Dehan dialect
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| Dehan | |
|---|---|
| Dewan, Dheyan, Dhiyan, Cachari dialect | |
| দেহান | |
| Pronunciation | /dehan/ |
| Native to | Assam, India |
| Region | Barak Valley |
| Ethnicity | Dehan people (Koch-Rajbongshis of Cachar) |
Native speakers | 5000-8000+[1][2] |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | None |
Distribution of Dehan dialect in gold.
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Dehan, Dewan, Dheyan, Dhiyan or Cachari dialect is a regional variety of Assamese, spoken mainly in the Cachar district of Barak Valley.[3][4][5] More specifically, Dehan speakers are mainly found in ten villages in the eastern part of Barak River namely Horinagar, Japirbon, Leburbon, Gororbon, Dewan (Labok) or Dewan Bosti, Narayanpur, Larchingpar, Thaligram, Lakkhichora, and Digli. Though Dehan speakers are located in the same district, however, they are scattered in different places. Out of ten villages, Japirbon is the biggest and the populous one.[6]
Other than Assamese, Dehan shares its lexical items and linguistic features with Sylheti and Bishnupriya Manipuri as well, which is due to long language contact apart from being closely related. Dehan is closely related to the Kamrupi and Standard dialects of Assamese.[7][8]
Among the communities of Barak Valley, the Dehans are one of the early settlers as their settlement dates back to 16th century. They entered Cachar during Chilarai’s conquest of Cachar plains, but some of them didn't return to Brahmaputra Valley and made Cachar their permanent home. Chilarai campaigned through Maibong, Manipur, Jaintia, Srihatta and Tripura and finally the plains of Cachar were annexed to the Koch kingdom as Khaspur kingdom in 1562. Later the Koch principality in Cachar was reduced to a small zamindari in and around Khaspur.[9]
The Koch-Rajbongshis of Barak Valley are better known as Dehans. They initially had their settlements around Khaspur but later, owing to different socio-political compulsions, they had to branch off to different villages.[10]
Morphology
Pronouns
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Grammatical cases
| Cases | Suffix | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | none | গছৰ gosor plant-GEN পেনা pena from পাতখিনি patkhini-Ø leaves-ABS সৰছেই। xorsei. fell-IMPERF.3 The leaves fell from the tree. |
| Ergative | -এ -e |
নানায়ে nana-e child-ERG মোক mök I-ACC চাই। sa-i. see-3.HAB.PRES The child looks at me. Note: The personal pronouns without a plural or other suffix are not marked. |
| Accusative | -অক, -ok, -ক¹, -k¹, none none |
গোপীয়ে göpie Gopi-ERG চৰইগোটক soroigötok bird-DEF-ACC চাই sai looking আছেই। asei. exist-3.PRES.CONT Gopi is looking at the bird. সি xi he পথাৰ pothar-Ø field-ACC দেখ্ছ্লেই। dekhslei. see-PAST-3 He saw a field. |
| Genitive | -অৰ, -or, -ৰ¹ -r¹ |
তাই tai She পাহাৰৰ pahar-or hill-GEN উপৰত uporot above-LOC/DAT গ’ছেগেই। gösegei. went-3.IMPERF.PERF She went up the hill. |
| Dative | -অক, -ok, -ক¹ k¹ |
সি xi he মোক mö-k I-DAT পুথিখন puthikhon book-ACC দিছ্লেই। dislei. give-3.PAST He gave me the book. |
| Instrumental | -দি -di |
নাওখনগো naökhongö boat-CL-DEF জুৰিদিনে zuri-dine rope-INS-FOC বান্ধা bandha tied আছেই। asei. exist-3.PRES.HAB The boat has been tied with the rope. |
| Locative | -অত, -ot, -ত¹ -t¹ |
সিলোক xilök they চোতালত sötal-ot yard-LOC উমুলবালাই umulbalai play-INF.DAT লাগছেই। laksei. start-IMPERF.3 They are playing in the yard. |
1 = Used after vowel-ending words.