With the recently granted status of ‘Classical Language’ to Assamese, the language now belongs to the prestigious ‘Classical Languages’ club declared by the Union Cabinet of India. Along with Assamese, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit,and Bangla were declared classical languages on 3rd October. Previously, Tamil, Sanskrit, Telegu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia were already inducted into this list of ‘Classical Languages’. The Linguistics Experts Committee under Sahitya Academy revised the criteria for how a language should be considered classical.
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The latest criteria are as follows (as of 25.07.2024)
I. High antiquity of (its) is early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500- 2000 years.
II. A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a heritage by generations of speakers.
III. Knowledge texts, especially prose texts in addition to poetry, epigraphical and inscriptional evidence.
IV. The Classical Languages and literature could be distinct from its current form or could be discontinuous with later forms of its offshoots.
Recognising Assamese as a classical language has instilled pride and joy among Assamese people, sparking discussions on its impact on the language’s future. According to an official press release by the Press Information Bureau (PIB), this new status is expected to create employment opportunities, particularly in academia and research. Furthermore, the preservation, documentation, and digitisation of ancient Assamese texts will foster jobs in fields such as archiving, translation, publishing, and digital media. Benefits provided by the Ministry of Education for classical languages include National Awards, university Chairs, and dedicated Centres for the promotion and research of classical languages, all of which aim to support and enhance the study and preservation of Assamese heritage.
A recent remark from Zubeen Garg that Assamese is “not even 200 years old” created a controversy among Netizens. Everyone knows that Assamese is not 200 years old, but it’s older than that, which is why it sparked this controversy. The questions we should ask to make ourselves aware are:
a. How old exactly is the Assamese language?
b. What is its origin (where does it come from)?
c. What evidence do we have to consider it as a classical language?
Let us try to answer them one by one.
Eminent linguist Banikanta Kakati’s thesis “Assamese, its Formation and Development”is a reliable source to answer these questions. Kakati writes about Hiuen Tsang mentioning the Old Assamese language from the 7 th century AD.Kakati also reveals that Magadhi Apabhramsais the principal source of the ancient Assamese language. Eastern Magadhan Prakrit had four distinct dialects, out of which the Kamrupa dialects gave rise to the Assamese language.The earliest relics of the Assamese language can be found in palaeographic records of the Kamarupa Kingdom from the 5th century to the 12th century. However, the earliest literary works includePrahlada Carita (13 th century) by Hema Saraswati. In the 14th century AD, the epic Ramayana was translated into Assamese by Madhava Kandali.So, there is enough evidence to prove that Assamese is a distinct language with ancient literary texts and inscriptions. The language is more than 200 years old and developed as a distinct branch from the Eastern Magadhan Prakrit.
Apart from the rich ancient literature of Assamese, the language itself has many varieties. In popular terminology, they are called ‘dialects’ of the language. Many linguists prefer to use ‘language variety’ rather than ‘dialect’ as it is more inclusive. In the western part of the state, the Assamese is more heterogenous in character, with varieties such as Kamrupi, Nalbeira, Barpetia, Goalpariaetc.For reasons like theestablishment of the first press in Sivasagar, the Eastern variety of Assamese is considered the standard. However, designating one variety of a language as the ‘standard’ should never imply that other varieties are ‘subordinate’ or ‘inferior’. The diversity of a language with its distinct varieties (dialects) makes it comprehensive and extensive, with a diverse vocabulary, stylistics, and literature.
It’s widely recognised that Assamese’s earliest literary contributions emerged from Western Assam, supported by the kings of Kamatapura or Koch Behar and that various Assamese dialects have enriched the language’s development over time. For any language teacher, this diversity is crucial to understand.
While grammar and dictionaries provide a framework for instruction, it’s essential that teachers avoid labelling any dialect or variation of the language as incorrect or impure. Each dialect reflects the unique history and culture of its speakers and plays an important role in the richness of the language as a whole. Embracing these variations not only honours Assamese’s complex heritage but also encourages students to see the language as a living, evolving entity.
(The writer is PhD Research Scholar of Linguistics, IIT Patna)
