Thursday, 21 June 2012


                                            Chakma language:
Chakma language is more the most advanced of the tribal languages in Arunachal. Some historical document as “Puthis”are exist in this language. One of them, “Chadigang Chara Pala” was written on palm leaf. This puthireveals that the Chakmas originated in Nepal and after roaming about in several south-east Asian countries came to old Burma and Arakan before settling in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Their original name was “Thek” in the Arakani language they were called “Chak and Dainak” in the dialect Chakma language is called “Chagma”.
The alphabets of the Chakma language are similar to the alphabets of Sinhalese, Burmese, old Pali, Thailand's Khmer, Annam Laos, Cambodia and Siam. Tara, the scripture of the Chakmas, is written in the Burmese script. When spoken, the Chakma alphabet has a soft sound and is generally articulated from the bottom of the tongue. It is primarily based on sound and has a Chinese tone. In many respects (including philology, prosody, folklore, idioms and phonology) it is close to Pali, Assamese and Bengali. Many sounds of Pali and Burmese language are also available in the Chakma language. Efforts are now being made to write the Chakma language in the Burmese script. A book of primary reading in Chakma has also been published from Rangamati. Its author is Mr. Nayanram Chakma. The cinema films published in Arunachal by the Chakmas are Haabi-Daabi and Tanyabi.
There are many songs written in the Chakma language. These have been composed in colloquial Chakma. The language of the book “Gojen Lama” written by the Chakma famous poet “Shivcharan” in 1777. Radhaman- Dhanpudi and Chadigang Chara Pala are two important lyrical poems. The metres used in Chakmas and Bangla verse are almost similar. The syntax of the two languages are also identical. The numbers in Chakma language are pronounced as in Pali and Bangla. The minus symbol in Chakma is called “Farak”, the plus symbol is “Jora” and the sign of multiplication is called “Duna”. The other symbols are the same in both languages. In the Chakma language S is called “Ek Fudo”, is called “Dvifudo and U is called “Chan Fudo”. In conjugation and declension present day Chakma language is close to Pali, Burmese, Bangla, Assamese, Rajbangshi, Garo, Sangma and Chittagonian. This language has 6 regional forms. Within the Chakmas different clans have their distinct dialects.

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