Rabha language

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Rabha
Rabha khurang/krwu
Raba
Native to India
Region Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya
Ethnicity Rabha people
Native speakers
139,986 (2011 census) [1]
Dialects
  • Maitori
  • Rongdani
  • Kocha
Assamese script, Bengali script, Latin script
Language codes
ISO 639-3 rah
Glottolog rabh1238
ELP Rabha
Rabha Map.png
Map of where Rabha is spoken

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, Maitori 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 "The 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).

Contents

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

Sample question answers and some words:
English RangdaniKochaMaitori
HelloSrirasongSeolawuUrgirasong
What is your name ?Nangi ata mung ?Nini mung utung ?Nangi ato mung?
My name is Rasan.Angi mung Rasan.wni/Ini mung Rasan.Angi mung Rasan.
IAme/ AngAngAng
YouName/NangNwngNang
WhatAtaUtungAto
WhyAtanaAtanga/AtangnaAna
WhenBedoBisomoi/BibaBedo
WhereBisi/BisinaBibaiBo/Benga
SpeakKaniBrakTep
BodyKan-ganjhiKanKan
HairKhoroHwwrKhorok
EyeNekenMwkwrMuken
ArmBahaCwsiTasi
SunRangsangRasanRangsang
MoonRangri/RanggreRangret/NaretLangri
MorningPhungMwnwuPhungi
EveningRangsriRasanlwiLanggri
NoonDiporSandupurRangsangdupur
NightPharPharPhari
DaySanSanSani
TomorrowGaphungGanapoRebakaisani
WeekSatpaksaSoptaSopta
HouseNokNok/No/nwgwuNok
DoorNokNakabNoko
VillageSongSongSong
HusbandUmbaMiMiba
WifeMicikMicik/JwgMichik
RiceMairungMairongMairun
MilkNuNono/NunoNui
OilThuchiTelThocha
MeatKakaKanMakan
SandHangcengHancengHancheng
RiverTambrongChikajhoraCikajhora
GoatPrynPurunPrun
CowMasuMwsu/MusuMasu
SpiderBiburBarcekBhubur

A representation of different Rabha numbers

Numbers:
English RongdaniKochaMaitoriStandard Rabha
ZeroThaslongSloSlong
OneSaSaSaSa
TwoNingNingNingNing
ThreeThamTamThamTham
FourCesaBriAriBri
FiveTolaBwngaCampaBwng
SixKropDo / KropHesKrop
SevenSiyaSinSortaSin
EightGinGinPartaGin
NineBingsukuPindasSuku
TenSathaChiGodaHasi / chi
ElevenSasaChisaGodasasisa
TwelveSaningChiningGodaningsining
ThirteenSathamChitaamGodathamsitham
FourteenSacesaChibriGodaarisibri
FifteenSatolaChibwngaGodacampasibwng
SixteenSakrobChikropGodahessikrop
SeventeenSasiyaChisinGodasortasisin
EighteenSaginChiginGodapartasigin
NineteenSabingChisukuGodapindassisuku
TwentyNingthaningchiRikhaNingsi
TwentyoneNingsaningchisaRikhasaNingsisa
TwentytwoNingningningchiningRikhaningNingsining
TwentythreeNingthamningchitamRikhathamNingsitham
TwentyfourNingcesaningchibriRikhaariNingsibri
TwentyfiveNingtolaningchibwngaRikhacampaNingsibwng
TwentysixNingkrobningchikropRikhahesNingsikrop
TwentysevenNingsiyaningchisinRikhasortaNingsisin
TwentyeightNingginningchiginRikhapartaNingsigin
TwentynineNingbingningchisukuRikhapindasNingsisuku
ThirtyThamthatamchiSiriThamsi
FortyCesathabrichiArliBrisi
FiftyTolathabwngachiPhalaBwngsi
SixtyKrobthakropchiHestiKropsi
SeventySiyathasinchiSortoSinsi
EightyGinthaginchiArsiGinsi
NinetyBingthasukuchiPinsipSukusi
HundredsathathasosaGotaSo
TwohundredNingthathasoningGotaningSoning
ThreehundredThamthathasotamGotathamSotham
FourhundredCesathathasobriGotaariSobri
FivehundredTolathathasobwngaGotaphalaSobwng
SixhundredKrobthathasokropGotahestiSokrop
SevenhundredSiyathathasosinGotasortoSosin
EighthundredGinthathasoginGotaarsiSogin
NinehundredBingthathasosukuGotapinsipSosuku
ThousandSatha³sochiHajarSohasi

Geographical distribution

According to the Ethnologue , Rabha is spoken in the following areas of India.

 There are also 1,600 Rabha in 9 districts of Bhutan. [4] 

See also

References

  1. Rabha at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
  2. Joseph, U.V. 2000. Rabha–English dictionary khúrangnala. Guwahati: Don Boco Publications.
  3. Joseph, U.V. 2007. Rabha. Leiden: Brill.
  4. Joshua Project