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BENGALI
Bengali is the main language of West Bengal, which is the mother tongue of a majority of the people of the state. It is the Official Language of West Bengal. Nepali and Bhutiya are also spoken in West Bengal, but mainly in the district of Darjeeling. Kolkata, which is a melting pot of several cultures, also communicates in Hindi and English. In schools of West Bengal, the medium of instruction is generally either Bengali or English. However, Hindi and Urdu are also being used in some cases.
The Bengali language has been derived from Magadhi Prakrit, Pali and Sanskrit. However, besides these three, Bengali has been enriched through borrowing words from several other languages such as Persian, Hindi, Urdu, English, Portuguese, Greek, Arabic, Dutch, Turkish, French, Japanese, Malayan and Burmese among others. Bengali is a very sweet language with a rich body of literature, whose origin dates back to the tenth century. Bengali also known by its endonym Bangla is an Indo-Aryan language. and the official language of several northeastern states of the Republic of India, including West Bengal, Tripura, Assam (Barak Valley) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. With over 210 million speakers, Bengali is the seventh most spoken native language in the world.
Bengali exhibits diglossia, though largely contested notion as some scholars proposed triglossia or even n-glossia or heteroglossia between the written and spoken forms of the language. Two styles of writing, involving somewhat different vocabularies and syntax, have emerged:
Shadhu-bhasha was the written language, with longer verb inflections and more of a Pali and Sanskrit-derived Tatsama vocabulary. Songs such as India’s National Anthem Jana Gana Mana (by Rabindranath Tagore) were composed in Shadhubhasha. However, use of Shadhubhasha in modern writing is uncommon, restricted to some official signs and documents in Bangladesh as well as for achieving particular literary effects.
Cholitobhasha known by linguists as Standard Colloquial Bengali, is a written Bengali style exhibiting a preponderance of colloquial idiom and shortened verb forms, and is the standard for written Bengali now. This form came into vogue towards the turn of the 19th century, promoted by the writings of Peary Chand Mitra (Alaler Gharer Dulal, 1857), Pramatha Chaudhuri (Sabujpatra, 1914) and in the later writings of Rabindranath Tagore. It is modeled on the dialect spoken in the Shantipur region in Nadia district, West Bengal. This form of Bengali is often referred to as the “Nadia standard”, “Nadia dialect”, “Southwestern/West-Central dialect” or “Shantipuri Bangla.
NEPALI : Nepali is prominent language of the Gorkhas of north Bengal (Darjeeling) and the Nepali language has played an important role in the scheme of things . In 2011, CM Mamata Banerjee had included Nepali as one of the six “second official” languages of the state. She also included Nepali as one of the languages for answering question papers in the examinations by the Public Service Commission .
BHUTIYA: Bhutiya is spoken in northern West Bengal, especially in the towns of Kalimpong and Darjeeling.
Dielects of Bengali language
Dialectal differences in Bengali manifest themselves in three forms: standardised dialect vs. regional dialect, literary language vs. colloquial language and lexical (vocabulary) variations. The name of the dialects generally originates from the district where the language is spoken.
While the standard form of the language does not show much variation across the Bengali-speaking areas of South Asia, regional variation in spoken Bengali constitutes a dialect continuum. Mostly speech varies across distances of just few miles and takes distinct forms among the religious communities. Apart from the present dialects, there are a few more which have disappeared. For example, ‘Bikramapuri’, Sātagāiyã’ (this is the name used in East Bengal for the dialect of South-western Rarh region).
West Central dialects
These dialect are mostly spoken in and around the Bhagirathi River basin, in West Central Bengal. The standard form of the colloquial language (Choltibhasha) has developed out of the Nadia dialect.
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West Bengal is a state in eastern India. It is the third-most populous state in India, with over 91 million inhabitants. The official language of West Bengal is Bengali, which is spoken by over 80% of the Population. Hindi is also widely spoken, especially in the northern and western parts of the state. English is a common language of business and Education.
There are a number of other languages spoken in West Bengal, including Santali, Mundari, Oraon, Kurmali, Kharia, Bhumij, Ho, Savara, Munda, Asuri, Korku, Lodhi, Majhi, Rajbanshi, Garo, Khasi, Jaintia, Chakma, Marma, Chak, Tripuri, Reang, Lushai, Hmar, Paite, Zeme, Liangmai, Maram, Mao, Ao, Angami, Sema, Lotha, and Rengma. These languages are spoken by minority groups in the state.
Bengali is an Indo-Aryan language that is spoken by over 265 million people in India, Bangladesh, and other parts of the world. It is the seventh-most spoken language in the world. Bengali is a member of the Eastern Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-Aryan languages. It is closely related to Assamese, Oriya, and Maithili.
Bengali is a tonal language, which means that the pitch of a speaker’s voice can change the meaning of a word. It is also a syllabic language, which means that each syllable has a vowel Sound. Bengali has a rich vocabulary and a complex grammar.
Hindi is an Indo-Aryan language that is spoken by over 500 million people in India, Nepal, and other parts of the world. It is the official language of India and the second-most spoken language in the world. Hindi is a member of the Central Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-Aryan languages. It is closely related to Punjabi, Urdu, and Rajasthani.
Hindi is a tonal language, which means that the pitch of a speaker’s voice can change the meaning of a word. It is also a syllabic language, which means that each syllable has a vowel sound. Hindi has a rich vocabulary and a complex grammar.
English is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England and is now a global lingua franca. Named after the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes that migrated to England, it ultimately derives its name from the Anglia peninsula in the Baltic Sea. It is closely related to the Frisian languages, but its vocabulary has been significantly influenced by other Germanic languages, particularly Norse (a North Germanic language), as well as by Latin and French.
English has developed over the course of more than 1,400 years. The earliest forms of English, a group of West Germanic (Ingvaeonic) dialects brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the 5th century, are called Old English. Middle English began in the late 11th century with the Norman conquest of England; this was a period in which English was influenced by Old French, in particular through its Old Norman dialect. Early Modern English began in the late 15th century with the introduction of the printing press to London, the printing of the King James Bible and the start of the Great Vowel Shift.
Through the worldwide influence of the British Empire, modern English spread around the world from the 17th to mid-20th centuries. Through all types of printed and electronic media of these times, English became the leading language of international discourse and the lingua franca in many regions and professional contexts such as science, navigation and law. Modern English is the most widely learned second language and is either the official language or one of the official languages in almost 60 sovereign states. There are more people who have learned it as a second language than there are native speakers. It is the third most widely spoken native language in the world, after Standard Chinese and Spanish. It is the most widely spoken Germanic language, accounting for at least 70% of speakers of this Indo-European branch. English is the most widely spoken language in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and some Caribbean nations. It is the most widely spoken Germanic language, accounting for at least 70% of speakers of this Indo-European branch. English is the most widely spoken language in the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand and some Caribbean nations.
Here are some frequently asked questions about languages and dialects in West Bengal:
What are the official languages of West Bengal?
The official languages of West Bengal are Bengali and Hindi.What are the most spoken languages in West Bengal?
The most spoken languages in West Bengal are Bengali (79.8%), Hindi (10.3%), Santali (4.6%), Urdu (2.3%), and Odia (1.4%).What are some of the dialects of Bengali spoken in West Bengal?
Some of the dialects of Bengali spoken in West Bengal are Standard Bengali, Rajbanshi, Sylheti, and Chakma.What are some of the languages spoken by the tribal people of West Bengal?
Some of the languages spoken by the tribal people of West Bengal are Santali, Mundari, Ho, Oraon, and Kharia.What is the status of English in West Bengal?
English is a widely spoken second language in West Bengal. It is used in education, government, and business.What are some of the challenges facing language education in West Bengal?
Some of the challenges facing language education in West Bengal are the lack of qualified teachers, the lack of Resources, and the large number of students.What are some of the initiatives that have been taken to promote language education in West Bengal?
Some of the initiatives that have been taken to promote language education in West Bengal are the introduction of bilingual education, the establishment of language schools, and the provision of scholarships for language studies.What is the future of language education in West Bengal?
The future of language education in West Bengal is bright. The government is committed to promoting language education, and there is a growing demand for English language skills.
Question 1
Which of the following is not a language spoken in West Bengal?
(A) Bengali
(B) Hindi
(C) English
(D) Assamese
Answer
(B) Hindi
Question 2
Which of the following is the official language of West Bengal?
(A) Bengali
(B) Hindi
(C) English
(D) Assamese
Answer
(A) Bengali
Question 3
Which of the following is the most spoken language in West Bengal?
(A) Bengali
(B) Hindi
(C) English
(D) Assamese
Answer
(A) Bengali
Question 4
Which of the following is a dialect of Bengali spoken in West Bengal?
(A) Sylheti
(B) Rajbanshi
(C) Chakma
(D) All of the above
Answer
(D) All of the above
Question 5
Which of the following is a language spoken by the Santal people of West Bengal?
(A) Santali
(B) Mundari
(C) Ho
(D) All of the above
Answer
(D) All of the above
Question 6
Which of the following is a language spoken by the Oraon people of West Bengal?
(A) Kurukh
(B) Mundari
(C) Ho
(D) All of the above
Answer
(A) Kurukh
Question 7
Which of the following is a language spoken by the Khasi people of West Bengal?
(A) Khasi
(B) Garo
(C) Jaintia
(D) All of the above
Answer
(A) Khasi
Question 8
Which of the following is a language spoken by the Garo people of West Bengal?
(B) Garo
Answer
(B) Garo
Question 9
Which of the following is a language spoken by the Jaintia people of West Bengal?
(C) Jaintia
Answer
(C) Jaintia
Question 10
Which of the following is the most populous language in West Bengal?
(A) Bengali
(B) Hindi
(C) English
(D) Assamese
Answer
(A) Bengali