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INTRODUCTION
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| Kokborok, spoken in Tripura belongs
to the Bodo sub-group of the Tibeto Burman family. It is spoken
by 2,68,948 (1971 consus provisional figures) people and has
thirteen different dialects among which Debbarma, Riang, Halam
and Tipra (also known as Noatia) are the numerically largee
groups. Debbarma dialect is spoken by the members of the royal
family and has been the medium of communication with the rest
of the Tripuri public for a long time. Debbarma dialect is understood
by all the dialect groups but is vice versa not true.
Hence Debbarma dialect is considered as the standard dialect
of Kokborok and is taken for analysis. Debbarma dialect itself
has variation depending on the different areass it is spoken.
The variety spoken in the Agartala town by the elderly members
of the families does not have distinction between back rounded
vowel/u/ and back unrounded vowel /ยต/. /u/occurs in the place
of /i/ in the southern villages as in /hin/ `say" for /hun/
and /ri/ `give' for /ru/. |
| Kokborok shows all the characteristic
features of the Bodo sub-group. The nouns do not have the distinction
of gender normally. The gender of the noun is specified only occasionally.
The adjective follows the noun and so is the numeral. The numeral
is always accompanied by classifier, which classifies the nouns into
classes on the basis of their physical features. Verb
are mainly monosyllabic. But the bound adverbs are added to them and
they make the verbs long and complete. The tense marker is always
added at the end of the verb. |
The data for the present analysis were collected during the
field work done in 1970 and were verified and augmented during
the field work in 1973. The main informants were Mr. Nophuray
Debbaram and Hiruprabha Devi Debbarama who speak the Debbarma
dialect and are middle aged. The data were also checked with
some students of the Tulaspati Girl’s School
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| This grammar has four chapters,viz.,
Phonology, Morpho-phonemics, Morphology and Syntax followed by sample
texts. The description of syntax is minimal giving the components
of a surface sentence and their linear order. The grammar itself is
an outline rather than an exhaustive treatment of Kokborok and is
primarily meant for the teachers and the teachers and the students
of this language. |
| The map is based on the textbook
Samajer Katha (Pradtham Bhag), 2nd Edition, 1971, approved
by the Director of Education, Government of Tripura. |
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