# Dehan dialect

Dehan, Dewan, Dheyan, Dhiyan or Cachari dialect is a regional variety of Assamese, spoken mainly in the Cachar district of Barak valley. More specifically, Dehan speakers are mainly found in ten villages in the eastern part of Barak river namely Horinagar, Japirbon, Leburbon, Gororbon, Dewan (Labok) or Dewan Bosti, Narayanpur, Larchingpar, Thaligram, Lakkhichora, and Digli. Though Dehan speakers are located in the same district, however, they are scattered in different places. Out of ten villages, Japirbon is the biggest and the populous one.
Other than Assamese, Dehan shares its lexical items and linguistic features with Sylheti and Bishnupriya Manipuri as well, which is due to long language contact apart from being closely related. Dehan is closely related to the Kamrupi and Standard dialects of Assamese.

## History

Among the communities of Barak valley, the Dehans are one of the early settlers as their settlement dates back to 16th century. They are migrants from Brahmaputra valley. They entered Cachar during Chilarai’s conquest of Cachar plains, but some of them didn't return to Brahmaputra valley and made Cachar their permanent home. Chilarai campaigned through Maibong, Manipur, Jaintia, Srihatta and Tripura and finally the plains of Cachar were annexed to the Koch kingdom in 1562. Later the Koch principality in Cachar was reduced to a small zamindari in and around Khaspur.
The Koch-Rajbongshis of Barak valley are better known as Dehans. They initially had their settlements around Khaspur but later, owning to different socio-political compulsions, they had to branch off to different villages.

## Morphology
### Pronouns

Personal pronouns :
| | | | | nominative | accusative | genitive |
| 1st person | singular | singular | singular | moi | mök | mör |
| 1st person | plural | plural | plural | ami | amak | amar |
| 2nd person | singular | singular | singular | toi | tök | tör |
| 2nd person | plural | plural | plural | tumi | tumak | tumar |
| 3rd person | sg | prox | m | i | iak | iar |
| 3rd person | sg | prox | f | | | |
| 3rd person | sg | dist | m | xi | xiak | xiar |
| 3rd person | sg | dist | f | tai | taik | tair |
| 3rd person | pl | pl | prox | | | |
| 3rd person | pl | pl | dist | xelök, xilök | xelökok, xilökok | xelökor, xilök |

### Grammatical cases

| Cases | Suffix | Example |
| Nominative | none | গছৰgosorplant-GENপেনাpenafromপাতখিনিpatkhini-Øleaves-ABSসৰছেই।xorsei.fell-IMPERF.3গছৰ পেনা পাতখিনি সৰছেই।gosor pena patkhini-Ø xorsei.plant-GEN from leaves-ABS fell-IMPERF.3The leaves fell from the tree. |
| Ergative | -এ-e-এ-e | নানায়েnana-echild-ERGমোকmökI-ACCচাই।sa-i.see-3.HAB.PRESনানায়ে মোক চাই।nana-e mök sa-i.child-ERG I-ACC see-3.HAB.PRESThe child looks at me. Note: The personal pronouns without a plural or other suffix are not marked. |
| Accusative | -অক,-ok,-ক¹,-k¹,nonenone-অক, -ক¹, none-ok, -k¹, none | গোপীয়েgöpieGopi-ERGচৰইগোটকsoroigötokbird-DEF-ACCচাইsailookingআছেই।asei.exist-3.PRES.CONTগোপীয়ে চৰইগোটক চাই আছেই।göpie soroigötok sai asei.Gopi-ERG bird-DEF-ACC looking exist-3.PRES.CONTGopi is looking at the bird. সিxiheপথাৰpothar-Øfield-ACCদেখ্ছ্লেই।dekhslei.see-PAST-3সি পথাৰ দেখ্ছ্লেই।xi pothar-Ø dekhslei.he field-ACC see-PAST-3He saw a field. |
| Genitive | -অৰ,-or,-ৰ¹-r¹-অৰ, -ৰ¹-or, -r¹ | তাইtaiSheপাহাৰৰpahar-orhill-GENউপৰতuporotabove-LOC/DATগ’ছেগেই।gösegei.went-3.IMPERF.PERFতাই পাহাৰৰ উপৰত গ’ছেগেই।tai pahar-or uporot gösegei.She hill-GEN above-LOC/DAT went-3.IMPERF.PERFShe went up the hill. |
| Dative | -অক,-ok,-ক¹k¹-অক, -ক¹-ok, k¹ | সিxiheমোকmö-kI-DATপুথিখনputhikhonbook-ACCদিছ্লেই।dislei.give-3.PASTসি মোক পুথিখন দিছ্লেই।xi mö-k puthikhon dislei.he I-DAT book-ACC give-3.PASTHe gave me the book. |
| Instrumental | -দি-di-দি-di | নাওখনগোnaökhongöboat-CL-DEFজুৰিদিনেzuri-dinerope-INS-FOCবান্ধাbandhatiedআছেই।asei.exist-3.PRES.HABনাওখনগো জুৰিদিনে বান্ধা আছেই।naökhongö zuri-dine bandha asei.boat-CL-DEF rope-INS-FOC tied exist-3.PRES.HABThe boat has been tied with the rope. |
| Locative | -অত,-ot,-ত¹-t¹-অত, -ত¹-ot, -t¹ | সিলোকxilöktheyচোতালতsötal-otyard-LOCউমুলবালাইumulbalaiplay-INF.DATলাগছেই।laksei.start-IMPERF.3সিলোক চোতালত উমুলবালাই লাগছেই।xilök sötal-ot umulbalai laksei.they yard-LOC play-INF.DAT start-IMPERF.3They are playing in the yard. |
1 = Used after vowel-ending words.

## Sample text

| Dehan | Standard Assamese | Translation |
| "Ek buri ar ek xialor kotha" | "Burhi ezoni aru xial etar kotha" | "The story of an old woman and a jackal" |
| Kunö ek somoyot ekhon gaõt ek buri asile. Buri khub suza sorol doyalu asile. Burir khet-bati asile. | Künü ek xomoyot ekhon gaõt ezoni burhi asile. Burhi khub xuza xorol doyalu asile. Burhir kheti-bati asile | Once upon a time there was an old woman in a village. The old woman was very straight simple and kind hearted. The old woman had some assets in the land form of land. |
| Buri ek din kosu ruar karone godhlabela tukrit kosu loi-ne döŋor pharot göl. Kosubarit tair kosu rui thakö̃te-thakö̃te sonda höl. | Burhi edin kosu rüar karone godhulibela pasit kosu loi(-kine) noir parot göl. Kosubarit tair kosu rui thakü̃te thakü̃te xondhia höl. | One evening the old woman took arum in a basket and went to sow the arum in the bank of the river. While sowing the arum it got dark. |
| Emon somoyot ota xial ahi hene burik xudile , “Ö buri! Ö buri! , ki ruo?” | Iman xomoyot eta xial ahi (kine) burhik xudhile, “Ö burhi! Ö burhi!, ki rüo?“ | At that time a jackal came and asked the oldwoman, “old woman! Old woman what do you sow?” |
| Burie bulle, “ar ki ruim, hei de kosu ruoŋ ar ki ?” | Burhie bulile, “aru ki rum, hei de kosu rüü̃ aru ki ?” | The oldwoman replied’ “what more I will sow, the same arum.” |
| Xiale bulle, “o accha toi ze kosu ruo, kosuguti uhuaso ki na? | Xiale köle, “o baru toi ze kosu rüo, kosukeita uhuaiso ne nai? | Jackal said, “oh, tell, you have boiled the yam or not?” |
| Burie bulle, “nai babai uhua nai, kõsai ruoŋ.” | Burhie köle, “nai büpai, uhua nai, kẽsai rüü̃.“ | Oldwoman replied, “No, baba, I haven’t boiled it, I will saw it raw.” |
| Xiale bulle, “tede bohut din lagbe, buri ek kam kor, kosuguti kali uhaine rubi, sabi eke ratie tör kosu borbor hobe.” | Xiale köle, “tesün bohut din lagibo, burhi ek kam kor, kosukeita kaliloi uhai(-kine) rubi, sabi eke ratie tür kosu daṅor daṅor höbo.” | Jackal said, “then it will take many days to grow, do one thing, sow the arum after boiling, you will see that it will grow up over a night’ |
| Burie bulle, “hoi niki?” | Burhie köle, ”hoy neki?” | Oldwoman said, “Does it happen?” |
| Xiale bulle,“o hoye de, sabitö rui sa, kali tör kosu khanbi.” | Xiale köle, “o hoye de, sabisün rui sa, kaliloi tür kosu khandibi.” | The jackal said, “Yes, that's true. Dig your arums tomorrow and see.” |
| Burie bhabile, “Zodi uhaine kosu rua zai ar ekë ratie kosu bor-bor hoi te ar porisom kori labh ki?” | Burhie bhabile, “Zodi uhai(-kine) kosu rüa zay aru ekei ratie kosu bor-bor hoy, te aru porisrom kori labh ki?” | The oldwoman thought, “ If arum grows more over a night time by sowing this way then what’s the use of working so hard?” |
| Pisot burie bulle, “thik ase moi kali uhainei ruim.” | Pisot burhie köle, “thik ase moi kaliloi uhaikinei rum.” | After that oldwoman said, “ok, I will boil and sow it tomorrow.” |