What we have been seeing, ULFA is always United Liberaton Front of Assam. When Assam was changed to Asom or Oxom in their name? RB
----- Original Message ----- From: "Rajib Das" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Barua25" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Chan Mahanta" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 1:04 AM Subject: Re: [Assam] Book on life, ideals of Sankaradeva released(The Assam Tribune, 1... > 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
