A rudimentary question: Does the ULFA write it as Oxom or Assam or Asom? Should be ULFO going by the discussion here!
--- Barua25 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Re: [Assam] Book on life, ideals of Sankaradeva > released(>*** About the 'Sankaradeva' spelling for > example, could it have been that when the first > British colonial masters >transliterated the name, > were also people who were Xongskrit learners, and > could not separate the Assamese from its Sanskrit > connections? Thus they chose to Sanskritize an > Assamese name, when they transliterated them in > English. > > Chandan: > You donot know what truth you are speaking. As a > matter of fact, the British Missionaries tried to > write the English transliteration as well as the > Assamese spelling the way the Assamese spoke the > language. But since 'Yandabu Xondhi', with the > opening of the pan-Indian flood-gate to Assam, the > Assamese were so much overwhelmed under Pan Indian > Sanskrit influence, that the Assamese of those days > were completely baffled and confused about the > unique position and originality of the of the > Assamese language. Many learned Assamese in fact > thought that Assamese was a direct descendent of > Sanskrit and it should better conform to Sanskrit. > (Read Kaliram Medhi and Dimbeswar Neog to know that > it is not). With this thought in mind, many learned > Assamese fought against the Baptist missionaries and > were able to bend the Assamese language too much > towards Sanskrit standard. > > On this important battle within the Assamese > language, please read the following summary excerpts > from an article by Dr Maheswar Neog which appeared > as the Introduction to a print of the dictionary > "Hemkwx". > > "The Baptist Mission in Sibsagar published the > monthly magazine 'Orundoi' in 1846. It wanted the > written form of words strictly to 'correspond with > the actual pronunciation of the people.' The biggest > advocate of this system was Rev. Nathan Brown, who > argued in its favor in the journal against criticism > of Assamese writers like Hemchandra Barua. In > "Grammatical Notices of the Assamese Language", > (1848) Brown upheld the same principal. Then in 1867 > Miles Bronson published the first Assamese > "Dictionary in Assamese and English". from the > Baptist Mission at Sibsagar. " Bronson's system of > orthography in his dictionary was framed and > dictated by the Baptist' monthly journal 'Orundoi'. > However, Hemchandra Barua, who was presented by > Bronson personally with a copy of the dictionary was > absolutely revolted by the system. He expressed > himself against Bronson's work in strongest terms: > "Its orthography is absolutely wrong and .... will > be of no use to the learners of Assamese." Thus > Barua fought and won the battle against the > Baptists. Hemchandra Barua then proceeded to publish > his own dictionary which was based on several > Sanskrit-English, Bengali-English, > Hindi-Urdu-English dictionaries. ....Hemchandra was > not very scientific in his etymological notes and > he did not exploit Old Assamese literature for > sources of his words or their history.... " > > "Bronson adheres to the form actually conforming > with the speaker while very often Hemchandra Barua > neglects it and tries to make the words conform to > the original Sanskrit to the extent of utter > disregard of later development of the word. The > Assamese language therefore did not take the course > the Baptists writers like Brown and Bronson wanted > it to take, and was soon reclaimed to Sanskrit > standards even though not always on a sound basis." > - Dr Maheswar Neog. > > Hemchandra's dictionary was published in 1900 which > took the Assamese language too much towards the > Sanskrit language. While many writers realized this > but nobody actually tried to do anything about it. > By early nineteenth century Assamese writers were so > much under Sanskrit influence in Assamese > transliteration can be seen from the following quote > from a writing of Dr Birinch Kumar Barua in his > "History of Assamese Literature". Instead of trying > to support the Baptist Mission, he was already under > the influence of Sanskrit through "Hemkwx". > > About Bronson's dictionary he wrote: > "Bronson's spelling was based on spoken language > which does always conform to the written style. > Hence his dictionary doesn't have much practical > utility today." > > I also noticed that Dr Barua changed the Roman > spelling of 'Orundoi' as 'Arunday' in the above > book. > > Thus starting with Hemchandra Barua down to Dr > Birinchi Kumar Barua and after, all were under the > influence of Sanskrit standrd at the sacrice of the > Assamese standard. Today, there is hardly any > original thinking from any Assamese scholars. The > Assamese nation is bankrupt and is simply running on > its past inretia. The English transliteration that > were made to corresponding Sanskrit spellings > continues unabated and followed religiously by > educated people like BK-da. > > Sanakaradeva-Ramayana-Kamrupa-Asom-Sahitya-Sabha > Zindabad. > > I wonder how much of this Assamese mental bankruptcy > has actually contributed to the formation of > insurgent groups like ULFA. > > RB. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Chan Mahanta > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Cc: [email protected] > Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2006 10:13 AM > Subject: Re: [Assam] Book on life, ideals of > Sankaradeva released(The Assam Tribune, 1... > > > Dear BK: > > > I can't see HOW the Oxom Xahityo Xobha could > become the sole custodian of the Assamese language > or the Assamese identity. > > > It is typical of desi-demokrasy, where elections > seem to bestow dictatorial/monarchical powers to > bureaucrats and elected reps., and the ignorant > public takes it lying down, while the > intelligentsia, similarly clueless remain invisible > and silent. > > > >Rajen ought to get a full hearing as anybody > else. > > > *** It is NOT just Rajen's pet peeve. It is an > issue for all Assamese who care about its 'ostitwo', > its claim to an identity all its own, without > apologies, without having to bow to ANYONE. > > > It is those who have no self esteem, continue to > kow-tow to superior language gods, be it Xongskrit, > be it English. > > > > > *** About the 'Sankaradeva' spelling for example, > could it have been that when the first British > colonial masters transliterated the name, were also > people who > were Xongskrit learners, and could not separate > the Assamese from its Sanskrit > connections? Thus they chose to Sanskritize an > Assamese name, when they transliterated them in > English. > > > Once that happened, the subject people, and even > their intellectuals albeit similarly burdened by a > subject mentality, could not imagine transliterating > Xongkordev. Instead they followed the steps of their > colonial masters. > > > And to this day, some, including for example the > AT, cannot imagine breaking from that tradition of > colonial servitude, just like many of Assam's > intelligentsia. > > > But why should WE? > > > Best. > > > c > > > > > > > > > > > === message truncated ===> _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
