ChetSena61 at 04:52, 24 February 2026

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{{Short description|Tibeto-Burman language of India}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2020}}
{{Infobox language
| name = Barman Thar
| states = [[Arunachal Pradesh]], [[Assam]], [[Meghalaya]], [[Nagaland]]
| ethnicity = [[Barman Kacharis]]
| speakers = {{sigfig|24,237|2}}
| date = 2017
| ref = <ref name=":0"/>
| familycolor = Sino-Tibetan
| fam2 = [[Tibeto-Burman languages|Tibeto-Burman]]
| fam3 = [[Sal languages|Sal]]
| fam4 = [[Boro–Garo languages|Boro–Garo]]
| script = [[Assamese alphabet]] (presently used)<br />[[Sylheti Nagri]] (formerly used)
| pronunciation = /bɔɾmɔn thaɾ/
| region = [[Northeast India]], [[Kamarupa]]
| nativename = {{lang|brx-Beng|বৰ্মন ঠাৰ}}
}}

'''Barman Thar''' (IPA: /bɔɾmɔn t<sup>h</sup>aɾ/), where “thar” means language, is a highly endangered language. It is a [[Tibeto-Burman languages|Tibeto-Burman]] language that belongs to the [[Boro–Garo languages|Boro–Garo]] sub-group. The population of the [[Barman Kacharis|Barman Kachari]] community is 24,237, according to a 2017 census. However, only a small part of this population speaks the language.<ref name=":0">[http://www.tezu.ernet.in/wmcfel/pdf/Barman_Thar_CFEL.pdf A brief linguistic sketch of the Barman Thar (Language)]. Tezpur University.</ref>

== History ==
{{main|Barman Kacharis}}
The '''Barman Kacharis''' are an indigenous Assamese community of Northeast India.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Tiwari|last2=Sarma|s2cid=55429765|date=2013|title=A historical and etymological study of the Dimasa Kacharis of Dima Hasao District, Assam, India|journal=The Clarion|volume=2–2|pages=144|issn=2277-1697}}</ref> They are mainly found in the districts of Lower [[Assam]] and some parts of [[Arunachal Pradesh]]. Barman Kachari is one of the ancient ethnic groups of North-East India. Since the 2002 Amendment act, many Barman Kacharis in Assam are referred to as 'Barman'. They are mainly found in the districts of [[Udalguri district|Udalguri]], [[Baksa district|Baksa]], [[Chirang district|Chirang]], [[Kokrajhar district|Kokrajhar]], [[Darrang district|Darrang]], [[Kamrupi dialect|Kamrup]], [[Goalpara district|Goalpara]], [[Nagaon district|Nagaon]], [[Lakhimpur district|Lakhimpur]], [[Dhemaji district|Dhemaji]]

== Demographics ==
The Barman Kacharis number some 24,237 persons, according to a 2017 census. Out of this number, 12,555 are males and 11,503 are females. Their literacy rate is estimated at 4 percent. The level of literacy of males and females is 2.5% and 1.5%, respectively.

== Documentation ==
[[File:Barman Thar script.jpg|thumb|The script of Barman Thar]]
The language of the Barman Kacharis had never been documented until 2019 when M.A. students in Linguistics and Language Technology (Batch 2018-2020) of [[Tezpur University]] carried out field work for the first time on this language.<ref name=":0" />

== Phonology ==
The Barman Thar phonemic inventory consists of eight vowels, nine diphthongs, and twenty consonants (including two semivowels).<ref name=":0" />

===Consonants===
In Barman Thar, there are twenty consonants.
{| class="wikitable"
|
| colspan="2" |Bilabial
| colspan="2" |Labio-velar
| colspan="2" |Alveolar
| colspan="2" |Palatal
| colspan="2" |Velar
| colspan="2" |Glottal
|-
|Plosive
|p
|b
|
|
|t
|d
|c
|
|k
|ɡ
|
|
|-
|[[Aspirated plosive]]
|p<sup>h</sup>
|
|
|
|t<sup>h</sup>
|
|
|
|k<sup>h</sup>
|
|
|
|-
|Nasal
|
|m
|
|
|
|n
|
|
|
|ŋ
|
|
|-
|Flap
|
|
|
|
|
|ɾ
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|Fricative
|
|
|
|
|s
|z
|
|
|
|
|h
|
|-
|Approximant
|
|
|
|w
|
|
|
|j
|
|
|
|
|-
|[[Lateral approximant]]
|
|
|
|
|
|l
|
|
|
|
|
|
|}
''pʰ'' and ''z'' have idiolectal variations. They are, by some people, sometimes pronounced as ''ɸ'' and ''d͡z'' respectively. For example, the word ''pʰa'' (meaning “father”) is sometimes pronounced as ''ɸa'' and ''nɐmza'' (meaning “bad”) is sometimes pronounced as ''nɐmd͡za''.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

====Gemination====
Gemination, which is the twinning of two consonants, is also found in the Barman language.
{| class="wikitable"
|Phonemes
|Example (Barman)
|English gloss
|-
|p+p
|''tʰɐppɐɾa''
|“ash”
|-
|t+tʰ
|''mɐttʰai''
|“big”
|-
|d+d
|''ɡɛddɛl''
|“new”
|-
|c+c
|''bicci''
|“egg”
|-
|k+k
|''nukkuruŋ''
|“eye”
|-
|k+kʰ
|''bɛkkʰuma''
|“dull”
|-
|m+m
|''dummua''
|“fever”
|-
|n+n
|''cunna''
|“cloth”
|-
|l+l
|''mulluk''
|“earth”
|}

====Consonant clusters====
In the study of Barman Thar, carried out by the students of Tezpur University, they found only one word, i.e. ''bɾui'', with a consonant cluster. It is a cluster of two consonants, ''b'' and ''ɾ''. And they found no final cluster in any word.

===Vowels===
In Barman Thar, there are eight vowels and nine diphthongs.

==== Monophthongs ====
{| class="wikitable"
|
|Front
|Central
|Back
|-
|High
|i
|
|u
|-
|Close-mid
|e
|
|o
|-
|Open-mid
|ɛ
|
|ɔ
|-
|Near-open
|
|ɐ
|
|-
|Open
|a
|
|
|}

==== Diphthongs ====
{| class="wikitable"
|
|i
|u
|a
|-
|i
|
|
|ia
|-
|o
|oi
|ou
|
|-
|ɐ
|ɐi
|
|
|-
|e
|ei
|
|
|-
|u
|ui
|
|ua
|-
|a
|ai
|au
|
|}

==Morphology and grammar==
'''Case:'''<ref name=":0" />
{| class="wikitable"
!
!Case
!Marker
!Examples
|-
!1.
|(a) [[Nominative]]

(b) [[Ergative case|Ergative]]
|(a) ∅

(b) a
|<div style="position: relative">
{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|number=(a)|ɾam hibaja|ɾam-∅ hiba-ja|Ram-NOM come-PST|“Ram has come.”}}
{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|number=(b)|ɾama thɛkasu caja|ɾam-a thɛkasu ca-ja|Ram-ERG mango eat-PST|“Ram has eaten a mango.”}}
</div>
|-
!2.
|[[Accusative]]
|kɔ
|{{interlinear|top=''ɾamkɔɾiɡɐm''|ɾamkɔ ɾiɡɐm|Ram-ACC call|“Call Ram.”}}
|-
!3.
|(a) [[Instrumental case|Instrumental]]

(b) [[Comitative]]
|ca

nɛ nɔɡɛ
|<div style="position: relative">
{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|number=(a)|owa khɐttaica thɛkasu-kɔ dɛnnaja|owa khɐttai-ca thɛkasu-kɔ dɛn-naja|3SG knife-INS mango cut-PST|“S/he has cut (the) mango}}
{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|number=(b)|ɐŋa ɔmɾitnɛ nɔɡɛ hiŋgɐn|ɐŋa ɔmɾit-nɛ nɔɡɛ hiŋ-gɐn|1SG Amrit-GEN INS go-FUT|“I will go with Amrit.”}}
</div>
|-
!
| [[Genitive]]
|nɛ
|{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|ɔmɾitnɛ nɔk|ɔmɾit-nɛ nɔk|Amrit-GEN house|“Amrit's house”}}
|-
!
| [[Locative]]
|ou
|{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|ɐŋa tɛzpuɾou dɔŋa|ɐŋa tɛzpuɾ-ou dɔŋ-a|1SG Tezpur-LOC be-PRS|“I am in Tezpur.”}}
|-
!6.
|(a) [[Intentive dative]]

(b) [[Destinational dative]]
|nɛ nɛɡa

ca
|<div style="position: relative">
{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|number=(a)|ɔmɾitnɛ nɛɡa|ɔmɾit-nɛ nɛɡa|Amrit-GEN DAT|“… for Amrit.”}}
{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|number=(b)|tɛzpuɾca|tɛzpuɾ-ca|Tezpur-DAT|“… to Tezpur.”}}
</div>
|-
!7.
| [[Ablative]]
|nɛ tukki
|{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|tɛzpuɾnɛ tukki|tɛzpuɾ-nɛ tukki|Tezpur-GEN ABL|“… from Tezpur.”}}
|}

===Tense and aspect===
Three of the tenses are morphologically marked in Barman Thar.
{| class="wikitable"
| Present:
|{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|owa hiŋa|owa hiŋ-a|3SG go-PRS|“S/he goes.”}}
|-
| Past:
|{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|owa caja|owa ca-ja|3SG eat-PST|“S/he ate.”}}
|-
| Future:
|{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|owa ɾiŋɡɐn|owa ɾiŋ-ɡɐn|3SG drink-FUT|“S/he will drink.”}}
|}

In Barman Thar, the present tense is marked with the suffix “-a”, the past tense, with “-ja” and the future tense, with “-ɡɐn”. And the following are the four aspects:
{| class="wikitable"
| [[Present perfect]]:
|{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|owa hibadɔ|owa hiba-dɔ|3SG come-PRS.PRF|“S/he has come.”}}
|-
| [[Present continuous]]:
|{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|owa hiŋa|owa hiŋ-dɔŋ|3SG go-PRS.PROG|“S/he is going.”}}
|-
| [[Past perfect]]:
|{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|owa caniŋ|owa ca-niŋ|3SG eat-PST.PRF|“S/he had eaten.”}}
|-
| [[Future continuous]]:
|{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|owa ɾiŋdɔŋɡɐn|owa ɾiŋ-dɔŋ-ɡɐn|3SG drink-PROG-FUT|“S/he will be drinking.”}}
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Pronouns
! colspan="2" |
! Singular
! Plural
|-
! colspan="2" | 1st
| ''ɐŋa''
| ''ciŋa''
|-
! rowspan="2" | 2nd
!
| ''nɐŋ''
| ''nɐtɐŋ''
|-
! {{small|honorific}}
| ''nɐtɐŋ''
| ''nɐŋɐtɐŋ''
|-
! rowspan="2" | 3rd
!
| ''owa''
| rowspan="2" | ''otɐŋ''
|-
! {{small|honorific}}
| ''otɐŋ''
|}

===Negation===
In Barman Thar, verbs are negated by suffixing “-za” and “-zia” for present and past tense respectively.

For example, the root word for the verb “eat” in Barman Thar is “ca”. The negative form of the word in the present tense is ''caza'' (''ca''+''za''), meaning “do/does not eat” and that in the past tense is ''cazia'' (''ca''+''zia''), meaning “did not eat”.

Again, in case of imperative sentences, the suffix ''-nɔŋ'' is use.

For example, ''mei canɔŋ'' means “Don't eat rice.” [''mei'' means “rice”, and ''canɔŋ'' is bi-morphemic, formed by the root word for “eat”, i.e. ''ca'', and the imperative negative marker ''-nɔŋ''.]

===Classifiers===
In Barman Thar, there is one classifier, i.e. ''-ja''.

{{interlinear|italics2=yes|glossing3=yes|indent=2
|doisaja sijai hiŋaja
|doisa-ja sija-i hiŋ-(a)ja
|boy-CL die-PFV go-PST
|"The boy died."}}

===Allomorphs===
Another feature of this language that needs to be mentioned is the presence of allomorphs.

''Allomorphs of the past tense marker:''

''-ja'' is the past tense marker. But when this morpheme is suffixed to a verb ending in [m], it becomes ''-maja''. For example, ''cum'' + ''-ja'' = ''cummaja''. When it is suffixed to a verb ending in [n], it becomes ''-naja'' as in ''dɛn'' + ''-ja'' = ''dɛnnaja''. When it is affixed to a verb ending in [ŋ], it becomes ''-aja'', as in ''hiŋaja'' (''hiŋ'' + ''-ja'').

Therefore, it can be said that ''-maja'', ''-naja'' and ''-aja'' are allomorphs of the morpheme ''-ja''.

''Allomorphs of the ergative case marker:''

''-a'' is the ergative case marker in Barman Thar. However, when it is affixed to a noun ending in a vowel, it becomes ''-ja''. For example, ''sita'' + ''-ja'' = ''sitaja''.

So, ''-ja'' is an allomorph of the ergative case marker ''-a''.

== References ==
<references />

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite journal |last1=DeLancey |first1=Scott |editor3-first=Mark |editor3-last=W. Post |editor2-first=Stephen |editor2-last=Morey |editor1-first=Gwendolyn |editor1-last=Hyslop |year=2012 |title=On the Origin of Bodo-Garo |journal=Northeast Indian Linguistics |volume=4 |pages=3–20 |doi=10.1017/UPO9789382264521.003 |isbn=9789382264521 }}
* Joseph, U. V., and Burling, Robbins. 2006. ''Comparative phonology of the Boro Garo languages''. Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages Publication.
* {{cite book
| chapter = The Tibeto-Burman languages of northeast India
| given = Robbins | surname = Burling
| pages = 169–191
| title = The Sino-Tibetan languages
| editor-given1 = Graham | editor-surname1 = Thurgood
| editor-given2 = Randy J. | editor-surname2 = LaPolla
| location = London | publisher = Routledge | year = 2003
| isbn = 978-0-7007-1129-1
}}
* {{cite book
| last = van Driem | first = George | author-link = George van Driem
| title = Languages of the Himalayas: An Ethnolinguistic Handbook of the Greater Himalayan Region
| publisher = BRILL | year = 2001
| isbn = 978-90-04-12062-4
}}
* {{cite thesis
| title = An Initial Reconstruction of Proto-Boro-Garo
| first = Daniel Cody | last = Wood
| publisher = University of Oregon | year = 2008 | degree = MA
| hdl = 1794/9485
}}
{{refend}}

{{Sino-Tibetan languages}}
{{Sal languages}}
{{Languages of Northeast India}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Sal languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Assam]]

Barman language - Revision history

ChetSena61 at 04:52, 24 February 2026