Rohangya or Rohingya language is formed from a variety of languages including Sanskrit, Pali, Arabic, Persian (Farsi, Avestan, Afghani and Turkish), Hindustani, West Bengali, Dutch, Portuguese, Burmese, Kashmiri, Assamese, Nepali and Malay. And there would be 100 and 28 speech sounds in Rohangya language. It is also the language of the ethnic Chakma or Thetkama and Daingnet of the officially recognized as one of the indigenous races of Arakan, Burma.
The difference between Rohingya and Thetkama, Chakma and Dainget languages is that they are followers of Buddhism since centuries back, and Rohingyas have become followers of Islam. Therefore Rohingyas study in Arabic, Farsi and Urdu languages in religious schools which influenced Rohingya language and have words from these languages. Thetkama and Chakma is actually a dialect of the majority Rohingya group.
The earliest language spoken and written in Arakan was the ancient Sanskrit language which was inscribed on the Ananda Chandra Stone Pillar erected in 7th century A.D.
Today, there are a few people among Rohingyas who are working to restore the dying language and disappearing costums, traditions and culture of ethnic Rohingya people.
The early inhabitants of Arakan, forefathers of Rohingya nation were people of Indo-Aryan and Hindus by faith. And Sanskrit was their spoken and written language in Arakan, which is still spoken by Rohingyas. But many among Rohingyas are still unaware of the being destroyed language of ours by the illiterate people among us as they do not have the skills to read or write. In my point of view, they do not have enough attentiveness to clearly understand and recognize sounds of letters or spoken words. Making not much longer comment, the Burmese government is responsible for the illiteracy among our people.
Now Rohingya language has words from many languages mentioned above. After Sanskrit, Arabic language came to influence into Rohingya language since 8th century with Islam religion introduced in Arakan by Arabs. Persian language was the official language of Arakan during the Mrauk-U kingdom, and since then Farsi and other languages of Persia influenced into Rohangya. During the British colony in India, Arakan became a division of India and taught Hindi-Urdu/Hindustani language in Arakanese schools. Since then Rohingyas study in Arabic, Farsi and Urdu languages in religious schools and Burmese, Magha (Rakhine), and English languages in government schools.
Here are some incorrectly pronounced or corrupted words in the modern Rohingya language with their formal form, spoken by people in eastern parts of Arakan in towns near the ancient kingdoms Dhanyawadi, Wetharli and Mrauk-U with their origins where these words came from. There are many more words to be studied. I am currently working on making a comparative language book with all the major languages related to Rohingya and mentioned races in the history of Arakan.
__ Rasheed Ahmed Ruhmie
Smartphone users swipe to left to see the corrupted words and their meanings.
Languages | Origins | Formal | Corrupted | Meanings |
Sanskrit | मानुष/maanuca | manúc | moñóc | man |
Sanskrit | अङ्गुल/anggul | ang’ul | oñol | finger |
Hindustani | कौआ/kauvá | kawa | hawwa | crow |
Bengali | কাহার/kahár | kar | har | whose? |
Sanskrit | धूमक/dhūmak | dúma | dhwáñ | smoke |
Sanskrit | काला/kaala | kala | hala | black |
Sanskrit | पक्ष/pakc | pak | fak | wing |
Sanskrit | पानी/paaní | paní | faní | water |
Sanskrit | शाक/caák | hák | ák | leafy greens |
Arabic | خبر/xäbår | khäbår | hóbor | news |
Arabic | خاص/xáas | kháas | háas | particular |
Arabic | خالي/xáali | kháli | háli | empty |
Arabic | يقين/yaqin | yåkin | ekin | certainty |
Hindustani | खर्चा/kharčá | khärsa | hóssa | expenses |
Hindustani | कचरा/kåčårá | kåsara | hoñcoça | junk, trash |
Sanskrit | कोमल/kōmäl | kumål | hoñol | delicate |
Sanskrit | खान/kháan | khän | hóon | eating |
Hindustsni | कबूतर/kåbutär | kōitår | hoitor | pigeon |
Hindustani | किसने?/kisné? | kåne? | hone? | who? |
Sanskrit | वानर/vaanär | bannår | bañdor | monkey |
Sanskrit | पुराण/puráan | puran | furan | old |
Sanskrit | कल्य/kalya | kalya | hailla | yesterday |
Farsi | پردہ/pårdáh | pårda | foroda | curtain |
Farsi | خون/xúun | khún | kún | blood |
Farsi | پیشاب/pēcáab | pecáp | fecáf | urine |
Farsi | پیاز/pyaáz | pyañs | fiyañs | onion |
Avesta | hásiya | háñsa | áñsa | truth |
Avesta | ånya | ånÿo | oinno | other |
Avesta | jima | žēm | zaiyum | (I) shall go |
Portuguese | armário | armali | emmali | cupboard |
Portuguese | tanque/tanki | tangki | thangki | tank |
Sanskrit | कच्छप/kåččhäp | kåssäp | hossóf | tortoise |
Hindustani | मौज़ा/mauzá | moōza | mouza | sock |
Sanskrit | पत्र/patra | pata | fata | leaf |
Sanskrit | पद्र/padra | para | fara | village |
Sanskrit | पाद/paada | pala | fala | pillar |
Sanskrit | पेचक/pecaka | peñsa | feñsa | owl |
Farsi | پیاله/pyaalah | piala | fiyala | cup |
Arabic | اخلاص/ēxlaas | exélas | ekélas | sincerity |
Arabic | ختم/xåtäm | khätåm | hótom | conclusion |
Arabic | خطره/xåtrah | khätåra | hótora | danger |
Bengali | পচা/poča | poñsa | foñsa | rotten |
Farsi | درخواست/ dårxuaast | dårxäas | dorhás | request |
Sanskrit | पांच/panč | pañs | fañs | five |
Bengali | কাপড়/kapor | kabår | hoor | cloth |
Burmese | စောင့်/såung | sång | soñi | await |
Magha | ဖရား/pharáa | phära | fóra | god |
Farsi | بنه/ bunah | bunda | buñda | bundle |
Farsi | خاندان/khaandan | khándan | hándan | family, dynasty |
Farsi | خوشى/khushi | khúñchi | kúci | happiness |
Hindustani | खंड/khand | khánda | hánda | segment, piece |
Farsi | جوان/jawáan | juan | zuan | adult, young |
Bengali | চাউল/čaul | saul | souil | (uncooked) rice |
Hindustani | पता/patáa | patta | fatta | address |
Farsi | خوراک/khuraak | khúrak | kúrak | nourishment |
Hindustani | खाट/khaat | kháñt | háñt | cot, bedstead |
Hindustani | फूल/phuúl | phúl | fúl | flower |
Sanskrit | प्राण/praán | påran | foran | soul, life |
Sanskrit | अन्य/anya | ånÿo | oinno | other |
Portuguese | câmara | kamára | hamára | room, chamber |