The Tripura tribe is an ancient tribe and one of the richest tribes in the Indian subcontinent, with rich history, traditions and culture. At present, “Tripura” is one of the 19 scheduled tribes (STs) in the state of Tripura. It is located in serial number 18 of the Scheduled Castes and The Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act of 1976.
The Tripuras speak in Tripura (also known as Tripuri or Kokborok) language, which is their mother tongue. The speakers of the Tripura language live mainly in the state of Tripura. The population of Tripura language speakers is 5,92,255 (Directorate of Tribal Research & Cultural Institute, Government of Tripura, 2011).
Tripura language speakers, numbering about 30,000, are also found in the Hailakandi, Karimganj and Cachar districts of Assam state. There are about 50,000 Tripura language speakers living in the Mamit, Lawngtlai and Kolasib districts of Mizoram state.
In addition, there are more than 3.5 lakh Tripura language speakers living in different districts of neighbouring country of Bangladesh; and about 1.5 lakh living in the Arakan as well as Chin states of Myanmar. Tripura speakers are also found in some parts of Australia, French, Thailand and Nepal.
All in all, the population of Tripura language speakers is about 1.5 million (15 lakh).
The Origins And Syntax Of Tripuri
Tripura language is a very ancient and rich language in terms of vocabulary and grammar. Historically, the language belongs to the Sino-Tibetan language family and more specifically, the Tibeto-Burman Family, Bodo Group (Grierson, 1903). The sister languages of Tripura language are Dimasa, Bodo, Tiwa, Hajong, Kachari, Garo etc.
According to Devy, Debbarma and Sukhendu, the People’s Linguistic Survey of India, 2016, Vol. 28, Part II, pg.129, ‘The Languages of Tripura’, mentioned that the language of the ‘Murasing community’ is also close to the Tripura language.
Grammatically, there are six vowels, twenty consonants, four stop aspirated consonants sounds, three nasal consonants sounds and five diphthongs, in Tripura Language.
- Six vowels sound are /a, e, i, o, u and w/. All the vowels phonemes of Tripura language can occur in all word positions i.e., in initial, medial and final positions.
- The 20 consonants sounds are b, d, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, y, ch, kh, ph, th, ng and dz.
- The four stop aspirated consonants sounds are ch, ph, th, ch, and kh.
- Tripura language has five diphthongs i.e., ai, wi, oi, ui and ua.
Nasal symbol are marked as ( ̃ ). There are four tones in Tripura language i.e., extra high tone, high tone, level tone and low tone. Tones are marked by the symbols as extra high tone ( ̋ ), high tone ( ́ ) and low tone ( ̀ ). Level tone remains unmarked.
Some Early Books On The Language
During the reign of the kings of Tripura, the British political agents stationed in independent Hill Tipperah and other scholarly writers, have shed light on the Tripura language and vocabulary in publishing their various books, research work and survey reports. It contains a brief account of the historical context of the Tripura language.
In Sir A Phayere’s “An Account of Arakan, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal”, Vol.X, 1841 AD., pt.11, p711, he mentions many vocabulary of Tripura language.
Many vocabularies of Tippera (Tripura) and Lusai or Kuki language are found in the 1869 AD publication, “The Hill Tracts of Chittagong and The Dwellers therein” by Captain TH Lewin (p43). Many vocabulary of Tripura language are found in this book.
There are about 164 lexical items of English, Tippera (Tripura), Lusai/Kuki language, found in the sixth volume of WW Hunter’s “Statistical Account of Bengal”, published in the year 1874-75 AD (p489-490). However, it is known that Hunter consulted a book compiled by Lewin to create this vocabulary.
The Script And Vocabulary Of The Language
During the winter of 1883-1884 AD, Dr JD Anderson, a British linguist and scholar, came to independent Tripura as a sub-divisional administrator in the South Sylhet region (now, Bangladesh).
He went to great lengths to make the mother tongue of the Hill Tippera (Tripura), Lushai and Bodo peoples living in the area available to all in written form.
In 1885 AD, he created a vocabulary in English, Hill Tippera (Tripura), Lushai, and Bodo languages, and also published a vocabulary book called “A Short List of Words of the Hill Tipperah Language, With Their English Equivalents”. This book too contains many vocabulary of Tripura language.
The first grammer book of Tripura language “Kokborma” wrote by Daulat Ahmmed Dahar MM and Sricha Ahmmed Umar, which was published by Nilambar Datta Choudhury, Amar Jantra, Comilla in Poush 1307 Tring, or 1897 AD.
The second grammar book in Tripura language, “Kokborokma”, was published exactly three years later, in 1900 AD by Thakur Radha Mohan. According to the “Census Report 1310 Tripura (1901 AD)”, the population of the Tripura language speakers in independent Tripura was 75,781 (male: 38,887, and female: 36,894).
Famous Folk Song In Tripuri
In 1903, Sir GA Grierson, a linguist, in Volume III of a national study called ‘Linguistic Survey of India’, discusses the language of Tipura (Tripura). It is found on page 109, 118 of Vol-III, Part-II, Tibeto-Burman Family, Bodo Group, Tipura.
In specimen-II he highlighted the popular folksong, Tokhamai-thaichumu. It can be said without any doubt that it was composed entirely in the Tripura language. This popular folksong was extensively used from time immemorial by speakers of Tripura and has assumed the stature of a literary form.
Samarendra Chandra Devvarma, wrote a book in 1927 AD called “Tripurar Smriti”. In this book, a popular folksong of the Tripura tribe called “Resiyar Khagra” is highlighted. It is a popular folksong sung by a woman in memory of her husband who was martyred in battle. This folksong is still prevalent in Tripura society.
According to Devvarma, the census officer Nayeb Dewan’s book “1340 Tring Soner Tripura Rajyer Census Biboroni”, says that the population of “Tripura language” speakers in 1340 Tring. or 1930 AD, was 1,46,296; of these, 79,119 were male and 69,179 were female. (p136).
As per the Imperial Table no. 10 found in this census book, in the year 1300 Tring/1890 AD, the population of ‘Tripura language’ speakers were 1,25,793. Of these, 62,933 were males and 62,860 were females.
The Tripura Writers’ Forum
In 1936, the late Khushi Krishna Tripura, a historical poet-singer, published a self-composed book of songs, “Tripura Kha-Kachangma Khumbar Boi”, from the B.L Press in Agartala. This book contains 33 religious and spiritual songs.
This book is a historically rare document in Tripura language and it can be considered as the first book of songs published in Tripura language. At present various literary books, magazines, journals, and periodicals are being published in Tripura language and literary practice is going on continuously.
Some of the notable magazines and newspapers are “Dong”, “Twisa”, “Tangbiti”, “Kherebai”, “Ruang”, “Chwngkhiring”, “Kokmalama” etc.
Poets and witers of Tripura society have also taken various initiatives for the development of Tripura language and literature. Therefore, a Tripura language based organization named “Tripura Writers’ Forum”, has been formed with all the writers of Tripura tribe for the development program of Tripura language and literature on April 7, 2020.
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REFERNCES:
- Ministry of Law, Justice and Company Affairs (Legislative Department), ‘The Scheduled Castes and The Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendmend) Act, 1976 (No.108 of 1976) Gazette Notification, Part-XV, 20th September, 1976— 1. Bill, 2. Bhutia, 3. Chaimal, 4. Chakma, 5. Garo, 6. Halam, 7. Jamatia, 8. Khasia, 9. Kuki (Including the following sub-tribes:— i. Balte, ii. Belalhut, iii. Chhalaya, iv. Fun, v. Hajango, vi. Jangtei, vii. Khareng, viii. Khephong, ix. Kuntei, x. Laifang, xi. Lentei, xii. Mizel, xiii. Namte, xiv. Paitu/ Paite, xv. Rangchan, xvi. Rangkhola, xvii. Thangluya), 10. Lepcha, 11. Lushai, 12. Mag, 13. Munda, Kaur, 14. Noatia, 15. Orang, 16. Riang, 17. Santal, 18. Tripura/ Tripuri/ Tippera, 19. Uchai.
- Grierson, Sir GA, 1903, Linguistic Survey of India, Vol-III, Part-II, Tibeto-Burman Family, Bodo Group, TIPURA, p. 109, 118.
- Devy, G.N., and Debbarma, Sukhendu, eds., 2016, People’s Linguistic Survey of India, ‘The Languages of Tripura’, Vol. 28, Part II, p.129, Orient Blackswan Private Limited, Hyderabad, Telangana.
- Phayere, Sir A, 1841, An Account of Arakan, Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol.X, p.11, p.711.
- Lewin, T.H, 1869, The Hill Tracts of Chittagong and The Dwellers therein, p.43.
- Hunter, W.W, 1874-75, Statistical Account of Bengal, p. 489-490.
- Anderson, Dr. J.D, 1885, A Short List of Words of the Hill Tipperah Language, With Their English Equivalents, Printed at Assam Secretariat Press, Shillong.
- Census Report 1310 Tripura (1901 AD), Directorate of Tribal Research & Cultural Institute, Government of Tripura, Agartala.
- Devvarma, Shri Samarendra Chandra, 1927, Tripurar Smriti.
- Devvarma, Shri Somendra Chandra, 1999, 1340 Tring Soner Tripura Rajyer Census Biboroni, p.136, TR&CI, Government of Tripura, Agartala.
- Tripura, Khushi Krishna, 1936, Tripura Kha-Kachangma Khumbar Boi, B.L Press, Aartala.
- Tripura, Dharinjoy, Prasangik Tripura Bhasay Sahitya Magazine, Khapangni Khorang, Edited by Borendralal Tripura & Apul Tripura, 19 January 2021, Kokborok Kokrabai Songsod, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
- Tripura Writers’ Forumer Sabha, Dainik Sambad, 24 February 2022, Agartala
- Tripura Kokni Bamkraini Bagoi Tini Tripura Writers’ Forumni Poila Kokmalama Pana, Kokmalama, 20 February 2022, Khumulwng, Tripura.
- Tripura Bhashake Kokboroker upobhasha Hisebe Opoprocharer Tibro Protibad, Tripura Darpan, 23 February 2022, Agartala, Tripura.