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(Redirected from Dimasa-language)
Sino-Tibetan language of Northeast India
The word Dimasa etymologically translates to "Son(s) of the big river ", i.e. the mighty Brahmaputra. The Dimasa word di, meaning water, forms the root of the names of many of the major rivers of Assam and of North East India in general, such as Dibang (plenty of water), Diyung (huge river), Dikrang (green river), Dikhow (fetched water), and many others. The Brahmaputra is known as Dilao (long river) among the Dimasas even now.
Many of the important towns and cities in Assam and Nagaland received their names from Dimasa words such as Diphu, Dimapur (a capital of the Dimasa Kingdom), Hojai, Khaspur, etc. In fact, the Dimasa language is one of the last languages of North East India to retain its original vocabulary without being compromised by foreign languages.
The three voiceless aspirated stops, /pʰ, tʰ, kʰ/, are unreleased in syllable final position. Their unaspirated voiced counterparts are released and cannot occur word final position.
Sometimes /pʰ, tʰ, kʰ, s/ are pronounced as /b, d, g, z/ respectively.
The consonants /pʰ, b, tʰ, kʰ, m, n, r, l/ can occur in all position.
The consonants /g, s, s, ɦ/ cannot occur in Dimasa indigenous words, but can occur in loan words.
The consonants /d, w, j/ cannot appear in word final positions in Dimasa.
The consonants /ŋ/ cannot appear in word initial positions.
Dimasa is written using Latin script, which has been introduced in the lower primary education system in Dima Hasao District. The main guiding force behind it is the Dimasa Lairidim Hosom, a literary apex body of the Dimasa community.
The Bengali-Assamese script is used in Cachar, where the Bengali people live alongside Dimasas.