[Assam] New Assamese dictionary set to come out on Jan 1 (The Assam Tribune, 30.12.2009)

[Buljit Buragohain]

New Assamese dictionary set to come out on Jan 1

KISHORE KR SAIKIA
 KHUMTAI,
Dec 29 – Last-minute preparations are on for a new Assamese dictionary
which hopes to break new ground in terms of comprehensivityly,
exclusiveness, encyclopedic character, size and shape in comparison to
its predecessors. In the Akhora Griha at Malou Ali, Jorhat,
preparations are on in a full-swing where at least 35 people are
working day in and day out to meet the target of January 1, 2010, the
date that has been fixed for publishing Asomiya Jatiya Abhidhan.

The
plan and programme for the comprehensive dictionary was conceived in
mid - 1998 and it was publicly announced for the first time in January
1, 2000. A seminar was held in this regard on July 7, 2002 at JB
College, Jorhat. In the editorial board are Dr Madan Sarmah, HoD,
Department of English and Foreign Languages, Tezpur University is the
president and Dr Debabrat Sarmah, HoD, English Department, Jorhat
College the chief editor. Some other personalities behind this
pioneering effort are Dr Dinesh Ch Goswami, Dr Kobin Phukon, Dr
Phanindra Narayan Duttabaruah, Dr Dilip Kr Dutta (USA), Rajen Borua
(USA), Dr Kulendu Pathak, Dr Bhimkanta Boruah, Taburam Taid, Jibeswar
Mohan, Dr Upen Rabha Hakasam, Kasema Khatum, Jogananda Bora, Dr
Jamadagni Upadhya, Dr Prabitra Pran Goswami etc. USA-based IT Engineer
duo Indrakanta Dutta and Rajib Datta, after their one and a half year
rigorous labour, developed a software for thisdictionary and website www.assamesedictionary.org.

The
history of the Assamese dictionary is neither too rich nor too
unsatisfactory. According to an ‘Asom Jatiya Prakash’ source, the
publication committee of the present ‘Asomiya Jatiya Abhidhan’ the
foremost Assamese lexicon was ‘Bor Amla aru Lati Amla, an
Assamese-Taidictionary compiled by Tengai Mahan Pandit and Romai Baruah
in the year 1795. A Sanskrit-Assamese Abhidhan was compiled and
published by Rusinath Kamrupi (Burhagoain) in 1810. (Both those
lexicons would be re-published on January 1, 2010 by the Asom Jatiya
Prakash. Jaduram Dekabaruah published ‘Asomiya-Bongala Abhidhain’ in
1839. ‘Gramatical Notices of the Assamese Language’ was compiled and
published in 1848 by Rev. Nathan Brown (1807-86) in the dark days of
Assamese language and literature. Brief Vocabulary in English and
Assamese with Rudimentary Exercises, Engrajee aru Asomiya bakyowali’ by
Mrs SR ward andpublished by the American Baptist Mission Press in 1864.
This was a revision work of Mrs. Harriet BL Cutter in 1841 who engaged
herself in propagating Christianism in Assam. This work with great
linguistic as well as historical value was alsopublished by Ashom
Jatiya Prakash in 2008. An attempt had been made by Anandaram Dhekial
Phukon (1829-59) to compile two dictionaries namely ‘Engraji-Asomiya’
and ‘Asomiya Engrajee Abhidhhan as informed from a writing in
‘Orunodai’ by AH Denforth in 1852. But the result of this enterprise is
not known. Another Christian missionary Rev Miles Bronson
(1812-83)published Asomiya Abhidhan (A dictionary in Assamese and
English) in 1867 containing 14000 words based on the language commonly
uses by rustics with their colloqunial pronunciation. This piece was
regarded as the lone authoritative Anglo-Assamesedictionary from 1867
to 1900.

Henchandra
Borua compiled Hemkosh, collecting 8000 words on his own and a total of
22,346 words that was published in 1900, which has been occupying an
exclusive seat in the Assamese literature for more than a century.
However, Borua, unlike Bronson, emphasised on Sangskritised (Tatsom)
words. With a donation of Radhakanta Handique, Asam Sahitya Sabha
compiled, edited andpublished ‘Chandrakanta Abhidhan’ in 1933 including
36,819 words. Later, Chandrakanta was enlarged in 1962 and 1988
respectively. Adhurik Ashomiya Sabdakosh by Sumanta Chaliha was
firstpublished in 1991 based on current uses of Assamese words. Some
another Assamese lexicons are Asomiya Abhidhan by Giridhar Sarmah,
‘Byabaharik Asomiya Sabdakosh’ by Dr Satyendranath Sarmah and Narendra
Nath Sarmah, ‘Adhunik Asomiya Abhidhan’ by Assam Publication-Board,
‘Asomiya Byaganik Paribhasa and Asomiya Akhorjotanipublished by Gauhati
University.

However,
the above mentioned Assamese dictionaries have neither fully covered
all categories of Assamese words, nor showed due respect to the
co-linguistic branches of Assamese vocabulary. The Asomiya Jatiya
Abhidhan waiting for publication in the first day of the year 2010,
includes about 30,000 Kamrupi, 15,000 Goalporia, thousands of Darangi
words, Tribal words which have come into Assamese, like Mising, Bodo,
Deuri, Naga, Sonowal and Thengal Kachari, Rajbongsi, Nepali etc., words
belong to the dialects prevalent in char areas, the tea tribe
community, Naga and Arunachali terms used in novels have been included
words available in ancient literature like Puranas, Bhagawalas,
Ramayana and Mahabharata; Arabi, Persian and Urdu words uses in
Assamese, words found in folksongs, borgeets, Zikirs, Tautramartras,
Bhaona and Oja palis also included in the present dictionary.
Therefore, unlike formerly published Assamese dictionaries in whose
pages we have frequently to come across Sanskritised words, Jatiya
Abhidhan lays emphasise on non-Aryan origin and tribal vocabulary.

Asom
Jatiya Abhidhan is fully-loaded with about 2 lakh words and is divided
into 4 volumes. The first volume of this Abhidhan will start from
Assamese vowel ‘Ao’ and end at Assamese consonant ‘Ka’. Other volumes
would bepublished shortly. 

(The Assam Tribune,30.12.2009)



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