal concentrated by the . Then with the Bengal and Assam. In this paper, a study will be made on the application of interview and observation method, a collection of lexicon variation of the Mech dialect of North Bengal and words used by the Mech people was obtained. For secondary standard dialect of Boro spoken in Assam. source, different books written on Mech dialect and Boro standard was collected and referred. Index Terms- Mech, Boro, dialect, standard language, lexicon, variation 1 Bordoloi, B.N., forward in the book ‘Tribes of Assam’ 1991, p- 80 2 Kiryu, Kazuyuki: An Outline of the Meche Language-grammar, I. INTRODUCTION text and glossary, p-2 he Mech tribe is one of the scheduled tribe that belongs to 3 Endle, S., The Kacharis, 1997, p-xp Tthe Northern part of the state of in . The 4 Linguistic Survey of India, vol. iii, part-ii, 1903, p-1 Government of West Bengal recognizes them as Mech. Scholars are not unanimous in their opinions about the generic term ‘Mech’. There are a few discussions about the origin of the name, ‘Mech’. The Bodos of Jalpaiguri and call themselves IV. LEXICON VARIATION 1 Mech because they settled on the banks of the river Mechi, A. Fruits which flows across India and Nepal. Some scholars think that the Mech dialect Boro Standard English word ‘Mech’ is derived from the word ‘Mlechha’ which means barbarian or unclean.2 At present, they would like to introduce themselves as Boro or Bodo. K. Kiryu, notices Mech /kaklɔɯ/ /jɯgɯnad/ pumpkin as a western Boro dialect.3 Speakers of this dialect estimate their /lambhera/ /baŋgɔn/ tomato /banzut/ /banlu/ chilly population to be more than one lakh (non official). h 4 /t ulmul/ /mɯitru/ mapaya The generic term ‘Boro’ was first applied by Hodgson. The h Boro or Bodos are concentrated in the vast area of the /t am/ /sɔmpram/ muava Brahmaputra valley of the state of Assam of North East India. It /dumba/ /jukam/ maize is an official language of BTAD and associate state language of /guai/ /gɔi/ betel nut Assam. This language was included in the eight schedule of the /jɯgɯnad/ /panlu bɯdɯn/ small chilly in the year 2003. According to the census report of 2001, the total Boro speakers in Assam is 12, 96,162. B. Body Parts The dialect is considered as standard Boro language. /mɯsrɯm/ /musugur/ eyebrow The Bodos belong to Mongoloid origin and linguistically, to the /mɔgɔn/ /megɔn/ eye Tibeto-Burman sub-family within the Sino-Tibetan language /gɔntuŋ/ /gɔtɔŋ/ nose family. /nasi/ /asi/ nail /gusuti/ /gusti/ lip /nagda/ /agda/ right /gɔdɔna/ /gɯdɯna/ neck II. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY /thɔi/ /thɯi/ blood This paper is a study on lexical variation of the Mech dialect /atheŋ/ /atiŋ/ leg of North Bengal and standard Boro language spoken in Assam. /ashima/ /ashibima/ toe The main objective of this paper is to highlight the variation of

www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 4, Issue 2, February 2014 2 ISSN 2250-3153

/dintiya/ /diŋkiya/ a kind of vegitable C. Animals /dadaɔri/ /tɔŋali/ loose character’s /mɔkra/ /mɯkra/ monkey girl /mɔided/ /mɯider/ elephant /senja/ /patisina/ jute sticks /mɔisɔ/ /mɯisɯ/ buffalo /dudu/ /gaiker/ milk /mushɔ/ /mɯsɯɔ/ cow /barma/ /bɯrma/ goat /seŋgri/ /sikla/ young girl /mɔi/ /mɯi/ deer /seŋgra/ /seŋgra/ young boy

D. Household Articles /maijeti/ /mainaɔ/ lizard /udsuŋ/ /usuŋ/ backyard /taduŋ/ /tarun/ arum /sali/ /kamsali/ frontyard /gɯri/ /taŋgɯn/ a piece of wood /bedɔd/ /bedɔr/ meat used in cutting meat /hatɔki/ /hatɔrki/ star /daɔdab/ /ɔrdab/ oven /mɯkrɯi/ /ɯŋkrɯi/ curry /batiri/ /bakri/ granary /tuku/ /thɯɔsi/ grinder /ɔa/ /ɯɔa/ bamboo

E. Adjective Words /gudɯi/ /gudi/ basic /gɯlɯi/ /gɯrlɯi/ simple V. CONCLUSION /gɯmu/ /gɯmɯ/ yellow Above discussion notices the lexical variation of the two /gɯzza/ /gɯza/ red dialects spoken in two different geographical areas. It can be /mɯtaŋ/ /gɯtaŋ/ blue observed that some words have marginal differences. For /gɯcchɯm/ /gɯsɯm/ black example, the verb ‘jump’ is termed as {bad} in Mech and as /gɔpɔd/ /gupur/ white {bar} in Boro. In this example, phone /r/ of Boro is pronounced /gɔdai/ /undɯi/ small as /d/ in Mech. There are also some words which are completely /majaŋ/ /mɯjaŋ/ good different, but the meaning is same. For example, the noun ‘milk’ /gɔdɔi/ /gɯdɯi/ sweet is termed as {dudu} in Mech and as {gaiker} in standard Boro. /gɔka/ /gɯka/ bitter The differences observed in their lexicon may arise from the geographical separation which leads to minimal verbal F. Verb words communication. The variation also might have arisen due to the /bad/ /bar/ jump influence of other neighboring languages. The above discussion /lid/ /lir/ write and examples are not enough to draw a line of difference /kad/ /kar/ run between the two dialects. There are scopes and areas which can /pran/ /pɯran/ to dry be compassed into with further researches on this aspect. /musha/ /mɯsha/ dance /klam/ /kalam/ make /khui/ /ukɯi/ hungry ABBREVIATION /pɔi/ /pɯi/ come G. Adverb Words BTAD- Bodoland Territorial Area District /miya/ /mɯya/ yesterday /habaɔ/ /bɯiyaɔ/ there /baɔ/ /beɔ/ here REFERENCES /aglayaɔ/ /sigaŋaɔ/ past [1] Basumatary, Phukan, An Introduction to the Boro Language, Mittal Publication, First Edition, 2005. H. Miscellaneous words [2] Baro, Madhu Ram, The Historical Development of Boro Language, N.L. Publication, New Edition, 2007. /gaŋgrim/ /baŋgriŋ/ earthquake [3] Bordoloi, B.N., Tribes of Assam part-III, Assam Institute of Research for /bader/ /sambramgupur/ garlic tribals and Scheduled Castes, First Edition, 1991 /hu/ // land [4] Chetterji, Suniti kumar, Linguistic Survey of India, 1903 /akundɯi/ /ukundɯi/ smoke [5] Endle, Rev. Sidney, The Kacharis, Low Price Publication, Reprint, 1997 /swi/ /kɔpri/ a kind of umbrella [6] Kiryu, Kazuyuki, An Outline of the Meche language-grammar, text, made of leaves glossary, project report, 2005-2007 /deɔsi/ /pujari/ priest [7] Mandal, Satyendra Nath, History & Culture of the Bodos, Kolkata, First /batri/aped/ /ruati/ housemaid Edition, 2011. /bhatu/ /dahɯna/ male servant [8] Sanyal, Charu Chandra, The Meches and the Totos of North Bengal, The /slathai/ /ɔkha kɯrɯmnai/ thunder University of North Bengal Publication, 1989. /nɔka/ /ɔkha/ rain [9] Saibo, Subin (Chief Editor), Barfung, Mouthpiece, , 2011. /ɔat/ /or/ fair

www.ijsrp.org International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Volume 4, Issue 2, February 2014 3 ISSN 2250-3153

[10] Meche, Santa Lal., Kiryu, Kazuyuki, A Meche-Nepali-English AUTHORS Dictionary,The Council of the Meche language and literature, Jhapa, Nepal, 2012. First Author – Rujab Muchahary, Email: [email protected]

www.ijsrp.org