[Assam] Asom or Oxom, phonetically speaking

[Ram Sarangapani]

Hi Barua,

I am glad the Statesman publised your article. It is quite informative and
one can lear a lot. But reading the papers and letters to the editor, one
gets the inpression, ASOM is here to stay and the GOA is backing it up.

While browsing, I did come across several references to Assamese as
derivative of Sanskrit (you of course do not agree with this). Some of the
sources refered to Bani Kanta Kakati, Hemkox etc.
I can send you some of these if I come across them. I don't know how
authentic they are.
BTW: Here is a link that may interest you and others regarding the "*voiceless
velar fricative* "
The link is very interesting and refers to Assamese also. Interestingly, it
seems the English language sometimes also uses the voiceless velar
fricative.
Here is the link.
http://www.answers.com/topic/voiceless-velar-fricative

Hope it is useful to you.

--Ram



On 3/7/06, Rajen Barua <barua25 at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>  Thanks.
> The Statesman, Kolkata has already published it. A friend from Kolkata
> sent it to me.
> We will have to keep on fighting.
> "Amar Oxom"  Editor Dr Nagen Saikia, Ex Oxom Xahityo Xobha President, is
> preparing to publish my article in Assamese and contunue the debate.
> I think this is an issue for Assamese lifeline.
> Many have not seen it as such yet.
> Let us see.
> Thanks for your support.
>  Rajen
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net>
> *To:* Rajen Barua <barua25 at hotmail.com> ; assam at assamnet.org
> *Cc:* rajen.barua at gmail.com
> *Sent:* Tuesday, March 07, 2006 9:04 AM
> *Subject:* Re: [Assam] Asom or Oxom, phonetically speaking
>
>
> Good  note Rajen. Hope they publish it.
>
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> At 8:33 AM -0600 3/7/06, Rajen Barua wrote:
>
> *Letters to the editor*
>
> *THE STATESMAN, KOLKATA 4 March 2006*
>
> *Asom or Oxom, phonetically speaking
> *
> Sir, — I am writing this letter with reference to a decision by the Assam
> government to change the name of the state to Asom. This is a wrong decision
> for certain reasons. Asom is a Sanskritised spelling and not an Assamese
> spelling. The proper Assamese spelling in the Roman script should be Oxom.
> The Assamese gutteral kh sound is a well-recognised velar fricative, and is
> also found among other languages including Greek and Russian. The
> International Phonetic Association has designated the Greek letter, 'X', for
> this Assamese sound. This sound is not represented by the letter, 'S', as
> written in the word Asom. As such it is 'X' and not 'S' that should be used.
> Again, the first letter should be 'O' and not 'A'.
> The letter 'A' is used in Sanskrit and Hindi where they have two 'A's. In
> Assamese we have only one 'A'. The correct vowel for the Assamese
> pronunciation should be 'O'. The Assam government by taking a decision to
> use the Sanskritised form of spelling — Asom instead of Oxom — is trying to
> kill the proper Assamese ethnic sound 'XO'. This will be a great letdown for
> the entire Assamese people, and we request the Assam government not to
> meddle with the Assamese language. If it has to change the name, it should
> adopt the correct spelling, i.e. Oxom.
> — Yours, etc., Rajen Barua,
> Katy (Texas), USA, 4 March.
>
>
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