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The Bishnupriya Manipuri Language


 

 

 

 

 

Bishnupriya Manipuri Language is mainly spoken by Bishnupriya Manipuris, a Indo-Aryan group of people who lived in Manipur(A North Eastern state of India) long before the advent of Hinduism mixing and intermingling racially and culturally with the Meiteis but were driven out due to population pressure,inter-racial conflicts and political events. Though some of the people later identified with the Meiteis, most of them didn't submitted to the Meiteis to retain a separate identity and language. A great majority of the speakers fled away from Manipur and took refuge in Assam, Tripura, Sylhet and Cachar during eighteen and nineteenth century due to internal conflicts among the princes of Manipur and due to Burmese attack. This Language is now spoken in parts of Assam, Tripura, Manipur( Jiribam, Bishnupur, Ningthaukhong)) in India ,in Bangladesh, in Burma and some other overseas countries.

BISHNUPRIYA MANIPURI: A PROFILE

Language Name: Bishnupriya Manipuri

Alternative names: Vishnupriya, Vishnupriya Manipuri, Bishnupuria, Bishnupuria Manipuri, Mayang, Imarthar, BM, BPM

Regions: North-eastern India (Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh),Bangladesh (Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Sunamganj, Dhaka), Myanmar and some other overseas countries.

Number of Speakers: 4,50,000 (aprox.)

Source: Close proximity both with the Magadhi Prakrit and Suraseni-Maharastri Prakrit, highly influenced by Meitei and Sanskrit. Some characteristics of Hindi, some denoting terms and a little influence of Bengali and Assamese incorporated.

Vocabulary:  Contains about 10,000 words of Sanskrit, 8,000 of Tadvava (words derived from OIA), 6,000 of its own and 4000 of Meitei.

Dialects: (1) Rajar Gang(Kings Village) and (2) Madoi Gang (Queens village).

This site offers a introduction on history, origin and development of Bishnupriya Manipuri Language, the grammar, script and vocabulary, facts and documents relating language movement for recognition of Bishnupriya Manipuri Language and a language tutorial.

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Last in August 15, 2006 | 192046 |
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