Manbhumi dialect

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Manbhumi (Bengali: মানভূমী, romanized: Mānbhūmī, pronounced [man.bhu.mi]) or Manbhumi Bengali (Bengali: মানভূমী বাংলা) is the local Bengali dialect spoken in the district of Purulia, and adjacent area of other districts of West Bengal and Jharkhand, previously Manbhum, in Eastern India. It is one of the Bengali dialects, having some influences of neighbouring dialects of Hindi and Odia in it.

Manbhumi has a rich tradition of folk songs sung in various occasions. Tusu songs are sung by village girls during a month-long observance of Tusu festival in villages of Purulia and some parts of Barddhaman, Bankura and Birbhum districts of West Bengal and parts of East Singhbhum, Saraikela Kharsawan, Bokaro, Dhanbad and Ranchi districts of Jharkhand. Bhadu songs, Karam songs, Baul songs and Jhumar songs are also composed in Manbhumi. Manbhumi songs are used by Chhau performers of Purulia School to depict various mythological events. Chhau is one of the distinguished dance forms of this geographical region which has been accorded the status of Intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2009.^[1]

Regional variation[edit]

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This Bengali dialect is spoken in the Manbhum area and has its extended regional variants or subdialects throughout southern border area of Medinipur division of West Bengal, south eastern border of Kolhan division of Jharkhand.^[2]

Ranchi: æk loker du beţa rahe. (M)

Manbhum: æk loker duţa beţa chhilô. (M)

Pashchim Bardhaman district: kono loker duiţi chhele chhilo. (M)

Dhalbhum/East Singhbhum: ek loker duţa chha chhilo. (M)

Baharagora/Gopiballavpur: gotae noker duţa po thailaa. (M)

East Medinipur: gote loker duiţa toka thila. (M) (similar to Baleswari Odia) (Thila and toka are used in Odia)

Ranchi: tumharman kahan jaatraho? (M)

Manbhum: tumhra kuthay jachho? (M)

Pashchim Bardhaman district: tumra kuthay jachchho? (M)

Dhalbhum/East Singhbhum: tumhra kaai jachho? (M)

Baharagora/Gopiballavpur: tumarkar kaai jaoţo ? (M)

East Medinipur: tumra kaai jachho? (M)

Ranchi: Chhaua ţa bes padhatrahe (M)

Manbhum: Chhana ţa bhalo padhchhe (M)

Pashchim Bardhaman district: Chhana ţa bhalo padhchhe (M)

Dhalbhum/East Singhbhum: Chha ţa bhalo padhchhe? (M)

Baharagora/Gopiballavpur: Chha ţa bhala padheţe? (M)

East Medinipur: pila ţa bhala padhţe? (M) (similar to Baleswari Odia) (Pila is used for children and kids in Odia)

There are two tribal languages, Kharia Thar and Mal Paharia, mainly spoken in Manbhum region of Bengal and Jharkhand by some small tribes, are closely related to Western Bengali dialects, but are typically classified as separate languages.

References[edit]

Sources[edit]

• Chowdhury, Tarapada (1952). "Some phonetic peculiarities of the Bengali dialect of Manbhumi". Journal of the Asia Asiatic Society. XVII (2): 65–72. Archived from the original on 18 January 2017.
• Grierson, G.A. (1903). Linguistic survey of India, Vol – V. Indo-Aryan family, Eastern group, Pt – I, Specimens of the Bengali and Assamese languages. Calcutta: Office of the superintendent, Government printing, India. Archived from the original on 19 May 2004.