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{{Infobox language
|name=Bodo
|altname=Mech
|nativename=बर'
|states= India, - <small>(small communities)</small>
|ethnicity=[[Bodo people|Bodo]], [[Mech tribe|Mech]],
|speakers={{sigfig|3.33|2}} million
|date=2015 census
|ref=e18
|familycolor=Sino-Tibetan
|fam2=[[Sal languages|Brahmaputran]]
|fam3=[[Bodo–Koch languages|Bodo–Koch]]
|fam4=[[Bodo–Garo languages|Bodo–Garo]]
|fam5=[[Bodo languages|Bodo]]
|nation={{IND}} ([[Assam]])
|script = [[Devanagari]] (main) <br /> [[Assamese script|Assamese]] (also in use) <br /> [[Deodhai script|Deodhai]] (historically)
|iso3=brx
|glotto=bodo1269
|glottorefname=Bodo (India)
}}
{{Incubator|code=brx}}
'''Bodo''' (बर'), or '''Mech''', is the [[Sino-Tibetan languages|Sino-Tibetan language]] of the [[Bodo people]] of north-eastern [[India]] and [[Bengal]]. It is one of the official languages of the Indian state of [[Assam]]. It is one of the [[Languages with official status in India#Eighth Schedule to the Constitution|22 scheduled languages]] that is given a special [[Constitution of India|constitutional]] status in India. The Bodo language has been written using [[Devanagari]] script since 1963. It was formerly written using [[bodo script]].

==History and linguistic classification==
Bodo is a [[Sino-Tibetan languages|Sino-Tibetan language]] of the [[Bodo–Garo languages|Bodo group]]. It is closely related to the [[Dimasa language]] and [[Tiwa language (India)|Tiwa (Lalung) Language]] of [[Assam]]. It is also related to the [[Garo language]] of [[Meghalaya]] and the [[Kokborok language]] of [[Tripura]]. The Bodo speaking areas of Assam stretch from [[Dhubri]] in the west to [[Sadiya]] in the east. In [[Alipurduar]], [[Cooch Behar]] and [[Jalpaiguri]] and other parts of Bengal, the Boros are known as "Mech". According to the 1991 [[census]], the [[population]] of Boro speakers was 1,984,569 (Bodo 1,324,748), ([[Mech tribe|Mech]] 659,821). The census reports of [[Bodo tribe]], however, includes only the Bodos. It [[wikt:exclude|exclude]]s the Mech tribe. The word "Boro" means the language and the community. It is pronounced with a high [[tone]] on the second [[syllable]].

== Dialects ==
The [[dialect]]s spoken in this area can be divided into three main groups:

#The Western Boro dialect, {(Sønabari) WBD}:
#The Eastern Boro dialect, {(Sanzari) EBD} and
#The Southern Boro dialect, {(Hazari) SBD}.

The Western Boro dialects are spoken in the districts of Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon. The Eastern Bodo dialects are found mainly in the districts of Barpeta, Nalbari and Kamrup and some parts of Darrang. The Western Boro dialect has gained the [[wikt:status|status]] of a [[Standard language|standard dialect]]. It has also developed a written form. The variations between these two dialect groups are mainly [[Phonology|phonological]] and [[lexical]].

The Bodo language of Assam has at least four clear-cut dialect-areas with a sufficient number of dialectal variations. There are the northeastern, southwestern, north-[[wikt:central|central]] and southern dialect areas. Each has distinct differences.

==Geographic distribution==
''[[Ethnologue]]'' lists the following districts where Bodo is spoken. Bodo is spoken mainly in the [[Upland and lowland|lowlands]] and [[foothills]] of [[Assam]] and [[West Bengal]].

*[[Assam]]
**[[Darrang district]]
**[[Nagaon district]]
**[[Kamrup district]]
**[[Goalpara district]]
**[[Sibsagar district]]
**[[Lakhimpur district]]
*[[West Bengal]]
**[[Kolkata]]
**[[Jalpaiguri district]]
**[[Cooch Behar district]]
*[[Manipur]]
**[[Chandel district]] (in [[Tengnoupal]])
*[[Meghalaya]]
**7 villages in Tikrikilla block of [[West Garo Hills district]]
**[[East Khasi Hills district]]

== History ==
Although the Bodo language is a rich and [[wikt:ancient|ancient]] language, it did not have any written [[literature]] until the second [[decade]] of the [[20th century]]. [[Christian]] [[Missionary|missionaries]], who entered the Bodo speaking areas to [[preach]] their [[religion]], [[published]] some books on religion, [[wikt:tale|tale]]s, rhymes and songs. These missionaries also published some books on grammar and dictionary. Reverend [[Sidney Endle]] compiled ''An Outline of the Kachari Grammar'' in 1884. The grammar is based on the dialect of Darrang district. Endle also wrote an important book on the Bodos. It is titled ''The Kacharis''. The book was published in 1911 and it contains chapters on [[Norm (social)|social customs]], [[agriculture]] practices, [[wikt:festivity|festivities]], food habits, [[ritual]]s, [[craft]]s and [[textile]]s of the Bodos. The book also included [[example]]s of Bodo [[folktale]]s, [[rhyme]]s and [[grammar]]s. J.D. Anderson's ''Collection of Bodo Folktales and Rhymes'' (1895) included seventeen Bodo folktales [[translated]] into the [[English language]]. This is in addition to the original [[wikt:version|version]]s in the Bodo language.

In 1963 the language was used in [[teaching]] in the [[primary school]]s in Bodo dominated areas. The Bodo language is used in schools up to the [[Secondary school|secondary level]]. The language has become a matter of [[pride]] with the opening of the [[post-graduate]] [[wikt:course|course]] in the Bodo language. Bodo literature has been used in the [[Gauhati University|University of Guwahati]] since 1996. The Bodo language now has a large number of books of [[poetry]], [[drama]], [[short stories]], [[novel]]s, [[biography]], [[travel]], children's literature and [[literary criticism]]. Though the [[spoken language]] has been affected by other communities and dialects, it is still to be heard in its pure form in and around the [[Udalguri district]].

== Writing system ==
The language is officially [[writing|written]] using the [[Devanagari script]]. It also has a long history of using the [[Latin script]] and the [[Assamese script]].<ref>Prabhakara, M S [http://www.hinduonnet.com/2005/05/19/stories/2005051904051100.htm Scripting a solution], The Hindu, 19 May 2005.</ref> Some [[researcher]]s have suggested that at one time the language used a now-lost script called [[Deodhai script|Deodhai]].<ref name=bodo>{{Cite news |url=http://www.merinews.com/article/battle-of-the-bodo-language/128494.shtml |date=12 December 2007 |accessdate=9 April 2012 |title=Battle of the Bodo language |publisher=MeriNews |archive-date=12 June 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130612065652/http://www.merinews.com/article/battle-of-the-bodo-language/128494.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> But there is a difference in using the letters in Bodo than the Devanagari.

== Related pages ==
*[[Bodo people]]
*[[Bodo Grammar]]
*[[Bodo Sahitya Sabha]]
*[[Kokborok language]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

== Other websites ==
{{Incubator|brx}}
*Abley, Mark (2006) ''[http://www.lostmag.com/issue4/verbs.php The Verbs of Boro]'', [http://www.lostmag.com/aboutus.php Lost Magazine], March 2006
*[http://www.bodoland.org/ Bodoland.org]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050907205229/http://www.iitg.ernet.in/rcilts/boro.htm Boro Language]
*[http://www.ildc.in/Bodo/BOindex.aspx Bodo computing resources at TDIL] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100803000435/http://ildc.in/bodo/boindex.aspx |date=2010-08-03 }}
*[http://www.lisindia.net/Boro/Boro.html Language Information Service – India]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bodo Language}}
[[Category:Language]]
[[Category:Languages of India]]

{{simple-Wikipedia}}

Bodo language - Revision history

WikiDwarfBOT at 14:05, 30 April 2021