A Comparative Study of Rajbangsi and Standard Bangla: Variations at “lexical” and “phonological level”

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आभ्यंतर (Aabhyantar)      SCONLI-12  विशेषांक         ISSN : 2348-7771

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15. A Comparative Study of Rajbangsi and Standard Bangla: Variations at “lexical” and “phonological level”

Madhurima Chakraborty : Banaras Hindu University

Aims and objectives:

My title itself speaks for some terms such as lexical and phonological before going to the actual introduction I think “these” terms must be defined once.

Lexical>Lexicon (the vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge).>Lexeme (a basic lexical unit of a language consisting of one word or several words, the elements of which do not separately convey the meaning of the whole). In layman terms lexeme can be treated as “word” or “words” (again whose definition is quite controversial) Phonology: the system of contrastive relationships among the speech sounds that constitute the fundamental components of a language.

Comparative Analysis is mostly done to understand the differences between certain languages within one single language family or in between language families. Here both the language is chosen from one single language family i.e. Indo-Aryan Language Family.

I chose Bangla as I myself is a competent speaker of Standard Bangla and in daily life we go through a misconception that Rajbangsi which is a language in proper is treated as a dialect of Bangla which must be resolved for its own sake of identity.

I must start with a famous North Indian Proverb

।। Koʃkoʃpe badle pɑɑni

Cɑɑr koʃ pe badle baani ।।

Though Rajbangsi is mutually understood by the people speaking Bangla and Assamese but there are certain lexical items which shows variations depending on the regions.Even the language Rajbangsi has different variations in the nomenclature depending on the region spoken.

Variations at different lexical and phonological level have been worked out. Most of the linguistic change was not accompanied by significant social variation.

Variations in lexis may be systematically be found amomg languages,this variations may function as an index of social variables such as region,gender,ethnicity, social class or social factors etc. It may also indicative of a language change in progress.

Most educated people used New-Terms and less educated people used No- Response!

Introduction:

Location:

Rajbangshi people had a wide population and mostly found in India,West-Bengal to be particular.

Noth-Bengal 42,00,000

Assam 36,00,000

Bihar 12,00,000

Meghalaya 100,000

Nepal 3,00,000

Bhutan 2,00,000

Bangladesh 4,00,000

In Cooch Behar and Alipurduar districts, the Rajbangshis form almost half of the population.There is also a large number of Rajbangshis in Jalpaiguri district, Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district and in some areas of Malda, North and South Dinajpurs.

Rajbangshi people:

The kingdom of Pragjyotish and Kamrupa and of the power and sovereignty of the kingdom that had been mentioned in the great epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata along with Kalika Purana ,The Jogini Tantra .Also the ancient poet Kalidas in“ Raghubangsham“ had also mentioned about that of the Pragjyotish kingdom. In the course of time powerful Koch- Kingdom was divided into two parts Koch-Behar & Koch- Hajo. The Hindu Koch finally came to known as Rajbangshi. Etymologically, the term 'Rajbongshi'; which derives from Bengali, of the Magadhi Prakrit sub-group; means 'of Royal Lineage' (Raj= royal/king;  Bongshi= descendant of).

Research-Methodology:

The reason for choosing Siliguri ,Cooch-Behar and Kokrajhar of Assam is that among this regions people speaking Rajbangshi along with Bangla and Assamese too.So it was very crucial to choose a proper place for survey in variations .

Mainly i encountered people from the village area to avoid the influence of Bangla,so in Siliguri i went for two villages bɔrɔ locʰka ɟɔt and cɔndalɟɔt .Moving to Cooch-Behar i went to d̪ inhaʈa and matʰabʰanɡa villages and kokraɟʰar district in Assam in the village ɡɔlabʰɡanɡ.

Apart from this i also collected data from the following College and Universities and Academies:

1. North Bengal University

2. Panchanan Barma Univertsity

3. Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya

4. Dinhata College

5. Rajbanshi bhasa Academy of Cooch-Behar

6. District library Of cooch-Behar

7. North Bengal State Library

Three types of qualitative field research methods are described here that focus on capturing

lived experiences: direct observation; participant observation; and qualitative interviews.

Direct Observation

Participant Observation.

Qualitative Interviews

Questionnaires

Direct Observation:

Data is gathered primarily through close visual inspection of a natural setting

Participant Observation:

A field research method whereby the researcher develops an understanding of the

composition of a particular setting or society by taking part in the everyday routines and

rituals alongside its members

Originally developed in the early 20th century by anthropologists researching native societies

in developing countries; now employed by researchers studying a range of issues

The principal research method used by ethnographers -- specialists within the fields of

anthropology and sociology who focus on recording the details of social life occurring in a

setting, community, or society. The ethnographer, who often lives among the members of the

society for months or years, attempts to build trusting relationships so that he or she becomes

part of the social setting. As the ethnographer gains the confidence and trust of the members,

many will speak and behave in a natural manner in the presence of the ethnographer

Data: Variations in Rajbangshi in different Places: (Attached separately)

NOTE:

I have enlisted here some of the most common variations at Lexical and Phonological level. (This data shows differences within the language Rajbangshi especially the Geographical variations, the dialectical vartiations are mainly in the Phonological Level). The lexical level differences indeed shows that Rajbangshi is different from Bangla.

Data Analysis: Comparative Studies: Differences and Similarities: Bangla and

Rajbangshi

Phonological: This Phonological changes are quite similar to Bangla as well as it indeed

shows variations in dialects of Bangla too.

Siliguri Cooch-Behar Kokraɟʰar

Initial o>o, a boka boka baka [stupid]

boma boma boma [bomb]

Final a>a, o ɡɔiddɔ gɔidda ɡɔidda/ɡɔiddɔ [prose]

baidda baiddɔ baiddɔ [musical instrument]

Initial a>a ,o maʃi maʃi mɔʃi [mother‘s sister]

aɡun aɡun ɔgun [Fire]

Final a>a, o kala kala kalo [Black]

Prominence of Initial and Medial – [h] is noticed in the dialects of Siliguri ,Jalpaiguri rather

than in Kokrajhar (Assam)

amra > hamra/hamrala/hamɛra [we]

amar> hamar/hamralar [ours]

Classifiers :[ʈa] and [ʈi] is used in Bangla .Rajbangshi people will use [kʰɛn] for definite

and singular.

Rajbangshi:Plural suffix Bangla:Plural suffix

[la] manʃila or manuʃɡula .ie. men [ra] manuʃera i,e men

[gila] manʃigila i.e men [ɡula/ɡuli] manuʃɡula/ɡuli i.e. men

[kʰɛn] bɔikʰɛn [That book] [kʰan] bɔikʰan [That book]

Adjectives:Rajbangshi Noun:Rajbangshi

[Red] lal > nal [Salt] lɔbɔn > nɔbɔn

Locative Marker: Nominative Marker: Accusative Marker: Genetive Marker:

Rajbangshi [ʈ] Rajbangshi [-] Rajbangshi [k] Rajbangshi [r] , [er]

[Below] tɔlɔt mɔk[mine] mɔr[I]

[Above] upɔrɔt

[Middle] maɟʰɔt

Bangla [ɛ] Bangla [-] Bangla [k] Bangla [r], [er]

[Below] tɔlɛ or tɔlaɛ amak [mine] amar[I]

[Above] upɔrɛ

[Middle] maɟʰɛ

Negation

In Rajbangshi generally the negation particle is used pre-verbally where as in Bangla it is

used post-verbally.

Example:

Rajbangshi Bangla

mui na ɟaŋ ami ɟabo na

i NEG.go i go.Neg

Agreement Pattern

Epenthesis especially [i]: This generally happens in Rajbangshi (mostly with verbs)

Bangla Rajbangshi

[Go] cɔl >coil

[Pigeon] kobutɔr >koitɔr

Kingship Terms:

Rajbangshi Bangla Rajbangshi Bangla

[Mother] = mao ma [Father‘s Brother]=ɟaʈɔ=/ɟaʈa ɟɛʈʰa

[Father]= bap baba [Father‘s Brother‘s Wife]=ɟaʈi ɟɛʈʰi

[Boy]= cɛngra cʰele [Mother‘s Sister]= maɔʃi maʃi

[Girl]=cɛngri mɛjɛ [Husband]= bʰaʈar bɔr

[Grand-Father] =aɟu dadu [wife]= bɔnuʃ bɔu

 [Grand-Mother]=abo dida

Pronouns

Bengali pronouns are somewhat similar to English pronouns, having different words for first, second, and third person, and also for singular and plural (unlike for verbs). Bengali pronouns, unlike their English counterparts, do not differentiate for gender; that is, the same pronoun may be used for "he" or "she". However, Bengali has different third-person pronouns for proximity. The first are used for someone who is nearby, and the second are for those who are a little further away. The third are usually for those who are not present. In addition, each of the second- and third-person pronouns have different forms for the familiar and polite forms; the second person also has a "very familiar" form (sometimes called "despective"). It may be noted that the "very familiar" form is used when addressing particularly close friends or family as well as for addressing subordinates, or in abusive language.

Bangla Singular Plural Rajbangshi Singular Plural

1st person ami (I) amra (we) mui mora/hamra

2nd Person t̪ui (you) tora (you) t̪ui (you.SL) t̪omra (you.PL)

Formal t̪umi (you) t̪omra/der (you) t̪omra(SL) t̪omra (you.PL)

Honorofic apni (you) apnara/der (you) t̪omra (you.SL and PL)

3rd Person Proximal e (he/she/it) era (they) imai/ie imiraɡila

Honorofic Proximal ini (he/she/it) ẽra (they)

Non Proximal/Distal o (he/she/it) ora (they) umai/uɛ umuɽaɡila

Honorofic Non Proximal uni (he/she/it) unara (they)

Non Honorofic ʃhe (he/she/it) t̪ara (they)

Honorofic tini (he/she/it) t̪ahara/t̪ara* (they)

In Rajbangshi the distinction between the 2nd Person honorofic is not there as it is in Bangla

.It is same with that of the 2nd Person Formal and and Honorofic ,the term used is

[t̪umi].[You]

The difference between Bengali and Rajbanshi in persons are as follows :

First person singular is (ami) and plural is (amra) but in rajbanshi it is (mui) and (mora or

hamra) depending on the gergraphical variation.

Second person singular in bengali is (t̪ui) and (t̪umi) where as in rajbanshi it is (t̪ui) and

(t̪omra) which refers to both the honorific and the formal.

For the third person singular in bangla is (ʃe/o/e) and plural is (t̪ara/ora) in informal context

and formal context they are (ʃe/apni/uni) and (unara/ apnara)

Where as in rajbanshi it is (imiragila/ umuragila) for the in/formal context and (t̪omra) for

both formal and informall context.

Example

t̪umi kʰaben? = apni kʰaben ?

You-Fut Eat You-Fut Eat

You will eat? You will eat?

Similarities:

A simple Rajbangsi and Bangla sentence usually follows subject–object–verb word order.

When present, the negative particle comes at the end of the sentence.

The copula, or verb linking the subject and predicate, is often omitted.

Six cases are generally recognized.

Compound verbs, comprising a stem or root and a suffix, are a special feature. There are 3

verb tenses, but their subdivisions make them.

There are two moods, indicative and imperative, and two numbers, singular and plural.

The first, and second persons are expressed because they have both ordinary

and honorific referents in Rajbangsi whereas Bangla has three persons.

Gender is natural, and there is no special declension for feminine and neuter.

Adjectives are usually not modified according to the number or case of the nouns they

qualify.

Consonant clusters: Native Rajbangsi and Bangla speaker’s words do not allow initial

consonant clusters; the maximum syllabic structure is CVC (i.e. one vowel flanked by a

consonant on each side).

Conclusion

Though Rajbangshi had been treated as a dialect of bangla ,it has its certain characteristicts which is indeed fundamental.The variations which is encountered at a lexical and phonological level shows unique the language Rajbangshi itself is.The most interesting phenomena the names of the language are Rajbangsi, Rajbansi, Rajbongshi, Tajpuri (Nepal), Surjyapuri (Bihar), Kamrupi (West Assam), and Deshi Bhasha, Mui-Tui bangla (Cooch- Behar).i.e. that the language also shows variations in its omenclature.So looking for variations was more like an underlying theme hidden in depth.

Variations are there in Bangla and its dialects too,but not as rich as Rajbangshi incase if we are not doing a typological survey of Bangla in West-Bengal and bangla in Bangladesh.Bangla in Kolkata is similiar to that of the adjoining places ,not much lexical variations could be found but threre is a possibility of phonological variations.

While surveying the Rajbangshi lexical items variations the PROVERB is significant.

[Cɔɟapɔd] and [ʃrikriʃʰna kirtɔn] were written in a language similiar to that of Rajbangshi but we cannot form an opinion that it was proper Rajbangshi.So i can propose that though the present scenario is Bangla is influencing Rajbangshi but earlier it was reverse.

The question still remains unanswered that who came first? Bangla or Rajbangshi? Or can we state that both had a same origin ? Can we assert that Sanskrit was the mother of both the language? And Bangla and Rajbangshi were sisters? As I have stated above about the general characteristicts of both the language,which is quite similiar!

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