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{{Move to userspace|Babulbaishya}}
{{Infobox language
|name=বিষ্ণুপ্ৰিয়া মণিপুৰী
|nativename=বিষ্ণুপ্ৰিয়া মণিপুৰী বা ইমাৰ ঠাৰ 
|region=Northeast [[India]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Burma]] and several other countries
|speakers= ১১৫,০০০ জন
|familycolor=[[ইণ্ডো-ইউৰোপীয় ভাষা|ইণ্ডো-ইউৰোপীয়]]
|fam2=ইণ্ডো-ইৰাণীয়
|fam3=ইণ্ডো-আৰ্য
|fam4=শৌৰসনী প্ৰাকৃত
|fam5=অপভ্ৰংশ
|iso3=bpy
}}

বিষ্ণুপ্ৰিয়া বা বিষ্ণুপ্ৰিয়া মণিপুৰী (BPM) এটা ইণ্ডো-আৰ্য ভাষা। ভাৰতৰ মূলতঃ অসম, ত্ৰিপুৰা, মণিপুৰ আদি ৰাজ্য, বাংলাদেশৰ চিলেট অঞ্চল, ব্ৰহ্মদেশ আদি দেশত এই ভাষাটো প্ৰচলিত।


==History and development==
Bishnupriya Manipuri is spoken in parts of [[Assam]] and [[Tripura]] in [[India]], in the [[Sylhet]] region of [[Bangladesh]], [[Burma]], and in several other countries. It is different from many Indo-Aryan languages like [[Bengali language|Bengali]], [[Assamese language|Assamese]], [[Oriya language|Oriya]], etc. The language originated and developed in [[Manipur]] and was originally confined to the surroundings of the [[Loktak Lake]].<ref>"Mayang, one of the languages spoken in the polyglot state of Manipur, may, however, be classed as a dialect of this language." – Imperial Gazetteer of India, Vol I, 1907</ref> Other authorities such as ''An account of the valley of Manipore'' by [[Col. McCullock]],<ref>"They (Mayangs) amongst themselves speak their own language, which is a dialact of Hindee" – An Account of the Valley of Manipore by McCullock, 1849.</ref> ''Descriptive Ethnology of Bengal'' by [[E. T. Dalton]]<ref>"The present population of Manipur includes a tribe called Meiun who speak a language of Sanskrit derivation. They are now in a servile condition performing the duties of grass-cutters to their conquerors." – Descriptive Ethnology of Bengal by T.T. Dalton, 1872, page 48,49.</ref> and the ''Linguistic Survey of India'' by [[George Abraham Grierson]]<ref>"A tribe known as Mayang speaks a mongrel form of Assamese known by the same name… They are also known as 'Bishnupuriya Manipuris' or 'Kalisa Manipuris' " – Linguistic Survey of India, 1891. Compiled by Sir [[George Abraham Grierson]], Vol V, page 419.</ref> mention that the language was in existence in Manipur before the 19th century. Dr. Grierson calls the language as "Bishnupuriya Manipuri", while some other writers call it simply "Bishnupriya". The principal localities where this language was spoken are now known as Heirok, Mayang Imphal, [[Bishnupur, Manipur|Bishnupur]],  Khunau, [[Ningthoukhong]], Ngaikhong, Thamnapokpi.<ref>K. P. Sinha. An etymological Dictionary of Bishnupriya Manipuri. Silchar 1982,page 4-6</ref>

A great majority of speakers of BPM fled from Manipur and took refuge in [[Assam]], [[Tripura]], [[Sylhet]] and [[Cachar]] during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries due to internal conflicts among the princes of Manipur and due to Burmese attack. Consequently, it was difficult for the small number of Bishnupriyas who remained in Manipur to retain their language in the face of the impact of Meitei, although in 1891 Dr. G.A. Grierson found the existence of a considerable number of speakers in two or three villages near Bishnupur, locally known as Lamangdong.<ref>Supplement 'Mayang', Linguistic Survey of India, 1891. Compiled by Sir G. A. Grierson, Vol V, page 419</ref> The language slowly started losing its ground in Manipur against a vast majority of Meiteis and is slowly facing its decay in Cachar and Bangladesh against a vast majority of Bengali-speakers. This language is still being spoken in Jiribam (a sub-division of Manipur),<ref>[http://www.e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=3..130907.sep07 E-pao.net]</ref> Cachar (a district of Assam) and in some pockets in Bangladesh and Tripura.

==Source and origin==
The language is known to its speakers as ''Imar Thar'' (ইমাৰ ঠাৰ), meaning "Language of my Mother." They call themselves and their language "Manipuri",  and use the term "Bishnupriya" to distinguish them from other ethnic races of [[Manipur]]. The term "Bishnupriya" is most probably derived from "Bishnupur" along with the suffix "-iya", meaning "people of 'Bishnupur', the old capital of Manipur.<ref>Dr. K. P. Sinha. The Bishnupriya Manipuris and Their Language, Assam 1977,page 5,6</ref> Orthodox Bishnupriyas hold that the language was carried over to Manipur by some immigrants from [[Dvārakā]] and [[Hastinapura]] just after the [[Mahabharata]] war. It is further said that these immigrants were led by [[Babhruvahana]], the son of [[Chitrangada]] and [[Arjuna]], the third Pandava. Some scholars and history writers came to support the [[Mahabharata Theory of Bishnupriya Language|Mahabharata origin of Bishnupriya Manipuri]] from observation of the [[morphology (linguistics)|morphology]], the [[vocables]], and the [[phonology]] of the Bishnupriya Manipuri language.<ref>Singha, Jagat Mohan & Singha, Birendra. The Bishnupriya Manipuris & Their Language. [[Silchar]], 1976</ref> They hold that BPM is highly influenced by [[Sanskrit]] and [[Maharastri]] as well as Sauraseni [[Prakrit]]s. [[Dr. K. P. Sinha]], who has done considerable research on Bishnupriya Manipuri, disagrees with the theory and is of the opinion that the language was originated through [[Magadhi]] Prakrita. It is found from his observations that the language has retained dominant characteristics of Magadhi. According to Dr Sinha, pronouns and declensional and conjugational endings seem to be same as or closely related to those of  [[Oriya language|Oriya]], [[Bengali language|Bengali]] and [[Assamese language|Assamese]]. These forms of  Oriya, Bengali and Assamese are, on their parts, derived from Magadhi Apabhramsa coming from the Magadhi Prakrita.<ref>Dr. K.P. Sinha, An Etymological Dictionary of Bishnupriya Manipuri,Silchar, 1982</ref> 

However, the Bishnupriya Manipuri language is certainly not one of the [[Tibeto-Burman languages]], but is closer to the Indo-Aryan group of languages with remarkable influence from [[Meitei]] both grammatically and phonetically. At a different stage of development of the language the Sauraseni, Maharashtri and Magadhi languages and the Tibeto-Burman languages exerted influence on it as well. So it was probably developed from Sanskrit, [[Sauraseni]]-[[Maharashtri]] [[Prakrit]] and [[Magadhi]] Prakrita.The Sauraseni-Maharastri relation can be traced by observing some characteristics of pronouns. The Magadhi element is also remarkable, as the language retains many characteristics of Magadhi. It can further be noted that Bishnupriya Manipuri retains much of the old (15th century to 17th century A.D.) Meitei sound vocabulary, as the majority of speakers of the language left Manipur during the first part of the 19th century.<ref>Tribals and their Culture in Manipur and Nagaland by G. K. Ghose. Page 167.</ref>

==Dialects==
Bishnupriyas have two dialects, namely Rajar Gang ("King's village") and Madai Gang ("Queen's village"). Unlike the dialects of other tribes, these dialects of Bishnupriya are not confined to distinct geographical areas; they rather exist side by side in the same localities. In Manipur, however, these two dialects were confined to well-defined territories. From the viewpoint of phonetics, Madai Gang is more akin to Assamese and Meitei, whereas Rajar Gang is more akin to Bengali. In vocabulary Madai Gang is more influenced by Meitei while Rajar Gang is more akin to Bengali and Assamese. The morphological differences between the two dialects are negligible.

==Vocabulary==
Like other Indic languages, the core vocabulary of Bishnupriya Manipuri is made up of ''tadbhava'' words (i.e. words inherited over time from older Indic languages, including Sanskrit, including many historical changes in grammar and pronunciation), although thousands of ''tatsama'' words (i.e. words that were re-borrowed directly from Sanskrit with little phonetic or grammatical change) augment the vocabulary greatly. In addition, many other words were borrowed from languages spoken in the region either natively or as a colonial language, including Meitei, English, and Perso-Arabic.

*Inherited/native Indic words (''tadbhava''):10,000 (Of these, 2,000 are only found in Bishnupriya Manipuri, and have not been inherited by other Indic languages)
*Words re-borrowed from Sanskrit (''tatsama''): 10,000
*Words re-borrowed from Sanskrit, partially modified (''ardhatatsama''): 1,500
*Words borrowed from Meitei: 3,500
*Words borrowed from other indigenous non-Indic languages (''desi''): 1,500
*Words borrowed from Perso-Arabic: 2,000
*Words borrowed from English: 700
*Hybrid words: 1,000
*Words of obscure origin: 1,300

==Meitei elements in Bishnupriya Manipuri==
Bishnupriya retains the old eighteen sounds of Meitei. Of them, there were three vowels, such as α, i and u, thirteen consonants such as p, t, k, ph, th, kh, cʃ, m, n, ŋ, l, ʃ,h and two semi vowels, such as w and y. In later stage nine more sounds added to Meitei but Bishnupriya is not concerned with them, because the Bishnupriyas left Manipur during 1st part of 19th century. That is why Bishnupriya retains the older sounds of Meitei, whereas in Meitei itself the sound system has under-gone various changes.<ref>Dr. K.P. Sinha, The Bishnupriya Manipuri Language, Calcutta, 1981</ref>
The most distinctive influence of Maitei language over Bishnupriya manipuri is formation of words starting with vowel soung ঙ 'aung' such as ঙা, ঙৌবা,ঙাৰল

==Connection with Assamese and Bengali languages==
Although there are numerous dissimilarities between Bengali /Assamese and BPM, Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatterjee, a recognized Bengali phonetician, listed the BPM language to be a dialect of Bengali, whereas Dr. Maheswer Neog and Dr. Banikanta Kakti claimed it as a dialect of Assamese. Their assumptions later caused contradiction about the origin of Bishnupriya Manipuri language. But the assumptions were proven incorrect by scientific research and observation of morphology, vocabulary and phonology of BPM.

==Script==
The orthodox Bishnupriyas claim that they have their own script, that is, the [[Devanagari]] script, which was used to write in the Bishnupriya language in its early years.

However, on introduction of modern education during the British period through the Bengali language the Bishnupriya Manipuri writers began to use the [[Bengali alphabet|Assamese/Bengali script]]. This alphabet has consonant letters with dependent vowel signs (matras) as well as independent vowel letters. Punctuation marks and numerals are also used. Bishnupriya Manipuri is written from left to right and top to bottom, in the same manner as in English. Some of the consonants can combine with one another to make orthographic clusters (named conjuncts).
* '''Vowel Signs''': {{Unicode|া ি ী ু ূ ৃ ে ৈ ো ৌ}}
* '''Other diacritics''': {{Unicode|ৼ ং ঃ ঁ}}
* '''Independent vowels''': অ আ ই ঈ উ ঊ এ ঐ ও ঔ
* '''Consonants''': ক খ গ ঘ ঙ ছ জ ঝ ঞ ট ঠ ড ঢ ণ ত থ দ ধ ন প  ফ ব ম য ৰ ল শ ষ স হ ড় ঢ় য় ৱ
* '''Numbers''': ০ ১ ২ ৩ ৪ ৫ ৬ ৭ ৮ ৯

==Places where Bishnupriya Manipuri is spoken==
In [[Manipur]] the language is still spoken in the [[Jiribam]] subdivision. A large number of Bishnupriya Manipuri people settled in Assam ages ago, particularly in the districts of [[Cachar]], [[Karimganj]], [[Patherkandi]] and [[Hailakandi]]. These people are counted as one of the major groups of people in the Cachar and Karimganj districts. In [[Tripura]], the Bishnupriya Manipuri population localities may be divided into a Dharmanagar sub-area, a Kailasahar sub-area, a Kamalpur sub-area and a West Tripura sub-area. In [[Meghalaya]], [[Arunachal Pradesh]] and [[Mizoram]], there is a scattered Bishnupriya Manipuri population.

Outside of India, Bangladesh has the largest Bishnupriya Manipuri population. The main localities are Sylhet, Moulbivazar, Habiganj and the Sunamganj district. There are also a considerable number of the Bishnupriyas Manipuris living in local cities like Mymensingh, Rangamati of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and also at Tezgaon, Manipuri-para in Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh.

In Burma the Bishnupriya Manipuri areas are Tbangdut, Mawa Kalewa and Bumnuk etc. And in case of the United States of America, Canada, Germany, Middle East and Austria, there are a considerable number of Bishnupriya Manipuris settled there.

==Population of Bishnupriya Manipuri==
*295,000 in [[Assam]]<ref>http://borakvalley.com/2009/07/416-lakh-bishnupriya-manipuris-in-ne.html</ref>
*121,000 in [[Tripura]], [[Meghalaya]], [[Arunachal Pradesh]], [[Nagaland]] and [[Mizoram]]<ref>http://lakhipuronline.blogspot.com/2009/07/mahasabha-census-indicates-416-lakh.html</ref>
*1,457 in Manipur ([[Imphal]], [[Bishnupur, Manipur|Bishnupur]], [[Ningthoukhong]])<ref>http://www.censusindia.gov.in/Census_Data_2001/Census_Data_Online/Language/partb.htm</ref>
*5,000 in Manipur ([[Jiribam]] Subdivision)<ref>Cultural Heritage of North-East India/ Bidhan Singha,1999</ref>
*5,000 in New Delhi,West Bengal, Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Sikkim and other Indian states
*40,000 in Bangladesh<ref>http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Bangladesh</ref>
*2,000 in [[Burma]], US, UK, Canada, Australia, Philippines, Middle-East countries and other overseas countries

==Literature==
===Ancient literature===
A good stock of folk literatures of Bishnupriya Manipuri, which are older in origin, are  handed down to this day through oral tradition. The ancient literature of Bishnupriya Manipuri is represented by folk stories, folk-songs, folk-poems, rhymes and proverbs. A rain-invoking song called বৰন ডাহানিৰ এলা ([http://manipuri.itgo.com/archives/boron_dahanir_ela.htm Boron-dahanir Ela], 1450-1600A.D.) and a song relating to the conjugal life of Madai and Soralel known as মাদই সৰাৰেলৰ এলা ([http://manipuri.itgo.com/archives/madoi_soralel_ela.html Madai Soralel Ela], 1500-1600 A.D.) are sometimes considered the most important. The language of the songs are archaic and are replete with words of Tibeto-Burman origin. These two songs are very important for the study of the cultural and linguistic history of Bishnupriya Manipuri. Besides these, there are songs which are sung by women who work in the fields. Proverbs form another important part of BPM folk literature.

===Modern literature===
The Bishnupriya Manipuris have established Bishnupriya Manipuri Sahitya Parishad, Bishnupriya Manipuri Sahitya Sabha, Bishnupriya Manipuri Sahitya Singlup, Pouri, Manipuri Theatre and many other organizations to encourage literary activities among the people. Serious literary culture of the BPM language began during the 2nd quarter of 20th century. In fact, the history of Manipuri literature began in 1925 with the literary magazine ''Jagaran'' (জাগৰন) edited by Falguni Singha who was a Bishnupriya Social worker; this magazine published articles both in Bishnupriya and Meitei. The Manipuris of Surma valley formed their first formal association, Surma Valley Manipuri Society (later called Surma Valley Manipuri Association) in 1934. The members included the Meiteis, the Bishnupriyas and the [[Pangals]] (Manipuri Muslims). From 1933 a number of journals, e.g. ''Manipuri'' (1933), ''Mekhali'' (1938) and ''Kshatryajyoti'' (1944), fostered nationalism as well literary and cultural activities.A branch of modern BPM poetic literature, namely [[Vaishnava]] [[Padavali]], based on Vaishnava philosophy, deserves special mention.

==Bishnupriya Manipuri Wikipedia==
There is a Wikipedia in [http://bpy.wikipedia.org Bishnupriya Manipuri] with more than 23,000 articles as of August 2009. This makes it currently the language with the most articles in the [[Bengali script]].

==Notes and references==
{{reflist|2}}

==See also==
{{Portal|India|Languages}}
{{InterWiki|code=bpy}}
<!-- {{wikibooks|code=bpy}} does not exist -->
* [[Bisnupriya Manipuri Society|Bishnupriya Manipuri Society]]
* [[List of Indian poets#Bishnupriya Manipuri|List of Bishnupriya Manipuri poets]]

==External links==
* {{ethnologue|bpy|Bishnupriya}}
* [http://www.languageinindia.com/dec2002/bishnupriya.html Bishnupriya Manipuri: A brief introduction]
* [http://manipuri.freeservers.com/  Details on Bishnupriya Manipuri Language]
* [http://manipuriblog.blogspot.com The Manipuri Blog]
* [http://Manipuri.htmlplanet.com  Archive of Bishnupriya Manipuri Literature]
* [http://www.manipuri.org/discus  Bishnupriya Manipuri forum]
* [http://www.bishnupriya-manipuri.org  Bishnupriya Manipuri society]
* [http://manipuri.wordpress.com A Weblog on Bishnupriya Manipuri people and culture]
* [http://www.bishnupriyamanipuri.blogspot.com BishnupriyaManipuri Online Blog]

==Further reading==
# ''Vasatatvar Ruprekha''/ Dr. K. P. Sinha, Silchar, 1977
# ''Manipuri jaatisotta bitorko: ekti niropekkho paath'' /Ashim Kumar Singha, Sylhet,2001
# G. K. Ghose / Tribals and Their Culture in Manipur and Nagaland, 1982
# Raj Mohan Nath / The Background of Assamese Culture, 2nd edn, 1978
# Sir G. A. Grierson / Linguistic Survey of India, Vol-5,1903
# Dr. K. P. Sinha / An Etymological Dictionary of Bishnupriya Manipuri, 1982
# Dr. M. Kirti Singh / Religious developments in Manipur in the 18th and 19th centuuy, Imphal, 1980
# Singha, Jagat Mohan & Singha, Birendra / The Bishnupriya Manipuris & Their Language, silchar, 1976
# Dr. Pragyabati Singha / National Mission for Manuscript survey, Sankardev Kalakhestra, Guwahati, 2006



{{DEFAULTSORT:Bishnupriya Manipuri Language}}

[[en:Bishnupriya Manipuri language]]
[[az:Bişnupriya-manipuri]]
[[bn:বিষ্ণুপ্রিয়া মণিপুরী ভাষা]]
[[de:Bishnupriya Manipuri]]
[[es:Bishnupriya Manipuri]]
[[eo:Biŝnuprija lingvo]]
[[fa:زبان مانیپوری]]
[[fr:Bishnupriya Manipuri]]
[[hy:Բիշնուպրիյա]]
[[hi:बिष्णुप्रिया मणिपुरी]]
[[hr:Bishnupriya jezik]]
[[bpy:বিষ্ণুপ্রিয়া মণিপুরী]]
[[it:Lingua Bishnupriya Manipuri]]
[[la:Lingua Bisnupriya]]
[[lt:Bišnuprija manipuri kalba]]
[[ms:Bahasa Bishnupur Manipur]]
[[ne:बिष्णुप्रिया मणिपुरी]]
[[new:मणिपुरी भाषा]]
[[ja:ビシュヌプリヤ・マニプリ語]]
[[pms:Lenga bishnupriya]]
[[pl:Język bisznuprija-manipuri]]
[[pt:Bishnupriya Manipuri]]
[[ru:Бишнуприя-манипури]]
[[sk:Bišnupríja manipurí]]
[[sv:Bishnupriya manipuri]]
[[ta:பிஷ்ணுப்பிரியா மணிப்புரி மொழி]]
[[th:ภาษาพิศนุปริยะ มณีปุรี]]
[[zh:比什奴普萊利亞－曼尼浦爾語]]