imported>Lancepark at 09:10, 21 August 2021

2021-08-21T09:10:06Z

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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{More citations needed|date=June 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox language
|name=Dimasa
|nativename=Grao-Dima গ্ৰাউ-ডিমা
|states=[[India]]
|region=[[Assam]], [[Nagaland]]
|ethnicity=[[Dimasa people|Dimasa]]
|speakers= 137,184
|date= 2011 census
|ref=<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language_MTs.html|title=Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011|publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India|website=www.censusindia.gov.in|access-date=2018-07-07}}</ref>
|familycolor= Sino-Tibetan
|fam2=[[Sal languages|Brahmaputran]]
|fam3=[[Bodo-Garo languages|Bodo-Garo]]
|fam4=
|script=[[Latin script]], [[Bengali-Assamese script]]
|iso3=dis
|glotto=dima1251
|glottorefname=Dimasa
}}

The '''Dimasa language''' is a [[Sino-Tibetan languages|Sino-Tibetan]] language spoken by the [[Dimasa people]] in [[North East India|Northeastern]] part of [[India]] , states of [[Assam]] and [[Nagaland]]. The Dimasa language is known to Dimasas as "Grao-Dima" and it is similar to [[Boro language (India)|Boro]], [[Kokborok]] and [[Garo language|Garo]] language of [[India]].

== Etymology ==
The Dimasa language is one of the oldest languages spoken in [[North East India]], particularly in [[Assam, Nagaland]]. The word Dimasa etymologically translates to "Son of the big river" (Dima-river, sa-sons), 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 (long river) among the [[Dimasa people|Dimasas]] even now. Many of the important towns and cities in [[Assam]] and [[Nagaland]] received their names from Dimasa words such as [[Diphu]], [[Dimapur]] (a capital of the [[Dimasa Kingdom]]), [[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.{{sfn|Endle|1911|p=4}}

==Geographical distribution==
Dimasa is spoken in:

*[[Assam]]: [[Dima Hasao District]] (formerly North Cachar Hills District), [[Cachar District]], [[Karbi Anglong District]], [[Nagaon District]], [[Hojai District]] (formerly a part of Nagaon District)
*[[Nagaland]]
*[[Meghalaya]]
*[[Mizoram]]

==Phonology==
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2020}}
===Vowels===
There are six vowels in Dimasa language.
{|class="wikitable"
|+Vowels
!rowspan=2|
!colspan=3|[[Front vowel|Front]]
!colspan=3|[[Central vowel|Central]]
!colspan=3|[[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
!ROM
![[Assamese alphabet|Script]]
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
!ROM
![[Assamese alphabet|Script]]
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
!ROM
![[Assamese alphabet|Script]]
|- style="text-align:center"
!rowspan=1|[[Close vowel|Close]]
|{{IPA|i}}
|i
|
|colspan=3|
|{{IPA|u}}
|u
|
|- style="text-align:center"
![[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
|{{IPA|e}}
|e
|
|colspan=3|
|{{IPA|o}}
|o
|
|- style="text-align:center"
![[Mid vowel|Mid]]
|colspan=3|
|{{IPA|ə}}
|e
|
|colspan=3|
|- style="text-align:center"
![[Open vowel|Open]]
|colspan=3|
|{{IPA|a}}
|a
|
|colspan=3|
|}

* All vowels can occurs in all three positions, except /{{IPA|ə}}/ which occurs only medially.

===Diphthongs===
{|class="wikitable"
|+Diphthongs
!
!{{IPA|i}}
!{{IPA|e}}
!{{IPA|o}}
!{{IPA|u}}
|- style="text-align:center"
!{{IPA|i}}
|
|
|
|{{IPA|iu}}
|- style="text-align:center"
!{{IPA|e}}
|{{IPA|ei}}
|
|{{IPA|eo}}
|
|- style="text-align:center"
!{{IPA|a}}
|{{IPA|ai}}
|
|{{IPA|ao}}
|
|- style="text-align:center"
!{{IPA|o}}
|{{IPA|oi}}
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center"
!{{IPA|u}}
|{{IPA|ui}}
|
|
|
|- style="text-align:center"
!{{IPA|ə}}
|
|
|{{IPA|əo}}
|
|}

===Consonants===
There are sixteen consonants in the Dimasa language.
{|class="wikitable"
|+Consonants
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|
!colspan=3|[[Labial consonant|Labial]]
!colspan=3|[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
!colspan=3|[[Dorsal consonant|Dorsal]]
!colspan=3|[[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
!ROM
![[Devanagari script|Script]]
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
!ROM
![[Devanagari script|Script]]
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
!ROM
![[Devanagari script|Script]]
![[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]
!ROM
![[Devanagari script|Script]]
|- style="text-align:center"
!colspan=2|[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
|{{IPA|m}}
|m
|
|{{IPA|n}}
|n
|
|{{IPA|ŋ}}
|ng
|
|colspan=3|
|- style="text-align:center"
!rowspan=2|[[Stop consonant|Stop]]
![[Aspiration (phonetics)|aspirated]]
|{{IPA|pʰ}}
|ph
|
|{{IPA|tʰ}}
|th
|
|{{IPA|kʰ}}
|kh
|
|colspan=3|
|- style="text-align:center"
!voiced
|{{IPA|b}}
|b
|
|{{IPA|d}}
|d
|
|{{IPA|ɡ}}
|g
|
|colspan=3|
|- style="text-align:center"
!rowspan=2|[[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]
!voiceless
|colspan=3|
|{{IPA|s}}
|s
|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|- style="text-align:center"
!voiced
|colspan=3|
|{{IPA|z}}
|z
|
|colspan=3|
|{{IPA|ɦ}}
|h
|
|- style="text-align:center"
!rowspan=1|[[Dental and alveolar flaps|Flap]]/[[Alveolar trill|Trill]]
!voiced
|colspan=3|
|{{IPA|ɾ}}
|r
|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|- style="text-align:center"
!rowspan=3|[[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]
!voiceless
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|{{IPA|j}}
|y
|
|colspan=3|
|- style="text-align:center"
!voiced
|{{IPA|w}}
|w
|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|- style="text-align:center"
![[Lateral consonant|lateral]]
|colspan=3|
|{{IPA|l}}
|l
|
|colspan=3|
|colspan=3|
|}
* The three voiceless aspirated stops, /{{IPA|pʰ, tʰ, kʰ}}/, are unreleased in syllable final position. Their unaspirated voiced counterparts are released and cannot occur word final position.
* Sometimes /{{IPA|pʰ, tʰ, kʰ, s}}/ are pronounced as /{{IPA|b, d, g, z}}/ respectively.
* The consonants /{{IPA|pʰ, b, tʰ, kʰ, m, n, ɾ, l}}/ can occur in all position.
* The consonants /{{IPA|g, s, s, ɦ}}/ cannot occur in Dimasa indigenous words, but can occur in loan words.
* The consonants /{{IPA|d, w, j}}/ cannot appear in word final positions in Dimasa.
* The consonants /{{IPA|ŋ}}/ cannot appear in word initial positions.

==Grammar==
{{More citations needed section|date=June 2020}}
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 (Dimasa male name),
Lairingdi (Dimasa female name)

====Common nouns====
Miya/Mia/Mya (boy),
Masainjik (girl)

====Abstract nouns====
Khajama (happiness),
Dukhu (sadness)

===Pronouns===
Ang (1st person singular) Jing (1st person plural) 
Ning (2nd person singular) Nisi (2nd person plural) Bo (3rd person singular) Bunsi (3rd person plural)

===Adjectives===
Guju- Tall, Gedé- big

===Sentence syntax===
Usually it is of ''' S+O+V''' type. For example: 
Ang ('''S''') makham ('''O''') jidu ('''V'''). That means I am having food. Another one, Bo ('''S''') 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 ('''O''') jidu ('''V''') ang('''S'''). 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.<ref>http://online.assam.gov.in/tribes_of_assam#Dimasa {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530165506/http://online.assam.gov.in/tribes_of_assam#Dimasa |date=30 May 2013 }} Kachari</ref>

The [[Bengali alphabet|Bengali script]] is used in Cachar, where the Bengali people live alongside Dimasas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.omniglot.com/writing/langalph.htm|title=Index of languages by writing system|website=www.omniglot.com|access-date=18 April 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Dimasa people]]
* [[Dimaraji]]
* [[Dima Hasao]]
* [[Busu Dima]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite thesis |last=Brahma |first=Pratima|date=2014 |title=Phonology and morphology of Bodo and Dimasa: a comparative study |type=PhD |hdl=10603/21160}}
{{refend}}

{{incubator|code=dis}}

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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dimasa Language}}
[[Category:Sal languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Assam]]
[[Category:Languages of Nagaland]]
[[Category:Endangered languages of India]]

Dimasa language - Revision history

imported>Lancepark at 09:10, 21 August 2021