2409:4064:4D07:A427:0:0:CE88:D911 at 09:13, 10 August 2021

2021-08-10T09:13:04Z

New page

{{Infobox language
|name=Asuri
|nativename=
|states=[[India]]
|region=
|ethnicity=[[Asur people|Asur]]
|speakers={{sigfig|7,000|1}}
|date=2007
|ref=e18
|familycolor=Austro-Asiatic
|fam2=[[Munda languages|Munda]]
|fam3=North
|fam4=Kherwarian
|fam5=Mundaric
|iso3=asr
|glotto=asur1254
|glottorefname=Asuri
}}

'''Asuri''' is an [[Austroasiatic languages|Austroasiatic language]] spoken by the [[Asur people]], part of the [[Munda languages|Munda]] branch.<ref>Chaudhuri, Sarit Kumar & Chaudhuri, Sucheta Sen (2005). Primitive Tribes in Contemporary India: Concept, Ethnography and Demography, Volume 1, pp.50-59. Mittal Publications. {{ISBN|8183240267}} [https://books.google.com/books?id=oG9_QkvmUKMC&pg=PA50&dq=%22asuri%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Q9ErUY-ONPGX0gGD8IGIDw&ved=0CF0Q6AEwCTge#v=onepage&q=%22asuri%22&f=false]</ref>
Asuri has many [[Dravidian languages|Dravidian]] loanwords due to contact with [[Kurukh language|Kurukh]].<ref>Prasad, Narmadeshwar (1961). Land and People of Tribal Bihar, p.305. Bihar Tribal Research Institute, Government of Bihar</ref>

The majority of Asuri speakers reside in the Gumla district of [[Chota Nagpur Plateau|Chota Nagpur]]. In addition, there are smaller groups of Asuri speakers in [[Chhattisgarh]], [[West Bengal]], [[Odisha]].<ref>Baskaran, S. G. (2015). Consonant Sequence and Syllable Formation in Asuri. ''Language In India'', ''15''(5), 23-34.</ref>and Arakan.

''Ethnologue'' states that ''Birjia'' is a dialect of Asuri, but also that there is a related language [[Birjia language|Birjia]]; it is not clear if these refer to the same thing. However, Anderson (2008:195), based on Prasad (1961:314), suggests that [[Birjia language|Birjia]] (Binjhia) may be an [[Indo-Aryan languages|Indo-Aryan language]], although the Birjia are an ethnic subgroup of the Asuri tribe, along with the Asur proper and the Agariya.

[[Majhwar language|Majhwar]] is unclassified, but based on location and other clues, it may turn out to be a dialect of Asuri. If so, its 35,000 speakers (reported in 1995, out of an ethnic group of 175,000) would make it the most populous form of Asuri.

Asuri is considered to be an [[endangered language]].<ref>Baskaran, S. Ganesh (2015). Phonemes of Asuri, pp. 60-61. Language In India. [http://www.languageinindia.com/april2015/baskaranasuriphonemes.pdf]</ref> One important reason for its distinction as endangered is due to a lack of any written form of the language. It exists only as a [[spoken language]].<ref>Baskaran, S. Ganesh (2015). Phonemes of Asuri, pp. 60-61. Language In India. [http://www.languageinindia.com/april2015/baskaranasuriphonemes.pdf]</ref>
There are a total of 31 [[phonemes]] in Asuri, made up of twenty-six "segmental" and five "supra-segmental" phonemes.<ref>Baskaran, S. Ganesh (2015). Phonemes of Asuri, pp. 62. Language In India. [http://www.languageinindia.com/april2015/baskaranasuriphonemes.pdf]</ref> Of the former, there are twenty-one consonants and five vowels.<ref>Baskaran, S. Ganesh (2015). Phonemes of Asuri, pp. 62. Language In India. [http://www.languageinindia.com/april2015/baskaranasuriphonemes.pdf]</ref>

==Geographical distribution==
''Ethnologue'' lists the following districts and states where Asuri is spoken.

*[[Jharkhand]]: southern [[Palamau district]], northern [[Ranchi district]], [[Gumla district]], and [[Lohardaga district]] of the [[Chota Nagpur Plateau]]
*[[Chhattisgarh]]: [[Raigarh district]] and [[Jashpur district]] area
*[[Odisha]]: [[Sambalpur district]]
*[[West Bengal]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Austro-Asiatic languages}}

[[Category:Munda languages]]
[[Category:Endangered languages of India]]

Asur language - Revision history

2409:4064:4D07:A427:0:0:CE88:D911 at 09:13, 10 August 2021