Tibeto-Burman

        The Tibeto-Burman sub family is represented by the following groups:

• Boro-Garo

• Tanee

• Kuki-Chin

Boro-Garo

        The Boro-Garo group of languages, which constitute one of the principal divisions of the Tibeto-Burman language family, are spoken in the Brahmaputra valley of Assam. At one time there must have been a fairly continuous Boro-Garo distribution throughout the entire valley, but over the centuries, Assamese, of the Indo-Aryan stock, the major language spoken in Assam, has disrupted this continuity.

        The Boro-Garo group is the southernmost member of the Tibeto-Burman stock . It is worthwhile to mention here that Khasi an Austric language spoken in the Khasi and Garo hills (in Meghalaya) alongwith Karbi (of the Kuki-Chin group) and Mishing (of the Tani group) are the intrusive languages in this Boro-Garo area. Deuri is located in the extreme east and Kokborak (Tripuri) and Jalpaiguri Garo are in the extreme west of the Brahmaputra valley.

        The Boro-Garo group of languages could be sub-divided into four main groups: A, B, C, and D. The A, B, C, and D, comprise the following:

A:

1) Rabha

2) Tintekiya Koch.

3) Ruga and Atong.(Garo)

4) Koch.

B:

1) Abeng.(Garo)

2) Achik (Garo)

3) Awe(Garo)

C:

1) Boro.

2) Tiwa.

3) Kakborak.

4) Dimasa.

5) Moran( now extinct).

D:

1) Deuri or Deuri-Chutia.

        However it may be mentioned here that the division of the Garo group into Groups A and B has its roots with Playfair who in 1909, divided them into these two groups. According to him Tintekiya Koch and Rabha shared common features with Atong and Ruga which are not shared by the other Garo sub-groups like Abeng, Achik and Awe.The following lexical and phonetic examples prove such a claim:

Also, final -l of Achik becomes –n in Atong, Ruga, and J. Garo and N in T. Koch and Rabha, as in –

Boro

        The maximum concentration of Boro speakers is in the northern part of the Brahmaputra valley. Boro is spoken in the districts of Kokrajhar,Bongaigaon,Barpeta,Nalbari,Kamrup,Darrang and in certain parts of the Dhubri and Goalpara districts. The population of Boro speakers in Assam is 1184569(1991 Census).

Garo

        Garo speakers speaking mainly the Ruga and Atong dialects are found mainly in the southern part of the Kamrup district bordering Meghalaya.The population of Garo soeakers in Assam is 114779(1991 Census).

        The Rabhas are found primarily in the northern part of the Brahmaputra valley in the districts of Goalpara, Dhubri and Kamrup. Their population in Assam is 112424(1991Census).

Dimasa

        Dimasa speakers are found primarily in the districts of North Cachar, Cachar( in the Silchar sub division) and Karbi Anglong. Some Dimasa speakers are also found in the Nagaon district. The Dimasa population in Assam is 84654.

Tiwa(previously known as Lalung)

        T iwa is spoken primarily in the district of Marigaon and in some parts of the adjoining areas of the Nagaon district.The Tiwa population in Assam is 32633(1991 Census).

Tintekiya Koch and Koch

        T.K. and K speakers are found mainly in the Gaolpara district of Assam. Some such speakers are also found in Nagaon district.The 1991 Census has recorded 7205 speakers as using the Koch language but there is no mention of TK speakers.

Deuri

        Deuri speakers are found scattered in the districts of Lakhimpur,Dhemaji,Dibrugarh,Sibsagar,Jorhat,Tinsukia and in the eastern parts of Sonitpur district.However the maximum concentration of such speakers are in the Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh districts. It may be mentioned here that the Deuries are eesentially bilingual speakers with equal competence in Assamese.The population of Deuri is 15955 in Assam according to the 1991Census.

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Tanee

        The Tanee group of languages within the Tibeto Burman subfamily is represented by Mising. It is spoken in the districts of Sonitpur, Jorhat, Golaghat, Lakhimpur and Dibrugarh.The Mising population in the state is 381562 (1991).They are essentially bilingual speakers with equal competene in Assamese.

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Kuki-Chin

        The Kuki-Chin group of languages within the Tibeto-Burman stock is represented by Karbi(earlier called Mikir).It is spoken primarily in the district of Karbi-Anglong and in some parts of Jorhat district.

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