History of Rohingya Language
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Aa | Bb | Cc | Çç | Dd | Ee | Ff |
Gg | Hh | Ii | Jj | Kk | Ll | Mm |
Nn | Ññ | Oo | Pp | Rr | Ss | |
Tt | Uu | Vv | Ww | Xx | Yy | Zz |
Alphabet: Rohingyalish uses all 26 English alphabets plus the two Latin characters ç and ñ to get retroflex r sound and nasal sound respectively, for example, Faça, Fañs, Keñça. A number of Rohingya words such as Shamish (spoon) and Shíshshiçímas (a kind of fish) consist of multiple sh causing reading difficulty. So Rohingyalish defined c as equivalent to sh sound and simplified the above words as camic and cícciçímas. The alphabet order is: a b c ç d e f g h i j k l m n ñ o p q r s t u v w x y z. In addition it uses five accented vowels á é í ó ú for emphasizing sound.
There are two different types of h sounds in Rohingya, represented by x or hh and h. For example, xáñti (=tiger), xáñc (=duck), xáf (=snake), xáwa (=wind), xácor (=dooms day), etc. and holom (=pen), hóro (=soar), húci (=happiness), ahálak (=character), bohíl (=miser), etc.
1. Basic Vowels:
Soft | a | e | i | o | u | ou |
Hard | á | é | í | ó | ú | óu |
2. Circular Vowels:
Soft | ai | ei | oi | ui | ooi |
Hard | ái | éi | ói | úi | óoi |
3. Extended Vowels
Soft -00: | aa | ee | ii | oo | uu |
Hard-01: | aá | eé | ií | oó | uú |
Hard-10: | áa | ée | íi | óo | úu |
Hard-11: | áá | éé | íí | óó | úú |
4. Extended Circular Vowels
Soft -00: | aai | eei | ooi | uui | ooi |
Hard-01: | aái | eéi | oói | uúi | oói |
Hard-10: | áai | éei | óoi | úui | óoi |
Vowels:
Vowels can be categorized into two Soft (shown in green) and Hard (shown in violet). But there are four types of vowel as shown in table 1-4 above, namely Basic, Circular, Extended and Extended circular. The four types of soft vowel sets are; Basic (a-e-i-o-u-ou), Circular (ai-ei-oi-ui), Extended (aa-ee-ii-oo-uu) and Extended Circular (aai-eei-ooi-uui-ooi) as shown in green color above.
Each soft set is accompanied by a stressed set which are; Basic (á-é-í-ó-ú-óu), Circular (ái-éi-ói-úi) and Extended that includes three variations (aá-eé-ií-oó-uú), (áa-ée-íi-óo-úu) and (áá-éé-íí-óó-úú). Also there are Extended Circular that includes two variations (aái-eéi-oói-uúi-oói) and (áai-éei-óoi-úui-óoi).
Basic Vowels:
There are six basic vowels (a, e, i, o, u, ou). Each basic vowel is strictly defined to have only one sound and all six sounds can be found in an English phrase “america on full tour”. The basic vowels can be either soft or hard. The soft vowels (a, e, i, o, u, ou) are pronounced soft and the corresponding hard vowels (á, é, í, ó, ú, óu) are pronounced hard (stressed). Please note that in óu, only the 1st char is accented and not both. Examples: bura=bad, burá=old, búra=stained.
Circular Vowels:
You get five circular vowels (ai, ei, oi, ui, ooi) by simply adding (i) to five basic vowels (a, e, o, u, ou). [ Here ou is converted to oo for simplicity]. Each circular vowel is strictly defined to have only one sound only. To know the sounds of five circular vowels, five Rohingya words (bai, beil, boil, tui, ooin) are compared having same sound in English as (by, bail, bouyl, muei, ouin). While (ai, ei, oi, ui, ooi) gives soft sounds (ái, éi, ói, úi,óoi) give you the corresponding stressed sounds. Examples: Lai=basket, zai=go, beil=sun, ooin=fire, bóin=sister.
Extended Vowels:
(a, e, i, o, u) are the 1st five basic short vowels. To get extended sounds of these, double the letters as (aa, ee, ii, oo, uu). Ou is by itself extended so it is omitted in this extended table. You can get stressed extended vowels in three different ways; (áa, ée, íi, óo, úu), (aá, eé, ií, oó, uú) or (áá, éé, íí, óó, úú). Examples are: Gaa=body, Gaá=sing, Gáa=wound.
Extended-circular Vowels:
Add i to the extended vowel set (aa, ee, oo, uu) and you will get extended-circular vowel set as (aai, eei, ooi, uui). There two emphasize sets as shown above. Examples are: Ooin=fire, Neeillé=came out, Baáizar=overflowing, Beéinna=morning, Foóila=first, Ruúil-mas=a kind of fish, Sáaiféla=filter it out.
Rohingya Language Sample | Meaning in English |
Oti cúndor cándor, cúndoijja Roháng, Táikoum añára biák miliya, Diya jan foran, diya lou wór gám. |
Very beautiful, nice and attractive is Roháng Land, We will live all together, By giving lives, by giving blood. |
Háil meçi miçá faní, Duniyair woijja gán, Bab dada abad goijjé, Diya jan foran, diya lou wór gám, |
In the land of green and sweet water,
It is best in the world.
Acquired by our forefathers,
By giving blood, by giving lives. |
Meçir óiya, Fanír faiya, Doijjar tolor gán, Sairóu hañsa basai raikóum, Diya jan foran, diya lou wór gám.
Lekóya: Jonab A. Gaffar |
With soil produces and, water provides in the sea bed, We will protect all four sides, By giving lives, by giving blood.
Written by Mr A. Gaffar
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Opening Ceremony of Rohingya Language as it has been taught as an international language in Canada School. |
Rohingya Language Team in Bradford on 12-06-2013
Mr. Hedayot Ali, Amanullah, Azom Nur, Md Islam, Eng. Md Siddique,---, and Mr Salim.
Abdullah @ Abdul Haque
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Rohingya Language Training using Video-8 from Mohammed Siddique on Vimeo.
Rohingya Language Writing System Concept from Mohammed Siddique on Vimeo.
Rohingya Language Briefing by Naing @ Zahid (Norway) from Mohammed Siddique on Vimeo.
Rohingya Language Briefing by Abul Kalam (Swedan) from Mohammed Siddique on Vimeo.
Rohingya Language Brifing by Azmi (Germany) from Mohammed Siddique on Vimeo.