Tanchangya language

The Tanchangya language is one of the eleven indigenous languages spoken in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Mizoram, Tripura, and Rakhine State. Despite the common belief that it is a Tibeto-Burman language, it is categorized as a Indo-Aryan language.^[2] It is closely related to Chakma and Chittagonian. It is primarily spoken by the Tanchangyas people.^[3]

Native speakers

46,000 (2022)^[1]

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Tanchangya
𑄖𑄧𑄐𑄴𑄌𑄧𑄁𑄉𑄴𑄡
'Tanchangya' in Tanchangya/Chakma script
Native to	Bangladesh
Region	Chittagong Hill Tracts (Bangladesh) Mizoram and Tripura (India) Rakhine State (Myanmar)
Ethnicity	Tanchangya
Native speakers	46,000 (2022)^[1]
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan Eastern Bengali–Assamese Tanchangya
Writing system	Tanchangya alphabet
Language codes
ISO 639-3	`tnv`
Glottolog	`tang1330`

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Vocabulary

Tanchangya has many words from Indo-Aryan languages. It also maintains some Burmanised words, particularly in Buddhist terminologies.

The original words of Tanchangya are believed to be from ancient Tanchangya.^[4]

More information English ...

Tanchangya	English
Awga (অগা)	Uneducated, uncivilised
Awnsur (অন্সুর্)	Regularly, always
Awnawpinaw (অন-পিন); Awnaw-sawnaw (অন- সনঅ)	Insane, foolish
Awrawk (অরক্)	Nest
Hawla (হলা)	Fry, thick shrub bushes
Awsangya (অসাঙ্যা); Besangya (বেসাঙ্যা)	An unmarriageable relation
A-uk/Aruk (আ-উক্, আরুক্)	Picture; Sketch

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Although it does not belong to the Tibeto-Burman language family, many Buddhist terms can be found in Tanchangya.^[5]

In Tanchangya, words derived from Arabic, Portuguese, and English can be found.

More information Arabic/Portuguese, English ...

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Outside of the Tanchangya tribe, there is a common belief that there is no difference between Tanchangya and the Chakma language.^[6]

More information Chakma, English ...

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