Bonda language explained

Bonda
Also Known As:Remo
Nativename:ବଣ୍ଡା
Region:India
Ethnicity:Bonda
Speakers:9,000
Date:2002
Ref:e18
Familycolor:Austroasiatic
Fam2:Munda
Fam3:South
Fam4:Gutob-Remo
Script:Odia
Iso3:bfw
Glotto:bond1245
Glottorefname:Bondo

The Bonda language, also known as Bondo or Remo, is a south Munda language of the Austroasiatic language family spoken in Odisha, formerly known as Southern Odisha, in India. It had 2,568 speakers, all in Odisha, according to the 1951 Census of India,[1] increasing to approximately 9,000 speakers in 2002 according to SIL.[2]

Classification

The Bonda language is an indigenous language belonging to the Southern subgroup of the Munda branch of the Austroasiatic language family. Bonda is a spoken language with no traditional written system recorded. Bonda is a part of the Gutob-Remo branch, due to the similarities Bonda shares with another Southern Munda Language named Gutob.[3]

History

The Bonda language derives its name from the tribe of the Bonda people, an indigenous group located in Odisha known as the Bonda Highlanders. In their native language, the Bonda people regard themselves as "Remo", which translates to human, and derive their language name from that root, calling their language as the human language or "Remosam" in their native tongue[4]

Geographic distribution

The language differs slightly, classified according to whether it can be categorized as Plains Remo (Bonda) or Hill Remo (Bonda).

Plains Remo

This is a subdivision of Bonda, localized in 35 villages throughout the Khairpat within the Malkangiri district in Odisha. In 1941, 2,565 people categorized the Plains Remo. That number nearly doubled in 1971, with 4,764 people classifying themselves as Plains Remo. The increase in population was not correlated with language extension. There are 3,500 speakers as of 2002, but few are monolingual.

Hills Remo

This is a subdivision of Bonda, localized in the Jeypore Hills region of Odisha. There are 5,570 speakers as of 2002.

Phonology

Stress

In Bonda, primary stress is placed on the last syllable in a word, syllables with diphthongs, glottal stops, or checked consonants.[5] However, Plains Remo primarily stresses the second syllable in a word. Bonda words can have a maximum of 5 syllables.

Diphthongs

Diphthongs are placed either in the beginning or middle of a word, usually used in combination of two different vowel types.

BondaTranslation
leantongue
boisage
guidagto wash
otoinot to be
dausmall

Consonants

There are 33 consonants in the Bonda language.

!Bilabial!Alveolar!Retroflex!Palatal!Velar!Glottal
Stopvoicelesspronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/ʔ
voiceless aspiratedpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
voicedpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
voiced aspiratedpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Fricativevoicelesspronounced as /link/pronounced as /ink/
voiced(pronounced as /link/)
Nasalpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Approximantpronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/pronounced as /link/
Trillpronounced as /link/
/z/ only occurs in loanwords from Odia.

Vowels

Bonda has 5 vowel phonemes: /a, e, i, o, u/.[6]

In Bonda, vowels are nasalized and clusters are commonplace.

Grammar

Syntax

Bonda follows the SOV (Subject + Object + Verb) sequence, but other word orders are possible.

Gender

Age and gender serve as classification denominations for individuals. Female names end in /-i/ and male names end in /-a/. Animals are also distinguished by gender.

Compound verb

The compound verb is not frequently used in Bonda and can be used as a conjunctive participle.[7]

Vocabulary

Kinship terminology

In Kinship terms, the velar nasal, ŋ, is often used. Various kinship terms also represent multiple positions.[8]

BondaEnglish Gloss
baʔFather
iyɔŋMother
remɔMan
mpɔrHusband
kunuiWife
bɔraiAunt
busãUncle
tataGrandfather
ya/iyaFather's Mother/Mother's Mother
maŋEldest brother
miŋElder sister
ileʔǐGrandchild
masɔNephew

External links

Notes and References

  1. N. Gopalakrishnan, Linguistic Survey of India, p. 271
  2. News: Bondo. Ethnologue. 2017-05-04.
  3. Book: Anderson, Gregory. The Munda Languages. Routledge. 2008. 9780415328906. New York. 557–631.
  4. Book: Dash, Jagannatha. Tribal and Indigenous People of India: Problems and Prospects. Pati. Rabindra. APH Publishing Corporation. 2002. 978-8176483223. New Delhi. 136–144.
  5. Swain. Rajashree. 1998. A Grammar of Bonda Language. 42930587. Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute. 58/59. 391–396.
  6. DeArmond. Richard. 1976. Proto-Gutob-Remo-Gtaq Stressed Monosyllabic Vowels and Initial Consonants. 20019157. Oceanic Linguistics Special Publications. 13. 13. 213–217.
  7. Hook. Peter. 1991. The Compound Verb in Munda: An Areal and Typological Overview. Language Sciences. 13. 2. 181–195. 10.1016/0388-0001(91)90013-Q. 2027.42/29571. free.
  8. Bhattacharya. Sudhibhushan. 1970. Kinship Terms in the Munda Language. Anthropos. 65. 3/4. 444–465. 40457389.