Dimasa language


The Dimasa language is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Dimasa people in Northeastern part of India, states of Assam and Nagaland. The Dimasa language is known to Dimasas as "Grao-Dima" and it is similar to Bodo, Kokborok and Garo language of India.

Etymology

The Dimasa language is one of the oldest languages spoken in North East India, particularly in Assam. The word Dimasa etymologically translates to "Son of the big river", the river being the mighty Brahmaputra. The Dimasa word "Di" meaning water, forms the root of the names of many of the major rivers of Assam and of North East India in general, such as Dibang which means plenty of water, Diyung which means huge river, Dikrang, which means green river, Dikhow, which means fetched water, and many others. The mighty river Brahmaputra is known as Dilao among the Dimasas even now. Many of the important towns and cities in Assam and Nagaland received their names from Dimasa words such as Diphu, Dimapur, Hojai, Khaspur, etc. In fact, the Dimasa language is one of the last languages of North East India to retain its original vocabulary without being compromised by foreign languages.

Geographical distribution

Dimasa is spoken in:

Vowels

There are six vowels in Dimasa language.

Consonants

There are sixteen consonants in the Dimasa language.
Dimasa language is an inflectional language. The verbs are inflected for number, tense, case, voice, aspect, mood but not for gender and person.

Nouns

The nouns can be proper, common, abstract, collective etc.

Proper Nouns

Deringdao,
Lairingdi

Common nouns

Miya/Mia/Mya,
Masainjik

Abstract nouns

Khajama,
Dukhu

Pronouns

Ang
Jing

Ning
Nisi
Bo
Bunsi

Adjectives

Guju- Tall, Gedé- big

Sentence syntax

Usually it is of S+O+V type. For example:

Ang makham jidu.
That means I am having food.

Another one,
Bo makham jidu.
That means - He/she is having food.

Thus, the verb is rarely inflected for person and gender.



It can also be of the type O+ V+ S.
For example:

Makham jidu ang.
That also means - I am having food.

Writing system

Dimasa is written using Latin script, which has been introduced in the lower primary education system in Dima Hasao District. The main guiding force behind it is the Dimasa Lairidim Hosom, a literary apex body of the Dimasa community.
The Bengali script is used in Cachar, where the Bengali people live alongside Dimasas.