Surjapuri is an Indo-Aryan language of the Bengali-Assamese branch, spoken in Eastern India including some eastern parts of Purnia division of Bihar, parts of Uttar Dinajpur district in West Bengal and Goalpara Division of Assam in India, as well as Jhapa district in Nepal and Thakurgaon district in Bangladesh. Among speakers in some regions, it is known as 'Deshi Bhasa'. It possesses similarities with Kamatapuri, Assamese, Bengali, and Maithili.
Geographical distribution
Surjapuri is mainly spoken in some parts of Purnia division (Kishanganj, Katihar, Purnia, and Araria districts) of Bihar. It is also spoken in West Bengal (some parts of Islampur subdivision of Uttar Dinajpur district and Jalpaiguri division in northern Bengal region), Bangladesh (Thakurgaon District) as well as in parts of eastern Nepal of Jhapa District and Morang District.
Related languages
Surjapuri is associated with the Kamtapuri language (and its dialects Goalpariya, Rajbanshi and Koch Rajbangshi) spoken in North Bengal and Western Assam, as well as with Assamese, Bengali, and Maithili.
Pronouns
Surjapuri has the oblique plural suffixes: sā (hamsā-, tomsā-) and smā (ismā-, usmā-). They are also seen in Early Assamese as: sā (āmāsā-, tomāsā-) and sambā (esambā-, tesambā-) and their occurrences are similar.
Phonology
Consonants
Vowels
- Nasalization is also phonemic.
- /i, e/ in medial and initial form are heard as [ɪ, ɛ].
Notes
References
External links
- "Word Formation in Surjapuri" (PDF). Language in India.
- "Case and Case-like Postposition in Surjapuri" (PDF). Language in India.
