Bengali Language History and Development
Bengali, or Bangla (বাংলা), is a language with remarkable reach and cultural depth, has a rich history with its roots tracing back to 3500 B.C. within the Indo-European language family. As the official and national language of Bangladesh and one of India's official languages, it holds an important position in South Asia.
Bengali is used by approximately 98% of Bangladesh's population as their first language, and it’s the second most spoken language in India, spoken by 8.3% of the population. The Bengali language, spoken by over 237 million people as native speakers, is a rich and complex language with a fascinating history.
Script and Writing System in Bangla
The Bengali script (বাংলা লিপি) is a Brahmic writing system, making it the sixth most widely used writing system in the world. This unique script, which has its origins in ancient Brahmi, particularly from the eastern variety of Brahmi.
By the 12th century CE, the Bengali alphabet was nearly fully formed, though it continued to evolve naturally until the 16th century.
Bengali is written from left to right and has no capital letters. Its script includes many connecting strokes and distinctive features that hang from a horizontal line.
Example: বাংলা, which is pronounced as "Bangla" and means "Bengali".
Remember, Bengali langauge uses a complex writing system called Bengali script, which originated from Brahmi script and is considered an oldest script in India. It consists of 12 vowels and 36 consonants.
Example: ক, which is pronounced as "ka" and is a consonant. কা, which is pronounced as "kaa" and consists of the consonant ক followed by the vowel া.
Compound letters: When a consonant is followed by a vowel, the two are combined to form a compound letter.
Example: কি, which is pronounced as "ki" and consists of the consonant ক followed by the vowel ি.
Vowel markers: Vowels that appear after the initial consonant in a word are marked by diacritic symbols called "matras".
Example: ম, which is pronounced as "ma" and is a consonant. মা, which is pronounced as "maa" and consists of the consonant ম followed by the vowel া.
Numerals: The Bengali script has its own set of numerals, which are used in everyday life for things like counting and measuring.
Example: ৫, which is pronounced as "panc" and means "five".
Punctuation: Bengali uses a variety of punctuation marks, including commas, periods, and question marks.
Example: বাংলা?, which is pronounced as "Bangla?" and means "Bengali?".
Typing: Bengali can be typed using a variety of keyboard layouts. Many operating systems and software applications now offer Bengali language support.
Overall, the Bengali script and writing system is a beautiful and complex system that has been used for centuries to write the Bengali language. With its distinctive shape and sound, Bengali is a vital part of the cultural and literary heritage of Bangladesh and West Bengal.
Here are examples of Bengali sentences and their translations:
"Ami Bondhu" (আমি বন্ধু) — I am a friend.
"Amar nam Jhumpa Lahiri" (আমার নাম ঝুম্পা লাহিরী) — My name is Jhumpa Lahiri.
"Ki holo?" (কী হলো?) — What happened?
"Ami kemon acchi" (আমি কেমন আচ্ছি) — How am I?
Origins and Evolution of Bengali Language
The roots of Bengali trace back to approximately 3500 B.C. and belong to the Indo-European language family. Although often assumed to be derived from Sanskrit, scholars attribute its ancestry more accurately to the Indo-Aryan languages, particularly Magadhi Prakrit and Pali, which laid the foundation for its early form.
Magadhi Prakrit slowly began to develop into the Apabhramsha over the centuries; this was a language transitional to the modern Indo-Aryan languages. The Apabhramsha that was spoken in Bengal ultimately evolved to the early forms of Bengali in the 10th century CE.
Bengali's evolution can be divided into three main stages:
Old Bengali (c. 1000 - 1350): With Sanskrit as the literary language, early Bengali literature is rare from this period. The oldest known Bengali text is the Charyapada, a collection of mystical Buddhist poems from around the 8th to 12th centuries.
Middle Bengali (c.1350 - 1800): During this period, the Bengali language began to take shape and was heavily influenced by Sanskrit. The Charyapada, a collection of Buddhist devotional songs, is the earliest known example of Bengali literature and dates back to the 8th-12th centuries. It's written in a form of early Bengali that's midway between Sanskrit and Middle Bengali.
Modern Bengali (from the mid-18th century onward): The version of Bengali that exists today originated in the Nadia region around the time of the Battle of Plassey in 1757. Modern Bengali is divided into two main styles: Shuddho Bhasha (formal) and Cholito Bhasha (colloquial), with a vocabulary rich in terms from Magadhi Prakrit, Pali, and additional influences from Persian, Turkish, Portuguese, and English.
However, it was in the 19th century, during the Bengal Renaissance, that Bengali experienced its renaissance in the fields of literature, culture, and linguistics. Among these prominent figures were Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, and Rabindranath Tagore, all of whom contributed considerable initiative to modernize the Bengali language and encourage it as a medium of education and enlightenment.
The modern Bengali language owes much to the efforts of the Bengali Renaissance, a cultural, literary, and artistic movement that took place during the 19th-early 20th century. This period saw the creation of many new words and phrases and the development of a more simplified and accessible form of Bengali. Two notable figures in this movement are Michael Madhusudan Datta, who introduced Shakespearean blank verse to Bengali poetry, and Rabindranath Tagore, who wrote over 1,000 poems in Bengali.
Bengali Language and Its Relation to Sanskrit
Bengali language, belonging to the Eastern group of Indo-Aryan languages, has been heavily influenced by Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language that is considered the classical language of India. In fact, it is estimated that about 50% of Bengali vocabulary is derived from Sanskrit.
One way to see the influence of Sanskrit on Bengali language is through the use of loanwords. Loanwords are words borrowed from one language and incorporated into another language. In Bengali, many loanwords have been borrowed from Sanskrit and have been adapted to fit the phonetic and grammatical rules of the Bengali language.
For example, consider the Sanskrit word "सत्यम्" (satya), which means "truth." In Bengali, this word has been adapted as "সত্য" (satya), and is used with the same meaning.
Another way to see the influence of Sanskrit on Bengali is through the use of compound words. Compound words are words formed by combining two or more words together. In Bengali, many compound words are formed by combining Sanskrit words.
For example, consider the Bengali compound word "শিক্ষাবর্ষ" (shikshabarsh), which means "academic year." This word is formed by combining the Sanskrit words "शिक्षा" (shiksha), meaning "education," and "वर्ष" (varsh), meaning "year."
In conclusion, the Bengali language has been heavily influenced by Sanskrit, with loanwords and compound words being just two of the many ways in which Sanskrit has left its mark on Bengali. Whether through the adoption of Sanskrit vocabulary, or the creation of compound words using Sanskrit roots, the influence of Sanskrit on Bengali is undeniable and continues to be a fascinating area of study for linguists and language enthusiasts alike.
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