IMPACT: International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature (IMPACT: IJRHAL) ISSN (P): 2347-4564; ISSN (E): 2321-8878 Vol. 4, Issue 5, May 2016, 31-40 © Impact Journals A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF THE NUMERAL CLASSIFIERS OF BODO, RABHA AND KOKBOROK LANGUAGES ASHA RANI BRAHMA Research Scholar, Department of Bodo, Bodoland University, Klkrajhar, Btad, Assam, India ABSTRACT This Paper attempts to compare and analyze numeral classifiers of Bodo, Rabha and KokBorok languages. They have been recognised with same sub-group and they migrated together in North-East India. (Chatterji, Suniti Kumar, Kirata Jana Kriti, 2007, page -45-46). Some Similarities and Dissimilarities are found among these languages. Each language has its own Structures and Functions in numeral classifiers. KEYWORDS : Classifiers, Structures, Functions, Similarities and Dissimilarities INTRODUCTION Bodo, Rabha and KokBorok languages has developed from same sub-group of Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino- Tibetan language family which is second largest language family in the world. These languages spread in different places in North-East India. Today the Bodo and Rabha have their basic concentration in Assam and the KokBorok in Tripura. The gap in communication and relation among these languages led to dissimilarities among them. To study the historical relationship between these languages many comparative study has been done by writers and researchers. Scope of Study • {p hang}: This classifier is used in Bodo language for tree, herb and climbers. For example - Phang – se goi or goip hang – se. (one areca nut tree) Phang – nɰit haiz ɰu or t haiz ɰup hang – nɰi. (Two mango trees) • {gong}: This classifier is used for things, house, musical instruments, furniture, household articles, fishing, hunting tools, agricultural tools, transport, electronic media and many things. For example – gong – se khanzong or k hanzong gong – se. (One comb) gong – nɰi no or no gong – nɰi.(Two houses) gong – thamsipung or sipung gong – tham. (Three flutes) gong – br ɰibisina or bisina gong – br ɰi. (Four beds) gong – bat hɰrsi or t hɰrsi gong – ba. (Five dishes) Impact Factor(JCC): 1.7843 - This article can be downloaded from www.Impactjournals.Us 32 Asha Rani Brahma gong – dhozek hai or zek hai gong – dho. (Six fishing tools) gong – sniru ɰa or ru ɰa gong – sni. (Seven axes) gong – dainlaot hi or laot hi gong – dain.(Eight sticks) gong – gunao or nao gong – gu. (Nine boats) gong – zi T. V. or T. V. gong – zi.(Ten Televisions) • {t hai}: This classifiers is used for fruits and vegetables. For example – Thai – se t halir or t halirt hai – se. (one banana) Thai – nɰit haibeng or t haibengt hai – nɰi. (Two cucumbers) Thai – thampant hao or pant haot hai – tham. (Three brinjals) • {pong}: This classifiers is used for human speech, biting, kicking hands and beating with sticks. For example – Pong – se batra or batra pong – se. (One word) Pong – nɰiz ɰnai or z ɰnai pong – nɰi. (Two kick) Pong – thambunai or bunai pong – tham. (Three times beating) • {d ɰng}: This classifier is used for long and flexible things like –hair, rope, necklace, tail, string and electrical string. For example – dɰng – se k hanai or k hanaid ɰng – se. (A hair) dɰngn ɰidirung or dirungd ɰng – nɰi. (Two ropes) dɰng – tham mala or mala d ɰng – tham. (Three necklaces) dɰng - br ɰilanzai or lanzaid ɰng – br ɰi. (Four tails) dɰng – bak hundung or k hundungd ɰng – ba. (Five strings) • {t hong}: This classifier is used in Bodo language for cutting bamboo, and tree for posts. For example – • thong – se k huntia or k huntia thong – se. (One post) • thong – nɰisalk hunt ha or salk hunt ha t hong – nɰi. (Two posts of weaving loom) • {dung}: This classifier is used in Bodo language for hole of insects. For example – dung – se k hangk hraigudung or k hank hraigudung dung – se. (One hole of crab) Index Copernicus Value: 3.0 - Articles can be sent to [email protected] A comparative Analysis of the Numeral Classifiers of Bodo, Rabha and Kokborok Languages 33 dung – nɰianzorgudung or anzorgudung dung – nɰi. (Two holes of rat) • {g hor}: This classifier is used in Bodo language for small and round things like – seeds, stones. For example – ghor – se sibing or sibingg hor – se. (One lentil) ghor – nɰibut h or but hghor – nɰi. (Two grams) ghor – thamont hai or ont haig hor – tham. (Three stones) • {m ɰzɰm}: This classifier is used for handful of things like – rice, paddy seed, sugar, sand, soil and seeds. For example – mɰzɰm – se mai or maim ɰzɰm – se. (One handful of paddy seeds) mɰzɰm – nɰisini or sinim ɰzɰm – nɰi. (Two handful of sugars) mɰzɰm – thambala or balam ɰzɰm – tham. (Three handful of sands) mɰzɰm – br ɰidali or dalim ɰzɰm – br ɰi. (Four handful of dhal seeds) • {haldinga}: This classifier is used for a string of meat, insects andfishes. Sometimes for fruits, vegetablesand flowers too. For example – haldinga – nɰikhusengra or khusengrahaldinga – nɰi. (Two strings of one kind of insects) haldinga – thamna or nahaldinga – tham. (Three strings of fishes) haldinga – br ɰipit hai or pit haihaldinga – br ɰi. (Four strings of fruits) Classifiers of Rabha Language • {sak}: This classifiers is used for human being in Rabha language. For example – sak – sak hai or k haisak – sa. (One man) sak – niNtriNgir or triNgirsak – niN. (Two students) • {ma}: This classifier is used for all kinds of animal, birds, insects, water animals and creature. For example – ma – samasu or masu ma – sa. (One cow) ma – niNt hok ha or t hok ha ma – niN. (Two crows) ma – thamk harok h or k harok h ma – tham. (Three cockroaches) ma – char k hen or k hen ma – char. (Four crabs) Impact Factor(JCC): 1.7843 - This article can be downloaded from www.Impactjournals.Us 34 Asha Rani Brahma ma – baluk hbak hor luk hbak h ma – ba. (Five frogs) • {p haN}: This classifier is used for tree, herb and climbers. For example – phaN – sak hui or k huip haN – sa. (One areca nut tree) phan – niNp hoc ho or p hoc hop haN – niN. (Two mango trees) phaN – thamzaluk h or zaluk hphaN – tham. (Three chilli trees) phaN – cha narim or narimp haN – cha. (Four cucumber trees) • {k hon}: This classifier is used in Rabha language for leaves, pieces of cloths, wings, books and papers, all kinds of flat things, house, household things, furniture, musical instruments, fishing tools, hunting tools, agricultural tools, utensils, transport, sport and educational tools and so on. For example – khon – sasak or sakk hon – sa. (A leaf) khon – niNnen or nenk hon – niN. (Two cloths) khon – thamt hareN or t hareNk hon – tham. (Three wings) khon – char boi or boik hon – char. (Four books) khon – banok or nokkhon – ba. (Five houses) khon – soik hoc heN or k hoc heNk hon – soi. (Six combs) khon – siyat hibil or t hibilk hon – siya. (Seven tables) khon – gin domphol or d homp holk hon – gin. (Eight drums) khon – gin k hodur or k hodurk hon – gin. (Eight baskets for keeping fish) khon–biNbak heN or bak heNk hon – biN. (Nine axes) khon – sat hat hɰrsi or t hɰrsikhon - sat ha. (Ten dishes) khon – sat hatringdam or tringdamk hon – sat ha. (Ten schools) • {t he}: This classifier is used in Rabha language for fruits and vegetables. For example – the – sapoc ho or poc ho t he – sa. (A mango) the – niNbant hao or bant hao t he – niN. (Two brinjals) • {t huka}: This classifier is used for the human speech. For example – Index Copernicus Value: 3.0 - Articles can be sent to [email protected] A comparative Analysis of the Numeral Classifiers of Bodo, Rabha and Kokborok Languages 35 thuka – sakat ha or kat hat huka – sa. (One word) thuka – niNkat ha or tat hat huka – niN. (Two words) • {t ɰng}: This classifier is used for long and flexible things like – rope, hair, necklaces, tail, string and so on. For example – tɰng – sak hur or k hurt ɰng – sa. (A rope) tɰng – sak horo or k horot ɰng – sa. (A hair) tɰng – niNzimi or zimit ɰng – niN. (Two tails) tɰng – thamnent heng or nent hengt ɰng – tham. (Three strings) • {t hok}: This classifier is used in Rabha language for drops of liquids. For example – thok – sac hoki or c hokit hok – sa. (A drop of wine) thok – niNmac hu-phu or mac ho-phut hok – niN. (Two drops of milk) • {bada}: This classifier is used for bunch of fruits like – areca nut, grapes, coconut and litchi. For example – bada – sak hui or k huibada – sa. (A bunches of areca nuts) bada – sanariyol or nariyolbada – sa. (A bunch of coconuts) bada – niNlesu or lesubada – niN. (A bunch of litchis) • {pal}: This classifier is used in case of flock of birds, herd of cows, cattle etc. For example – pal – sabugil or bugil pal – sa. (A herd of cranes) pal – samasu or masu pal – sa. (A herd of cows) • {halsiN}: This classifier is used for a string of fishes, meat or so on. For example – halsiN – sana or nahalsiN – sa. (A string of fishes) halsiN – niN kaka or kaka halsiN – niN. (Two string of meats) • {zor}: This classifier is used for pair of peoples and birds. For example – zor – samisa or misazor – sa. (A pair of girls) zor – niNtiya or tiyazor – niN. (Two pair of parrots) Impact Factor(JCC): 1.7843 - This article can be downloaded from www.Impactjournals.Us 36 Asha Rani Brahma Classifiers of Kokborok Language • {khorok/borok}: This classifier is used in KokBorok language for human being. For example – khorok – saborok or borokk horok – sa. (One man) khorok – nuiserai or seraik horok – nui. (Two children) • {ma}: This classifier is used for all kinds of animals, insects, birds and creatures. For example – ma – samusuk or musuk ma – sa.