Discourses From the East
This article, written in Karbi, traces the history of Karbi Language emphasising the trajectory of its written form.
The Karbis belong to the Tibeto-Burman ethnic and linguistic group. The Karbi language and literature developed through the hard work of many different people. The written form of the Karbi language began after the Mikir Hills came under British occupation in 1838, when the American Baptist Missionary started writing books in Karbi to propagate Christianity. William Robins wrote the first book on Karbis. In 1841, he published a book called “Account of the Mikirs”. “Dhorom Arnam Aphrang Ikethan: First Catechism in Mikir,” published from Sibsagar in 1875, is the first book written in Karbi. Thereafter, some more Karbi books were published during the British period. Bonglong Terang was the first person to write and publish books in Karbi on his own efforts. He had written at least seven books in Assamese script. The first Karbi newspaper, “BIRTA,” was published monthly by the American Baptist Missionary in 1937. In later times, new Karbi writers emerged.
Karbi alam keplang lapen kachingthur aphuthak penang’an thek-reset atum kangsir kangchap asai klem lo. Labangso alam ase arno, a’teot langsi penang’an atum ke labangso Karbi alam aphan ‘Austric-Mongloid’ aro pusi kapangthek. Seta aphithu kangsir kangchap abangphu atum ke ‘Tibeto-Burman’ aro pusi pangthek lo. Karbi alam arno, ase tengnang, teot ingsir si labangso alam ke patini lo. Lasi non ilitum Karbi ke “Tibeto-Bauman” alam pusi chinipon long lo. Labangso alam kaningje armu aphai non-an lac sirkep do pusi 2011 aningkan a’census along klang lo. Inglong ahavar along mate Karbi Anglong, West Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao along lac pho anbak a Karbi do lapen angtan lake Nagaon, Sonitpur, Kamrup, Morigaon, Hojai, Cachar anpar ta ahoi adui alongri Nagaland, Meghalaya, Arunachal heihui along kedo Karbi armu aphai pangrumpet lac phli sose Karbi armu do. Abang pen ke Bangladesh along ta Karbi do pusi paklang lo. Thoi inglong kaboche labangso akhei henlo Assam alongri abarimnai akhei lo pusi anthropologist atum ta patini lo. Nongnam kachethethang Bishnu Prasad Rabha ta labangso akhei aphansi Assam alongri along kevangcheng pusi tok lo. Labangso akhei a’ot lapen asiri ingsamjin. huri-bohong ninghanghe. Laso akhei kaningje alam henlo Karbi lo. Alanglitum thengpi-thengso, langroi-langjeng aphan si karkli-kaphejo keproi lapen kachiki. Kaikimi ahut penang’an atum Christian, Lokhimon, Arlongchuhu, ISCON pu heihui aron kirimdun pen kai chepadam aphai ta dolo. Inglong kaboche Karbi arat ke inglong arit si klemlo. Hadak hen, phurui, thengthe, nempo, soksu, phelo, bonghom, thoithe, hanso, tharmit, laha lapen ason ason ahan tiki si alanglitum kenangsot kereng amung chepalong lo. Thoi along kedo a Karbi atum nonke hidi longle dorep lo. Laso ahidi longle along kaprek akhei ason hai-kebai pen sok katiki asai keklem chihung rinti lo.
1826 aningkan Yandaboo along Man lapen British angbong lamdon dokok aphi Khasi-Jaintia anglong 1832 aningkan, Mikir Hills 1838 aningkan, N.C Hills 1838 aningkan, Lushai Hills 1840 aningkan lapen Naga Hills 1866 aningkan British arideng damjui lo. British parideng’de aphrang Karbi alam ke kachethan alam andeng si dolang. Karbi longri British arideng damjui aphi British kachari aron pen kapangni lapen American Baptist Missionary atum kabor’i ajok Karbi hamphang along ta lo’charli avarmon nanglut lo. Halaputhu American Baptist Missionary atum Christian a’nem pachethangji aphan lapen British chari aron Karbi ahavar anta pangkang ponji aphan kapangni pon School heihui si Karbi hamphang angbong ta lo’charli kenangsot alam pachethang lo. Labangso British chari lapen American Baptist Missionary atum si Karbi alam kangsir kangchap asai pangcheng lo.
William Robins 1841 aningkan ingchap si ‘Account of the Mikirs’ paklang lo. Labangso alothui henlo Karbi aphuthak keklangcheng alothui lo. Labangso aphi 1844 aningkan ‘Political Agent of Upper Assam’ arpu kedeng John Butler pu arengkelok asaiphu ningkan-hini kaprek kaprek kheiso atum kaningje alam tarlipbom ahutsi Karbi alam aphuthak ta kelang pangcheng lo. 1846 aningkan alangli si ‘Travel and Adventure in the North-Eastern Province ‘ pu alothui along Karbi akhei aphuthak dinglen penang’an alam tok lo. Miles Bronson lethot ta Karbi atum kaningje alam aphuthak tarlip si 1856 aningkan ‘Mikir-English Vocabulary’ pu Karbi lamtasam paklang lo. 1872 aningkan kapaklang Colonel E.T. Delton sahab ketok ‘Descriptive Ethnology of Bengal’ alothui along ‘The Mikirs’ pu aphar ingthun dunsi Karbi aron-ajutang pirthe ahongjai along paklang lo.
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1875 aningkan Christian Missionary atum chepaduk ajok epak nem kapachethang alo ‘Dhorom Arnam Aphrang Ikethan’ paklang lo. Labangso henlo Karbi alam ketok pen keklangcheng akitap lo. Roman adak pensi labangso akitap tok lo.1875 aningkan lethot Kolkata pen R.E.A. Neihbor ta adunthu Karbi alo ‘A Vocabulary in English and Mikir with Sentence Illustrating the Use of Words’ paklang lo. 1898 aningkan Reverend P. E. Moore, Sir J. M. Carvell lapen Reverend W. R. Hutton atum chelang si aphar bihek klimsomar kacharli alo ‘Plipli’ lapen ‘Kalakha’ tok si paklang lo. Ningkan-pho sose locharli asaihem along than’idet aphi Ru Semsonsing Engti lapen Basapi Engti Katharpi atum cherap si ‘Osomar Akitap (Mikir First Reader) lapen anparta Basapi Engti Katharpi, Ruth Thengkur sing Engti patirpi si ‘Osomar Kalakha Akitap’ (Karbi Arithmatic for Classes A & B) paklang lo. Labangso akitap keklang aningkan toktedet ajok kapangthek sungkrung lo. 1935 aningkan Ruth Thengkur sing Engti lapen Semsonsing Engti atum ‘Bituso Akitap’ (Mikir Second Primer) pu kaprek epak akitap paklang thulo. La athak kepaklangpon pakthom charli alo ke halabangso ahut Inspector of Schools, Sharat Chandra Goswaiy si ingchap lo lapen paklang lo.
Charles Lyal ketok ‘The Mikirs’ alo along halabangso ahut keklangtang Karbi alo amen pusonsi do-
The following is a list of all the publications in the Mikir language which have come under the notice of the writer. They are all due to missionaries.
1. ‘Dharom Arnam Aphrang Ikithan’: First Catechism, in Mikir (Assamese character), pp. 13 Anon. Sibsagar, 1875.
2. ‘Arleng Alam: a Mikir Primer’, by Miss E. Pursell, 1891
3. ‘Arleng Alam’: (Plipli-Akitap). A Mikir Primer. Anon. Published by the American Baptist Mission, Tika, Nowgong, Assam, 1903.
4. ‘Arleng Alam’: Angbong akitap. Mikir Reader, second book, by the Rv. JM Carvell and Thengkur Pandit. Published by the Government of Assam, Shillong, 1904.
5. ‘Arleng kalakha akitap’: Mikir Primary Arithmetic, by the Rev. P.E Moore and Rv. J.M. Carvell. Published by the Assam Secretariat Press, Shillong, 1904.
6. ‘Birta Keme’: “Gland Tiding”, in Mikir, by Mosendra Pandit and Missionaries to the Mikirs. Published by the American Baptist Missionary Union, Tika Assam, 1904 A Summary of Gospel History and Teaching.
Salajong kabor’i pen Karbi akitap ketok patirpicheng abangphu lake Bonglong Terang henlo. Alangli 1935 aninkan asomiya adak pen kitap toksi paklang pangcheng lo. Alangli ketok alo lake- Adam Asar, Rukasen, Ser Hongthom, Ha-imu, Ronglin, Karhi Karje, Aron Ateng lapen Karbi Chorongdo puheihui henlo.
Baptist Missionary atum patirpi pen 1937 aningkan chiklo ajonvang keklang Karbi birta alo ‘BIRTA’ paklang lo.
Labangso Karbi lammet kachingthur a’mosera mate phurkimo angthun kaikimi ahut penang’an a’tokbang, hirbang atum arjapdun si pithir lo. Longkam Teron, Rongbong Terang, Samsing Hanse, Dr. Phukon Chandra Phangcho pen danglok penang’an a’tokbang atum kabor’i ajok Karbi a’lammet nang’ingcho lo.
