Kamtapuri language

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Rangpuri
রংপুরী, কোচ-ৰাজবংশী, কামতা, কামতাপুৰী
Various names of the Rangpuri language in the Bengali–Assamese and Devanagari scripts
Pronunciation[ɔŋpuɾiː]
[ɔmpuɾiː]
[kamt̪aː]
[kamt̪apuɾiː]
[kot͡ʃradʒbɔŋʃi]
Native toBangladesh, India
RegionNorth Bengal, Lower Assam
EthnicityRajbongshi, Bengali, Deshi, Nashya Shaikh, Assamese
Native speakers
10 million (2007)[1]
Bengali-Assamese script[3]
Official status
Official language in
 India
Language codes
ISO 639-3rkt
Glottolograng1265  Central-Eastern Kamta
rang1272  Rangpuri (Bangladesh)
kamt1243  Kamta (India)
bahe1242  Bahe
This is a map of the KRDS lect, with the Rangpuri-speaking area shown in blue.
Rangpuri is classified as Vulnerable by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger [5]

Rangpuri (Rangpuri: অংপুরি Ôṅgpuri or অমপুরি Ômpuri) is an eastern Indo-Aryan language of the Bengali-Assamese branch, spoken in Rangpur Division in Bangladesh, northern West Bengal and western Goalpara of Assam in India.[6] In India, the language is known as Kamta or Kamtapuri (Rangpuri: কামতা Kāmtā or কামতাপুৰি Kāmtāpuri)[7] Many Rangpuri or Kamta speakers are bilingual in Bengali and Assamese in their respective regions. According to Glottolog, it forms the Central-Eastern Kamta group. Together with Goalpariya/Deshi, Kayort, Rajbanshi and Surjapuri, they form the KRDS group of languages.

Names

Rangpuri goes by numerous names, the most common being Bahe,[6] though Deshi bhasha and Anchalit bhasha are also used.[8]

EnglishKamarupiRarhiVangiya
KamtapuriStandard AssameseStandard BengaliSylhetiJessore-Khulnaiya BengaliDhakaiya Bengali
I doMuĩ korongMoe korü̃/korönɡAmi koriAmi/Mui xoríAmi koriAmi kori
I am doingMuĩ korir dhorichungMoe kori asü̃/asöngAmi korchhiAmi/Mui xoriar/xorramAmi kortisiAmi kortasi
I didMuĩ korisongMoe korisü̃/korisöngAmi korechhiAmi/mui xor(i)siAmi korsiAmi korsi
I did (perfective)Muĩ korilungMoe korilü̃/korilöngAmi korlamAmi/Mui xorlamAmi kôrlamAmi kôrlam
I did (distant)Muĩ korisilungMoe korisilü̃/korisilongAmi korechhilamAmi/Mui xors(i)lamAmi korsilamAmi korsilam
I was doingMuĩ koria asilungMoe kori asilü̃/asilöngAmi korchhilamAmi/Mui xorat aslamAmi kortesilamAmi kortasilam
I will doMuĩ korimMoe korimAmi korboAmi/Mui xormuAmi kormu/korbaniAmi kormu
I will be doingMuĩ koria thakimMoe kori thakimAmi korte thakboAmi/Mui xorat táxmuAmi korti thakmu/thakbaniAmi korte thakmu

Sample text

The following text is Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, written in Rangpuri:[9]

Romanisation

Gôṭe loklā mān ār ôdhikārer ādhārôt jônmojāto shôtôntro ār sômān hôce. Āmāhālār buddhi ār bicār lie āsāl rôhce ār æk āpôsôt bhaibhair bæbôhār korubā lāge.

Bengali-Assamese script

গটে লোকলা মান আর অধিকারের ধারৎ জনমজাত স্বতন্ত্র আর সমান হচে। আমাহালার বুদ্ধি আর বিচার লিএ আসাল রহচে আর আ্যক আপসৎ ভাইভাইর ববিহার করুবা লাগে।

Devanagari script

गटे लोकला मान आर अधिकारेर आधारत् जन्मजात स्वतन्त्र आर समान हचे। अमाहालार बुद्धि आर बिचार लिए आसाल रहचे आर एक आपसत् भाइभाइर ब्यबहार करुबा लागे।

English

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

See also

References

  1. Rangpuri at Ethnologue (26th ed., 2023) Closed access icon
  2. Toulmin, Mathew W S (2006). Reconstructing linguistic history in a dialect continuum: The Kamta, Rajbanshi, and Northern Deshi Bangla subgroup of Indo-Aryan (PhD). The Australian National University. p. 305.
  3. Toulmin 2009, p. 72f, 89
  4. "Kamtapuri, Rajbanshi, Rangpuri make it to list of official languages in Bengal". Outlook India. Press Trust of India. 28 February 2018. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 8 May 2019.
  5. "Ethnologue: Language rkt". Ethnologue. SIL International. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  6. "Rangpuri: This term is favoured in the Rangpur area, interchangeably with 'Bahe.' Chaudhuri (1939) prefers to use Rangpuri to Rajbanshi, as it avoids the problem of being caste-centric." H(Toulmin 2009:7)
  7. "Kamta (India)". Glottolog. Retrieved 5 June 2026.
  8. "Rangpur, the headquarters of a district in Bangladesh. During this first stage of research, data were collected with speakers at several sites outside the town perimeter (cf. Appendix C of Toulmin 2006). Speakers of this area refer to their mother tongue as either 'Bahe,' 'Rangpuri,' 'Deshi bhasha' or its synonym 'Anchalit bhasha' meaning 'the local language'." (Toulmin 2009:17)
  9. "Omniglot Search". Omniglot. Retrieved 25 April 2026.

Further reading