# Northern Andamanese language

Northern Andamanese is the critically endangered native language of North Andaman Island. It is closely related to Akakede and seems to have consisted of four mutually intelligible dialects: Akachari (Cari), Akakhora (Kora), Akabo (Bo), and Akajeru (Jeru). Jeru is the only one with speakers remaining.
When the North Andamanese people were resettled to Strait Island, a koiné developed from the resulting mixture of dialects. It went extinct in the early 2000s. The remainder of this article concerns the koiné. For more specific information, see the individual dialects.

## Great Andamanese koiné

Great Andamanese koiné is based primarily on Jeru, with lexical and grammatical influence from other Northern Andamanese dialects (Aka-Bo, Aka-Kora and Aka-Cari). It is a head-marking polysynthetic and agglutinative language with a SOV pattern. It has a very elaborate system for marking inalienability, with seven possessive markers reflecting different body-divisions. These markers appear as proclitics that classify a large number of nouns as dependent categories.

### Phonology
#### Vowels

The Great Andamanese koiné has a seven-vowel system.
Vowels :
| | Front | Central | Back |
| Close | i | | u |
| Close-mid | e | | o |
| Open-mid | ɛ | | ɔ |
| Open | | a | |

#### Consonants

Consonants :
| | | Labial | Dental /Alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | n | | ɲ | ŋ |
| Plosive | voiceless | p | t | ʈ | tʃ | k |
| Plosive | voiceless aspirated | pʰ | tʰ | ʈʰ | | kʰ |
| Plosive | voiced | b | d | ɖ | dʒ | |
| Fricative | Fricative | | s | | ʃ | |
| Trill | Trill | | ɾ | | | |
| Approximant | Approximant | w | l | | j | |

### Vocabulary

Koiné vocabulary:
| Gloss | Great Andamanese | Devanagari |
| nest | aaracha | आराचा |
| housefly | ijibu | ईजीबू |
| snake (king cobra) | ulukhu | ऊलूखू |
| chilli | ekajira | एकाजीरा |
| deer | airen | ऐरेन |
| fishing net | ocho | ओचो |
| axe | aulo | औलो |
| snail | kalatop | कालाटौप |
| dugong | kauroing | कौरौईञ |
| coconut | khider | खीदेर |
| road | ngorto | ङौरतौ |
| betelnut | chaum | चौम |
| dolphin | choa | चोआ |
| bat | jibet | जीबेट |
| fish | nyure | ञूरे |
| heron | taka | टाका |
| tongue | thatat | ठातात |
| sunset | diu | डीऊ |
| black pig | dirim raa | डीरीम राऽ |
| leaf | taich | तौच |
| dew | thun | थून |
| scorpion | dikiraseni | दीकीरासेनी |
| mosquito | nipho | नीफो |
| mushroom | pata | पाता |
| crow | phatkaa | फाटका |
| frog | phorube | फोरूबे |
| rope | pharako | फाराको |
| green turtle | belotauro | बेलोटौरौ |
| grey pigeon | mirit | मीरीत |
| rooster | maucho | मौचौ |
| strewn leaves | yephaay taich | येफाऽय तैच |
| bamboo | rat | रैट |
| tusked male pig | ratairlauto | रातैरलौतो |
| smoke | lep | लेप |
| fire | luro, wuro | लूरो, वूरो |
| waist jewellery | shirbele | शीरबेले |
| snake | shubi | शूबी |
| crocodile | sarekateyo | सारेकातेयो |
| White-bellied Sea-Eagle | karatchom | करटचोम |
| Pacific Golden Plover | chelele | चैलेले |
| Oriental Honey Buzzard | taulom-tut-bio | टौलोम-तूत-बीओ |
| Whimbrel | chautot | चौटोट |
* Column in yellow denotes loanword derived from Hindi

### Place names

Islands :
| Contemporary place name | Present Great Andamanese place name |
| Andaman Islands | Marakele |
| South Andaman Island | Sorobul |
| Little Andaman | Ilumu Tauro |
| Strait Island | Khringkosho |
| Havelock Island (Swaraj Island) | Thi Lar Siro |
| Interview Island | Bilikhu Taraphong |
| Neill Island (Shaheed Island) | Tebi Shiro |
| Baratang Island | Boa |
| Bluff Island | Lurua |
| Landfall Island | Mauntenga |
Places :
| Port Blair | Laotara Nyo |
| Diglipur | Thitaumul |
| Mayabunder | Rait Phor |