Deori language

Deori (also Deuri) is a Tibeto-Burman language in the Tibeto-Burman languages family spoken by the Deori people of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.^[2] Deori are also a part of Bodo–Kachari people. Among the four territorial groups only the Dibongiya have retained the language. The others—Patorgoyan, Tengaponiya, and Borgoyan—have shifted to Assamese. It is spoken in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh, and in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Sivasagar and Jorhat districts of Assam. The primary literary body of Deori is known as "deori chucheba chengcha" (Deori sahitya sabha).

Deori
Deuri
দেউৰী
Native to	India
Region	Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
Ethnicity	Deori
Native speakers	32,376 (2011 census)[1]
Language family	Sino-Tibetan Tibeto-Burman Central Tibeto-Burman (?) Sal Boro-Garo Deori
Writing system	Assamese script
Language codes
ISO 639-3	der
Glottolog	deor1238
ELP	Deori

In the colonial times this language became associated with the Chutia people erroneously,^[3] and came to be known as the "Chutia language" in the Linguistic Survey of India.^[4] Modern scholarship do not associate the Deori language with the Chutia community.^[5]

Distribution of Deori-Chutiya Language in Upper Assam, as reported in the Language Survey of India 1903

The Deori language is one of the most influential languages which has helped develop the Assamese language in Upper Assam.

However, the word for water has a similar form in many other languages of the Sal branch of Sino-Tibetan to which Deori belongs, so it is not conclusive evidence that Deori speakers were the first to occupy this area.^[6]

Vocabulary

Some of the words of Deori language present in Assamese derived from the dictionary Chuperemago^[7] are:

Deori word	Assamese word	Meaning
Khang	Khong	Anger
Dep-Depia	Dhep-Dhepia	Plum
Auja	Auja	Incline
Atiru	Ati	Highland
Pulunga	Pulunga	Straight
Lakia	Lekhia	Similar
Gujung	Jung	Spear
Mihiti	Mihi	Smooth
On	On	Yes
Numoi/Numoli	Horu suwali	Little girl
Norani	Nora	Straw
Dong	Dong	Irrigation Channel
Meera/Dekagu	Deka	Young man
Sujen	haaz	Rice beer
Karisa/yuwa simu	Kharisa	Bamboo Shoot
Bisu	Bihu	Folk Festival of Assam
Anali	Anali	Helpless
Tangan	Tangan	Beating Stick
Botar	Batar	Weather
Hoja	Hoja	Simple
Mirasi	Jiyori	Girl
Uyung	Uyi	Termite
Dokhar	Dokhar	Piece of cut off
Mena	Mena	Crooked
Habang	Hebang	Silly
midige	Bonda	Male cat
Ingkori	Ingkori	An insect
Seu	Seu	Habit
Meli	Meli	Unfold
Lopa	Lapha	A type of green-leafy be
dulapi	Ufi	Dandruff
bang/baba/Chipa	Aapa	Father
Medali	Madoli	A type of Assamese Jewelry
soki	Jakoi	Fishing tool
kubi	Khaloi	Basket
Dao	Daok	A type of bird
Dolong	Dolong	Bridge
Ketenga	Ketenga	Thin/Feeble
Chutuga	Chuti	Short
Huchori	Huchori	Bihu Carol
Hata	Heta	Spatula
Hajia	Hajia	Labor
Agu	Athu	Knee
Goi/Gogoi	Bhaiti	Younger Brother
Kai/kakai	Dada	Elder Brother
Jikuba	ga dhuwa	bath
Gila	Ghila	Knee cap
Eri	Eri	Eri silk
Gadu	Garu	Pillow
Hasu	Hasi	Sneeze
Hami	Hami	Yawn
Hogora	Hogora	A Deer species
Kera	Kera	Displaced eye
Keturi	Keturi	A kind of turmeric
Kekura	Kekura	Crooked
Magur	Magur	Cat fish
Kamu	Kami	Bamboo twig
Pikiti	Horu	Small
Tema	Temi	Container
Borola	Borola	Widower
Besoni	Bisoni	Handfan
Jeng	Jeng	Bush
Pei	Pehi	Paternal Aunty
Jabor	Jabor	Waste
Hapholu	Hapholu	Out hill
Kusia	Kusia	Eel
Kerketua	Kerketuwa	Squirrel
Fosola	Posola	Banana stem
Gorali	Goral	Cage
Gosok	Gosok	Trample
Uha	Ukha	Breath
Amoto	Amothu	Heart
Guin	Tamul	Areca nut
Hereka	Hereka	Tasteless
Kuduna	Khundona	Grinding pot
Takun	Takun	Stick
Jubura	Jobura	Vegetable curry
Tupere	Kharoli	Mustard paste
Likota	Likota	Sticky
Hao	Hao	Curse
Umoni	Umoni	Incubate
Ubiriba	Uburi Huwa	Lying chest down
Sereng-sereng	Sereng-sereng	Excessive heat of sun
Ro ju	Robo/Roba	Wait
Ayoi	Ayoi	Painful sensation
Bega	japiowa	Jump
Dep Depia	Dhep Dhepia	Plumb
San higaba	Shurjudoy	Sunrise
Dogia	Dhokia	Beat
Heleng-jeleng	Heleng-jeleng	Weakness
Kunga	Kunga	Crippled
Dai	Dodai	Paternal Uncle
Dati	Dati	Border area
Roina	Roina	Cleaning instrument
Pilinga	Pelenga	Boy
Kubi	Khaloi	A type of Basket
Dun	Dun	Small basket
Dokora	Dokora	Wooden hammer
Hujeduba	Hesa mora	Press
Hiju	Hiju	A plant
Keng keng	Kengkengoni	Yap
Isa	sal	Wrapper cloth
Sumu	Sum	A plant
Rang-si	Rang kukur	Wild dog
Megela	Megela bon	Plum grass
Teku	Tekeli	Pot
Tokou	Tokou	A type of Palm tree
Serepa	Serepa	A type of insect

References

1. "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues – 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
2. (Acharyya & Mahanta 2019:516)
3. "It was Brown who had the unfortunate idea of associating the name of the Deori with that of the (Assamese speaking) Chutiya." (Jaquesson 2017:8–9)
4. (Jaquesson 2017:8)
5. "The extant literature on Deori (Brown 1895; Brandreth 1878; Grierson 1909; Goswami 1994) associates the language of the Deori community with the Chutiyas, "the original language of Upper Assam" (Brown 1895:5). At present, there is no evidence of closeness of the Deori language to the language spoken by the Chutiya community." (Acharyya & Mahanta 2019:516)
6. Coupe, Alexander R.; Kratochvíl, František (2020), "Asia before English", The Handbook of Asian Englishes, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 13–48, doi:10.1002/9781118791882.ch2, ISBN 978-1-118-79188-2, S2CID 225196053, retrieved 12 January 2021
7. Kishor Deori, Chuperemago(1997)

Bibliography

• Acharyya, Prarthana; Mahanta, Shakuntala (2019). "Language vitality assessment of Deori: An endangered language". Language Documentation & Conservation. 13: 514–544. hdl:10125/24853. ISSN 1934-5275.
• Jaquesson, François (2017). "The linguistic reconstruction of the past: The case of the Boro-Garo languages". Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area. 40 (1). Translated by van Breugel, Seino: 90–122. doi:10.1075/ltba.40.1.04van.

Further reading

• Acharyya, Prarthana & Shakuntala Mahanta. (2018). Production and perception of lexical tone in Deori. Sixth International Symposium on Tonal Aspects of Languages (TAL), June 18–20, 2018, Berlin, Germany. 93–97. doi:10.21437/TAL.2018-19.
• Goswami, Upendranath. (1994). An introduction to the Deori language. Guwahati: Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language, Art, and Culture.
• Jacquesson, François. (2005). Le Deuri: Langue Tibéto-Birmane d’Assam. Leuven: Peeters Publishers.
• Mahanta, Shakuntala, Indranil Dutta, & Prarthana Acharyya. (2017). Lexical tone in Deori: loss, contrast, and word-based alignment. In Honeybone, Patrick, Julian Bradfield, Josef Fruehwald, Pavel Losad, Benjamin Ress Molin- eaux, & Michael Ramsammy (eds.), Papers in Historical Phonology 2. 51–87. doi:10.2218/pihph.2.2017.1906.
• Nath, Arup Kumar. (2010). A lexico semantic study of Tiwa and Deori: Two endangered languages of the Tibeto Burman Family. New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (Doctoral dissertation). http://hdl.handle.net/10603/31796.
• Saikia, Sangeeta. (2012). A socio-linguistic survey of Deori speech community. Gauhati: Gauhati University (Doctoral dissertation).
• Saikia, Sangeeta. (2013). Deuri Asomar Bhasha. In Devy, Ganesh Narayandas (ed.), Peoples Linguistic Survey of India 5(2). 3-15. India: Orient Blackswan Private Limited.