Bengali (London Oriental and African Language Library)

Bangla (Bengali), an Eastern Indo-Aryan Language, is the national language of Bangladesh with 150 million speakers and the state language of Paschim Banga (West Bengal) in India with 90 million speakers. There are sizeable communities of Bengalis scattered all over the world. Altogether, the number of native speakers make Bangla the fifth or sixth largest language in the world. Like Hindi and other South Asian languages, Bangla has subject-object-verb word order, postpositions, causative and compound verbs. Unlike Hindi it has no gender. This volume presents a systematic overview of the language, from the sound system to parts of speech, syntactic categories to reduplicative features and some short text passages. The book is written in transliteration throughout to provide ease and convenience to non-Bengali as well as to Bengali linguists and students. In order to connect linguistic analysis with the living language, the book is furnished with plenty of real language examples, demonstrating the spirit, grace and wit of the Bangla language. Bengali......Page 1 Editorial page......Page 2 Title page......Page 3 LCC data......Page 4 Table of contents......Page 5 Preface......Page 15 Abbreviations......Page 17 Glosses......Page 19 Transliteration......Page 23 1. Bangla and its speakers......Page 29 2. History (Language and Literature)......Page 30 3. The bangla lexicon......Page 32 4. Sadhu bhasha......Page 34 5. Bengali linguistics......Page 37 2.1 Phonemes......Page 39 2.1.1 Single vowels......Page 40 2.1.2 Vowel sequences......Page 42 2.1.4 Semivowel/glide......Page 43 2.1.5 Consonants......Page 44 2.1.6 consonant clusters or sequences......Page 46 2.2 syllable structure......Page 49 2.3 Vowel harmony......Page 50 2.5.1 Presence or absence of the inherent vowel......Page 52 2.5.2 pronunciation......Page 54 Alphabetical order of letters......Page 56 Spellings and sounds......Page 58 vowels......Page 59 additional symbols......Page 60 conjuncts......Page 61 consonant vowel combinations......Page 62 4.1.1 Prefixes......Page 64 4.1.1.1 Sanskrit and Bangla prefixes......Page 65 4.1.2 Suffixes......Page 67 4.2 Adjective derivations......Page 68 4.3 Noun derivations......Page 71 4.4 Verbal patterns......Page 73 5.1 Parts of speech (overview)......Page 75 5.2.1 Types of nouns......Page 77 5.2.2 Bare nouns......Page 78 5.2.3 Gender......Page 80 5.2.4 The classifiers – overview......Page 81 5.2.5.1 ta......Page 82 5.2.5.3 jn......Page 83 5.2.5.4 khana and khani......Page 84 5.2.5.6 tuku......Page 85 5.2.6 Plural formation......Page 86 5.2.7 Definite – indefinite......Page 88 5.2.9 Ordinary – honorific......Page 89 5.2.11 Case......Page 90 5.2.11.2 Genitive......Page 91 5.2.11.4 Locative......Page 93 5.2.12 Multiple noun attachments......Page 95 5.3 Pronouns......Page 96 5.3.1 Personal and possessive pronouns......Page 97 5.3.2 Inanimate pronouns......Page 98 5.3.5 Indefinite pronouns......Page 99 5.3.6 Deictic pronouns......Page 100 5.4.2 Vowel mutation......Page 101 5.4.3 Verb forms......Page 103 5.4.6 Incomplete verbs, isolated verb forms and verbal fragments......Page 105 5.5.1 Types of adjectives......Page 106 5.5.2 Attributive uses......Page 107 5.5.3 Predicative uses......Page 108 5.5.5 Comparison of adjectives......Page 110 5.5.6 Quantifiers......Page 114 5.6 Adverbs......Page 121 5.6.1.1 With kôre......Page 122 5.6.1.4 Adverbs in -tô......Page 123 5.6.2.3 Sentence adverbs......Page 124 5.6.3.1 Time adverbials......Page 125 5.6.3.2 Adverbs of frequency......Page 126 5.6.3.3 Adverbs of place......Page 127 5.6.3.4 Adverbs of manner......Page 128 5.6.3.5 Adverbs of vagueness......Page 129 5.6.4 Order of adverbs......Page 130 5.7 Postpositions......Page 131 5.7.1 Common postpositions – overview......Page 132 5.7.2.3 kache......Page 134 5.7.2.4 chara......Page 135 5.7.2.6 theke (kach theke)......Page 136 5.7.2.7 diŷe......Page 137 5.7.2.8 pôryôntô......Page 138 5.7.2.9 mɔtô, mɔtôn......Page 139 5.7.3.1 attributive uses:......Page 140 5.7.3.3 double postpositions......Page 141 5.8 Conjunctions......Page 142 5.9 Emphasisers, particles, interjections......Page 144 5.9.1.1 i......Page 145 5.9.1.2 o......Page 146 5.9.1.3 to......Page 147 5.9.2.1 ta......Page 149 5.9.2.3 na......Page 150 5.9.2.5 ki what......Page 151 5.9.3 Interjections......Page 152 6.1.1 The modifiers......Page 155 6.1.2 Possessives......Page 156 6.1.4 Quantifiers and numbers......Page 157 6.1.6 Reversed order quantifiers......Page 158 6.1.8 Numbers with and without classifiers......Page 159 6.2.1 Independent deictics......Page 160 6.2.2 Indefinites......Page 161 6.2.3.2 ke yænô someone or other......Page 165 6.2.4 Reflexivity – me, myself, on my own......Page 166 6.2.5 Reciprocality (mutuality) – one another......Page 168 6.3.1.1 Zero verb......Page 169 6.3.1.2 ach- exist, be present......Page 170 6.3.1.3 thaka stay......Page 171 6.3.1.4 hɔoŷa be, become, happen, occur......Page 172 6.3.2 Extended verbs......Page 173 6.3.3 Causative verbs......Page 174 6.3.4 Conjunct verbs......Page 177 6.3.5 Compound verbs......Page 181 6.3.5.1 yaoŷa go......Page 183 6.3.5.2 asa come......Page 186 6.3.5.4 otha rise, get up......Page 187 6.3.5.5 pɔ ra fall......Page 188 6.3.5.7 dã rano stand......Page 189 6.3.5.9 neoŷa take......Page 190 6.3.5.11 tola lift, raise......Page 191 6.3.5.13 Same sense compounds......Page 192 6.3.6.1.1 Nominative verbal noun. Nominative verbal nouns can act as subjects of sentences.......Page 193 6.3.6.1.2 Genitive verbal noun. The genitive verbal noun can precede ­postpositions.......Page 195 6.3.6.1.3 Objective verbal noun......Page 198 6.3.6.1.4 Locative verbal noun......Page 199 6.3.6.1.5 Verbal adjective. Many verbal nouns can act as adjectives. They take neither classifiers nor case endings. Verbal adjectives are usually passive in ­meaning (bagane tola chôbi a photo taken in the garden) but active meanings also ­occur:......Page 200 6.3.6.2 Imperfective participle......Page 201 6.3.6.3 Conditional participle......Page 205 6.3.6.4 Perfective participle......Page 207 7.1.1 Verbal predicates......Page 213 7.1.2 Complements......Page 216 7.1.3 Word order flexibility......Page 217 Anchor 129......Page 218 7.1.3.3 Initial objects......Page 219 7.1.3.4 Participles, locatives, adverbials and postpositional phrases......Page 220 7.1.4.1 Subject and object pronouns......Page 221 7.1.4.2 Spoken dialogue......Page 222 7.2.1.1 Simple sentences......Page 223 7.2.1.3 Complex sentences......Page 224 7.2.1.4 Simple – compound – complex revised......Page 225 7.3.1 Declarative sentences......Page 227 7.3.2.1 Yes-no questions......Page 228 7.3.2.2 Question words......Page 230 7.3.2.4 Rhetorical questions......Page 237 7.3.3 Imperatives......Page 238 7.3.4 Exclamations......Page 242 Anchor 153......Page 243 7.4.2 Existential structures......Page 245 7.4.3 Impersonal structures......Page 248 7.4.4 Copular sentences......Page 254 7.5 Compound sentences – coordination......Page 257 7.5.2 Conjoining, adding......Page 258 Anchor 161......Page 259 7.5.5 Contrasting, concessive......Page 260 7.5.6 Resultative......Page 261 7.5.8 Coordinating correlatives......Page 263 7.6.1 Causal......Page 264 Anchor 169......Page 265 7.6.5 Content clauses......Page 266 7.7.1 Conditional sentences......Page 269 7.7.2 Complex concessives......Page 274 7.7.3.1 Relative clause preceding......Page 275 7.7.3.3 Embedded relative clauses......Page 280 7.7.3.4 Complex correlatives......Page 281 8.1.1 Nominative......Page 283 8.1.2.1 With postpostions......Page 285 8.1.2.2 Genitives connecting nouns......Page 286 8.1.2.5 Genitive subjects......Page 287 8.1.3 Object case......Page 288 8.1.3.2.1 Specific humans......Page 289 8.1.3.2.3 Non-specific humans......Page 290 8.1.3.2.5 Copular structures......Page 291 8.1.3.2.6 Optional object case ending......Page 292 8.1.4 Locative......Page 293 8.1.4.1 Spatial locatives......Page 294 8.1.4.2 Instrumental locatives......Page 295 8.1.4.4 Locative of manner......Page 297 8.2 Tense use......Page 298 8.2.1 Present simple......Page 300 8.2.2 Present continuous......Page 301 8.2.3 Present perfect......Page 302 8.2.4 Future tense......Page 303 8.2.5 Past simple......Page 304 8.2.6 Past continuous......Page 305 8.2.7 Past perfect......Page 306 8.2.8 Past habitual......Page 307 8.2.9 Mixed tenses......Page 309 8.3.1 Aspect and tense (grammatical aspect)......Page 310 8.3.2 Lexical aspect......Page 312 8.4.1 na......Page 316 8.4.2 Negation and tense (ni)......Page 317 8.4.3 nɔ- (nôi, nɔo, nôs, nɔŷ, nɔn) is not......Page 318 8.4.3.2 ta nɔŷ......Page 320 8.4.4 nei – negation of existential sentences......Page 321 8.4.5 Positioning of na......Page 322 8.4.6 Double negatives......Page 325 8.5 Modality......Page 326 8.5.1 Subjunctive-triggering conjunctions (yôdi if, yate so that, pache so that not, yænô so that, as if)......Page 327 8.5.2 Tense changes......Page 330 8.5.3 Non-finite modal structures......Page 332 8.5.4.1 dɔrkar need......Page 337 8.5.4.3 Genitive verbal noun with kɔtha supposed to......Page 339 9.1.1 ... etcetera......Page 341 9.1.4 Echo words a–i pattern......Page 342 9.1.6 Reduplication......Page 343 9.1.8 Doubling of verb forms......Page 344 9.1.9 Onomatopoeia: dhvɔnyatmɔk (words whose soul is in their sound)......Page 345 9.2.1 Verbs......Page 350 9.2.2 Nouns......Page 361 9.2.3 Adjectives......Page 371 9.2.4 Numbers......Page 372 9.3.1 Fractions and percentages......Page 373 9.3.2 Weights and measures......Page 374 9.3.4 Approximate numbers......Page 375 9.3.5 Indefinite big numbers......Page 376 10.1 Recipe for Pulao rice (from popular Bangladeshi magazine Sanônda, 2008)......Page 377 10.2 A love song to a language......Page 379 10.3 Monsoon by Sri Pramath Choudhuri......Page 381 10.4 From a linguist......Page 383 10.5 The girl......Page 386 10.6 All kinds of tea......Page 389 Appendices......Page 395 Bibliography......Page 404 Index......Page 409 Bangla (bengali), An Eastern Indo-aryan Language, Is The National Language Of Bangladesh With 150 Million Speakers And The State Language Of Paschim Banga (west Bengal) In India With 90 Million Speakers. There Are Sizeable Communities Of Bengalis Scattered All Over The World. Altogether, The Number Of Native Speakers Make Bangla The Fifth Or Sixth Largest Language In The World. Like Hindi And Other South Asian Languages, Bangla Has Subject-object-verb Word Order, Postpositions, Causative And Compound Verbs. Unlike Hindi It Has No Gender. This Volume Presents A Systematic Overview Of The Bengali; Editorial Page; Title Page; Lcc Data; Table Of Contents; Preface; Abbreviations; Glosses; Transliteration; Chapter 1. Introduction; 1. Bangla And Its Speakers; 2. History (language And Literature); 3. The Bangla Lexicon; 4. Sadhu Bhasha; 5. Bengali Linguistics; Chapter 2. Sound System; 2.1 Phonemes; 2.1.1 Single Vowels; 2.1.2 Vowel Sequences; 2.1.3 Nasalised Vowels; 2.1.4 Semivowel/glide; 2.1.5 Consonants; 2.1.6 Consonant Clusters Or Sequences; 2.2 Syllable Structure; 2.3 Vowel Harmony; 2.4 Consonant Assimilation; 2.5 The Inherent Vowel 2.5.1 Presence Or Absence Of The Inherent Vowel2.5.2 Pronunciation; Chapter 3. The Bengali Script; Alphabetical Order Of Letters; Spellings And Sounds; Positioning Of Vowels; Vowels; Consonants; Additional Symbols; Conjuncts; Consonant Vowel Combinations; Chapter 4. Word Formation; 4.1 Prefixes And Suffixes; 4.1.1 Prefixes; 4.1.1.1 Sanskrit And Bangla Prefixes; 4.1.2 Suffixes; 4.2 Adjective Derivations; 4.3 Noun Derivations; 4.4 Verbal Patterns; Chapter 5. Morphology; 5.1 Parts Of Speech (overview); 5.2 Nouns; 5.2.1 Types Of Nouns; 5.2.2 Bare Nouns; 5.2.3 Gender 5.2.4 The Classifiers - Overview5.2.5 The Classifiers- One By One; 5.2.5.1 Ta; 5.2.5.2 Ti; 5.2.5.3 Jn; 5.2.5.4 Khana And Khani; 5.2.5.5 Gulo, Guli (occasionally Gula); 5.2.5.6 Tuku; 5.2.6 Plural Formation; 5.2.7 Definite - Indefinite; 5.2.8 Animate - Inanimate; 5.2.9 Ordinary - Honorific; 5.2.10 Count - Non-count; 5.2.11 Case; 5.2.11.1 Nominative; 5.2.11.2 Genitive; 5.2.11.3 Objective; 5.2.11.4 Locative; 5.2.12 Multiple Noun Attachments; 5.3 Pronouns; 5.3.1 Personal And Possessive Pronouns; 5.3.2 Inanimate Pronouns; 5.3.3 Relative Pronouns; 5.3.4 Interrogative Pronouns 5.3.5 Indefinite Pronouns5.3.6 Deictic Pronouns; 5.4 Verbs; 5.4.1 Verb Classes; 5.4.2 Vowel Mutation; 5.4.3 Verb Forms; 5.4.4 Imperatives; 5.4.5 Non-finite Verb Forms; 5.4.6 Incomplete Verbs, Isolated Verb Forms And Verbal Fragments; 5.5 Adjectives; 5.5.1 Types Of Adjectives; 5.5.2 Attributive Uses; 5.5.3 Predicative Uses; 5.5.4 Verbal Adjectives; 5.5.5 Comparison Of Adjectives; 5.5.6 Quantifiers; 5.5.7 Distributive Adjectives; 5.5.7.1 Prôti Each; 5.5.7.2 Prôtyek Each; 5.6 Adverbs; 5.6.1 Formation Of Adverbs; 5.6.1.1 With Kôre; 5.6.1.2 With Bhabe 5.6.1.3 Adding -e (a Locative Ending) To Some Adjectives And Nouns5.6.1.4 Adverbs In -tô; 5.6.2 Uses Of Adverbs; 5.6.2.1 Adverbs Modifying Verbs; 5.6.2.2 Adverbs Modifying Adjectives Or Other Adverbs; 5.6.2.3 Sentence Adverbs; 5.6.3 Semantic Groups; 5.6.3.1 Time Adverbials; 5.6.3.2 Adverbs Of Frequency; 5.6.3.3 Adverbs Of Place; 5.6.3.4 Adverbs Of Manner; 5.6.3.5 Adverbs Of Vagueness; 5.6.3.6 Adverbs Of Degree; 5.6.4 Order Of Adverbs; 5.7 Postpositions; 5.7.1 Common Postpositions - Overview; 5.7.2 Individual Postpositions In Context; 5.7.2.1 Age; 5.7.2.2 Upôre (also Upôr, Opôr); 5.7.2.3 Kache 5.7.2.4 Chara Hanne-ruth Thompson. Description Based Upon Print Version Of Record. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. English