[Assam] Longest Assamese dictionary in the making

[Pradip Kumar Datta]

Longest Assamese dictionary  in the making
>From A  Correspondent
 JORHAT, July 8 – A new Assamese dictionary – the ‘longest in  the language produced so far’ – will be available to users and learners if the  grand project sees the light of the day. A team of lexicographers has been  working with a feverish pitch at the Jorhat-based office of the Asom Jatiya  Prakash, a publication house, with the avowed purpose to compile the most  comprehensive, unilingual and encyclopaedic dictionary in the Assamese language.  

The lexicon, with a mammoth stock of more than one lakh entries, is  aimed at fulfilling the needs of users in the 21st century. The first edition of  the dictionary is slated to come out on January 1, 2010. It may run into two  volumes to cut down on the size. 

The brainchild of a galaxy of noted  intellectuals, the concept of the Asomiya Jatiya Abhidhan was first developed at  a workshop held here under the aegis of the Asom Jatiya Siksha Samanway Parishad  on July 7, 2002. Those who presented the guidelines as to how the proposed work  should be like included Dr Dilip Kumar Dutta, Dr Kabindra Nath Phukan, Dr Madan  Mohan Sharma, Dr Bhimkanta Barua, Dr Benu Gogoi and Dr Devabrata Sharma, who is  now working as the chief editor of the Asomiya Jatiya Abhidhan.

“We shall  borrow generously from all sources to prepare the lexicon which will not leave  out any major sub-languages spoken and written in the State,” Dr Sharma said. He  pointed out that the words spoken in certain areas like Kamrup, Goalpara,  Darrang and Nagaon and by specific groups like tea tribes and those residing in  the char areas, which do not find mention in the conventional Assamese  dictionaries, would be entered in the Asomiya Jatiya Abhidhan. 

In  addition to this, words originating from Arabic, Persian and Urdu languages as  well as those derived from different religions and forms of art and culture will  make up the dictionary. “We shall leave no stone unturned to chronicle the  progress of the Assamese language during the last 1,000 years,” Dr Sharma, who  is the Head of the Department of English of Jorhat College, stressed. He claimed  that the Asomiya Jatiya Abhidhan would list all words prevalent during the times  of Madhav Kandali, Ram Saraswati and Sankaradeva and those with their etymology  traced to the ethnic languages spoken in the north-eastern region and outside.  

Words forming part of slang and other common lingo, too, will be  adequately defined in the dictionary. To suit the needs of the techno-savvy  user, names of all modern gadgets of communication, the terms of Information  Technology and various streams of science and technology will be incorporated  into the Asomiya Jatiya Abhidhan, the English teacher pointed out. In fact,  noted scientist Dr Dinesh Chandra Goswami is contributing 12,000 entries  relating to the latest terminology in science and technology to the dictionary,  he added. In a word, nothing that has passed into common usage in the Assamese  language will be left out, Dr Sharma quipped. 

Assamese once served as  the major link language for all peoples in the North-east. The Asomiya Jatiya  Abhidhan will hopefully lay the foundation of a greater and generous Assamese  society and reinforce the position of Assamese as the principal language, which  is now sadly spoken by only one-third of the population in the State itself, Dr  Sharma maintained. 

The chief editor of the Asomiya Jatiya Abhidhan said  that a sum of Rs 12 lakh will be spent till the preparation of the manuscript.
       
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