ADALYA JOURNAL ISSN NO: 1301-2746 A HISTORICAL ANALYSIS OF THE TAI LANGUAGE STUDY IN ASSAM Khanikar Maut Research Scholar Dibrugarh University, Assam, India Email : [email protected] Contact : 8638885342 Abstract Assam is a coordination place of diverse ethnic groups, cultures and societies. One of the northeast states of India, Assam is well known as a museum of languages in all over the world. Many Taiethinic groups are living here for many centuries. Ahom, Phake, Khamti, Khamyang, Aiton and Turung—these Tai ethnic groups of Assam have their own languages. These languages also have writing tradition among them and numerous texts of many contexts have been written in these languages. According to the experts, the Tai languages included in Sino Tibetan and Tai Kadai language families. Unfortunately, these languages are now counted as endangered languages. This study intends to briefly summarize the study of endangered Tai languages in Assam. This study is an account of Tai language study in Assam, which is highlighting the Dictionaries, Grammars and research works that have been done. Keywords : Tai, Ahom, Phake, endangered, Khamti. Turung 1.0 Introduction The Christian Missionaries are known as the pioneer of the modern language study in Assam. They are the main contributor to the language study in the entire North-East India and with their great effort the linguistic survey of many tribes was initiated from the beginning period of the 19th century. Historically, the first folio of language study was drafted in the 18th century under the patronage of Ahom king Gaurinath Singha (1780-1795). During this period, Tangain Mohan and Ramakanta Volume 9, Issue 1, January 2020 139 http://adalyajournal.com/ ADALYA JOURNAL ISSN NO: 1301-2746 Molaigharia Boruah had compiled the two significant Tai Ahom lexicons named as Bar Ammra and Lati Ammra. From these two great manuscripts the study of Tai Ahom language has been continued to the present time. Nowadays, a good amount of grammars, dictionaries, linguistic studies are available about Tai Ahom Language. In spite the fact that Tai Ahom language has a good background of research, still in the report of UNESCO the Tai Ahom is measured as one of the endangered languages of India. Moreover, The other Tai languages of Assam are also reported as an endangered language by UNESCO. Total six languages of the Tai Language family are found in Assam— Tai Ahom, Tai Khamti, Tai Phake, Tai Khamyang, Tai Turung and Tai Aiton. This study intends to give a well documented summary of language study of these Tai languages. 1.1 Methodology The Study of this selected topic has been done by descriptive method. The outline of this study has drawn from the survey of the rare books of Tai language and with the intensive library work in different libraries of Assam. The primary sources of data have mostly been used in this research. Besides, some secondary sources are used to enrich the study. 1.2 Objectives of the Study (a) Give a summary of written books, grammar, research works that related to the Tai language family of Assam. (b) Expose the methods that have been used to study these Tai Languages (c) Find out the contribution of research and study to the endangered Tai languages of Assam in its preservation.` (d) Find out the efficiency of the study works that have been done about Tai language Family of Assam. Volume 9, Issue 1, January 2020 140 http://adalyajournal.com/ ADALYA JOURNAL ISSN NO: 1301-2746 1.3 Area of Study This study intends to draw the outline of the history of Tai language study in Assam which have been done from the early stage to the 21st century. The study focus mainly on the research works, Grammars and dictionaries of the Tai Languages of Assam. The literary works have not been included in this study. For the best analysis of the selected topic the books are discussed in three sections— Grammar, Dictionary and research works 2.0 History of Tai Language Study The Tai language study has many dimensions which could be classified in many sections by time and their type. In this study the books have been discussed according to the published time and classified in a particular section. Furthermore, Language wise categorization has not been done in this study. 2.1 Grammar Outline Grammar of the Khamti Language (1898) by J.F. Needham is known as the first grammar book of the Tai languages of Assam. This grammar book was prepared with the survey of the Tai khamti speakers of nearby locations of Sadiya. In the next, Ghanakanta Boruah had written the book Ahom Primer (1936) which had been published by the department of Historical and Antiquarian Studies of Assam. This book was written on the based of Tai Ahom Language. The next Grammar book that had been written by Bimalakant Boruah was Tai Bhasa (1974). The discussion of the relationship between the Tai languages has got a place in this book. Tai-Khamti Phonology and Vocabulary (1977) by Alfons Weidert is the first Tai Khamti grammar book that focus on the basic phonetics and the vocabulary of Tai Khamti. Moreover, Tai Kathopakathan (1988) by Puspa Gogoi, Tai Ahom Primer (1989) by Priyabar Konwar, Tai Bhasar Byakaran (1990) by Nomalchandra Gogoi were the significant grammar books of this period. The Nomalchandra Gogoi’s grammar book contains a brief comparative study of Ahom, Khamti and Shan Language. Tai Ahom Primer (1989&1990) published in two parts was a jointly written book of Ratneswar buragohain and Tilu Hatiboruah. In the Volume 9, Issue 1, January 2020 141 http://adalyajournal.com/ ADALYA JOURNAL ISSN NO: 1301-2746 year 1992, Tai Bhasar Prathamik Path was written by Aimyangkheng Gohain which is lately added to the Tai language learning syllabus of Dibrugarh University. In this book the author included the discussion about the structural aspects of Tai Language. Some books have been written in educational purpose to revitalize the endangered Tai languages in Assam. Tai Path(1994) by Puspa Gogoi, Khamti Phrase Book (1997) by jimi Pulu, Tai Phake Primer (1997) and Tai Aiton Primer (1997) by Stephen morey are the remarkable grammars of Tai Languages which are contributing in the linguistic study of these languages. Ratneswar Buragohain was written a another book named Pung Kham Tai (1994). This book deals with primary grammatical aspects of the Ahom languages and also contains a glimpse of Morphology of this particular Language. Though these books were grammatical in nature, yet those were considered as significant contribution to the endangered Tai Languages. In the beginning of 21st Century Dauk Nyae Lik Tai (2000) by Chandra Konwar, Kankhom Tai (2000) by Tilu Hatiboruah, Lik tai Ahom (2001) by Jonaram Changbon Phukan were published and fortified the need of Tai Language grammar. These books contain phonectical and morphological glimpses of the Tai languages. Some academic and Research oriented books were written about these Tai languages by many authors. Most of them were only written about the Tai Ahom Language. The Foreign researchers are also contributing to the Tai Language Study. Overall, We can mention many others books in this category— An Introductory Primer and Grammar of Ahom (Tai) Language (Jugendranath Phukan, 2004), Lik Kham Tai (Bipul Chandra Gogoi, Umesh Gohain,2008), Ti Bhashar Siksha (Lathon Mauk, 2008), Tai Bhasha Sikhu Aha (Biswa Changbon Phukan, 2009), Tai Bhashar Parichai (Babul Phukn,2009), Lit Pung Kham Tai (Babul Phukan, 2010), Tai Barnar Parichai (Babul Phukan,2011), Tai Bhashar Sikshar Puthi (Medani Madhab Mohan,2011), Tai Primer, Byakaranar Hoite (Chandra Konwar, 2013), Pap San Lik Tai (Ai Seng Kyo Buraghain, 2013), Tai Bhashar Hahaj Kathopakathan (Madeni Madhab Mohan,2014), Ma San Kham Tai (Dharitree Gogoi Phukan, 2017), Tai Khamti Easy English Translation (P.S Bhikkhu), Tai Khamti Primer (C.K Monnoi) etc. Volume 9, Issue 1, January 2020 142 http://adalyajournal.com/ ADALYA JOURNAL ISSN NO: 1301-2746 All these above mentioned works have introduced grammatical structures of Tai Languages. Some of these book also outline the phonectic and morphologic charecteristics of Tai languges. Moreover, we could not claim purely indivisual genine work in each and every book and drawbacks could be find straightforwardly. Some of these books are influenced by others and rectified with the references of earlier books. Nevertheless, these works enrich the Tai language study adequately. 2.2 Dictionaries The compile of Assamese Dictionary or lexicon have an age long tradition. The practice of compiled dictionary was started with the Tai Ahom language of Assam in the 17th century. Under the patronage of Ahom king Gaurinath Singha (1780-1795) Bar Ammra and Lati Ammra have been written by Tangai Mohan and Ramakanta Malaigharia Baruah. These two Dictionaries manuscripts which were written on Sanchi (Aquillaria Agallocha) tree bark compiled together as ‘Ahom Laxicon’ by Bimalakanta Baruah and Nandanath Daodhai Phukan in 1964. Assam Historical and Antiquarian studies department had published this book. In fact the beginning of composing dictionary or lexicon in the modern era of Assam was initiated by the American Baptist missionary in the 19th century. Before this substantial publication of manuscripts Rai sahib Gopal Chandra Boruah composed a dictionary named Ahom-Assamese-English Dictionary (1920). From the decade of seventy a good numbers of Tai dictionaries have been composed and compiled by many scholars of Tai languages. Banchob Bandhumdha’s Aiton-Thai- English Dictionary (1970) and Phake-Thai- English Dictionary (1987), The Assamese-English-Tai-Dictionary (Nomal Chandra Gogoi, 1987), Tai Ahom Sabdakosh (1998), Lati Ammra ba Tai Ahom Sabdakosh (Girin Mohung Boruah,) were the some significant works that truly enriched the collection of Tai language dictionaries. In twenty first century many other great contributions have done by different authors in this field.