[Assam] Fwd: UNITED ACCEPTANCE OF THE WORD "ASOM"

[Rajen Barua]

Dear Phukan:
Why we will change the beautiful name ASSAM to accept something closest which does not pronounce our word with ASOM? Wherefrom the word ASOM came from? Why one vowel is A and the other is O?
Second thing why we should care if a large section of non-Asomese laymen would only end up pronouncing it as OX.  It is like the words Mexico which they pronounce Mehico in Spanish. Let others pronounce OXOM as OkSOM. That will not be worse than saying it USOM as they will say with ASOM.
In this country we have Spanish place name San Jose (pronounced San Hoje). Now do you suggest they change the spelling to San Hoje because the English speakers will have a hard time saying it? In fact everybody in this pronounce San Jose correctly as San Hoje.
Once we name it OXOM, outside Indians will very soon understand that we Assamese have a name which is not OkSOM but OXOM.
Or otherwise, why don't you keep ASSAM, and request all people to pronounce SS as Assamese kh.  That way you don't have to change the name at all. You will say they will pronounce the SS as S. And that is exactly they will do with ASOM.  So what is the problem in keeping ASSAM?  Are you suggesting, we change the spelling of the word ASSAM to ASOM by spending crores of Rupees and it will not change anything at all. Now people are calling ASAM, with ASOM, they will say USOM. Why/ Have we lost all our thinking powers?

Another point, have we Assamese ever thought why INDIA is not changing its name to HINDUSTHAN.? INDIA is a English word or a foreign word.

My suggestion, don't bend backwards like a little brother to satisfy the non Assamese. Be a proud Assamese and stand up courageously and either keep ASSAM or change it to OXOM. With OXOM, we have the IPA sanction, and we will be able to tell others that we have the X sound. You better learn to pronounce it when you come to OXOM. With ASAOM, we have the 'bhusung-pohu'.
Rajen Barua 
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Webmaster 
  To: assam at assamnet.org ; phukan_simanta at yahoo.co.in 
  Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2006 1:05 PM
  Subject: [Assam] Fwd: UNITED ACCEPTANCE OF THE WORD "ASOM"




  ---------- Forwarded message ----------
  From: Simanta Phukan <phukan_simanta at yahoo.co.in>
  Date: Mar 6, 2006 9:31 AM 
  Subject: UNITED  ACCEPTANCE  OF  THE  WORD  "ASOM"
  To: webmaster at assam.org





                         Let us accept the closest "ASOM"


                This is in reference to the controversy regarding the change of the State Name from "Assam" to "Asom".  A few persons have rightly pointed out that, according to the IPA (International Phonetic Association), symbol of the 'velar fricative' sound as found in Assamese and other languages is the Roman letter 'X'. As such, he has suggested that in keeping with the IPA, this sound should be represented by the letter 'X'. Thereby, the word ought to be "OXOM". But, a large section of non-Asomese laymen would only end up pronouncing it as "OX", thereby making a mockery of the word. So, the transition would be from "ASS" to "OX". 
                              It is a well-known fact that none of the words, be it Assam, Asam, Axam, Axom, Osom, Oxom or even Asom can solve the propblem satisfactorily. But, when we delve deeply and spell ourselves, one shall find the word "Asom" to be at least closer to the desired one. In the event of the inability of the Roman alphabet and gross misinterpretation of the English tongue, we have to opt for the letter "S". So what if  "Asom" is not the exact equal of our mode of pronounciation, we the natives of the State as well as the people who know to speak Asomese/ Asomiya would continue to spell the "S" in our fashion. Afterall, we have our desired alphabet in our script thereby making it one of the most unique in the world. Since there is no other equivalent, let us accept the nearest resembling word "ASOM" (though it is not the exact replica of our pronounciation). 

        
                                                                                       Yours truly ---------
                                                                                         Simanta Phukan,
                                                                                         Guwahati - 781009








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