# Bonda language

The Bonda language, also known as Bondo or Remosam, is a south Munda language of the Austroasiatic language family spoken in Odisha, formerly known as Southern Odisha, in India. It had 2,568 speakers, all in Odisha, according to the 1951 Census of India, increasing to approximately 9,000 speakers in 2002 according to SIL.

## Classification

The Bonda language is an indigenous language belonging to the Southern subgroup of the Munda branch of the Austroasiatic language family. Bonda is a spoken language with no traditional written system recorded. Bonda is a part of the Gutob-Remo branch, due to the similarities Bonda shares with another Southern Munda Language named Gutob.

## History

The Bonda language derives its name from the tribe of the Bonda people, an indigenous group located in Odisha known as the Bonda Highlanders. In their native language, the Bonda people regard themselves as "Remo", which translates to human, and derive their language name from that root, calling their language as the human language or "Remosam" in their native tongue

## Geographic distribution

The language differs slightly, classified according to whether it can be categorized as Plains Remo (Bonda) or Hill Remo (Bonda).

### Plains Remo

This is a subdivision of Bonda, localized in 35 villages throughout the Khairpat within the Malkangiri district in Odisha. In 1941, 2,565 people categorized the Plains Remo. That number nearly doubled in 1971, with 4,764 people classifying themselves as Plains Remo. The increase in population was not correlated with language extension. There are 3,500 speakers as of 2002, but few are monolingual.

### Hills Remo

This is a subdivision of Bonda, localized in the Jeypore Hills region of Odisha. There are 5,570 speakers as of 2002.

## Phonology
### Stress

In Bonda, primary stress is placed on the last syllable in a word, syllables with diphthongs, glottal stops, or checked consonants. However, Plains Remo primarily stresses the second syllable in a word. Bonda words can have a maximum of 5 syllables.

### Diphthongs

Diphthongs are placed either in the beginning or middle of a word, usually used in combination of two different vowel types.
| Bonda | Translation |
| lean | tongue |
| bois | age |
| guidag | to wash |
| otoi | not to be |
| dau | small |

### Consonants

There are 33 consonants in the Bonda language.
Consonants :
| | | Bilabial | Alveolar | Retroflex | Palatal | Velar | Glottal |
| Stop | voiceless | p | t | ʈ | c | k | ʔ |
| Stop | voiceless aspirated | pʰ | tʰ | ʈʰ | cʰ | kʰ | |
| Stop | voiced | b | d | ɖ | ɟ | ɡ | |
| Stop | voiced aspirated | bʱ | dʱ | ɖʱ | ɟʱ | ɡʱ | |
| Fricative | voiceless | | s | | | | h |
| Fricative | voiced | v | (z) | | | | |
| Nasal | Nasal | m | n | ɳ | ɲ | ŋ | |
| Approximant | Approximant | | l | ɭ | j | w | |
| Trill | Trill | | r | | | | |
/z/ only occurs in loanwords from Odia. Retroflex /ɳ/ and fricative /v/ are found in Plain Remo, but not in the Hill Remo variety.

### Vowels

Remo has 7 vowel phonemes: /a, e, i, o, u, ɔ, (ə)/.
| | Front | Central | Back |
| Close | i | | u |
| Mid | e | (ə) | o |
| Open-mid | | | ɔ |
| Open | | a | |
In Plain Remo, depending on contexts, vowels can undergo laxing and weaking processes. For examples, /i/ > /ɪ/ in mirɪ ('why'), /e/ > /ɛ/ in kɛnda ('branch') and sɛllari ('scolopendra').
In Bonda, vowels are nasalized and clusters are commonplace.

## Grammar
### Syntax

Bonda follows the SOV (Subject + Object + Verb) sequence, but other word orders are possible.

### Gender

Age and gender serve as classification denominations for individuals. Female names end in /-i/ and male names end in /-a/. Animals are also distinguished by gender.

### Compound verb

The compound verb is not frequently used in Bonda and can be used as a conjunctive participle.

### Nominal postpositions

According to Fernandez (1968:97), Remo has 19 bound postpositional or case marking elements that will attach with nouns and pronouns. The most popular case marking postpositions are:
* Oblique a-
* Locative–Illative–Directional -boʔ
* Superessive -bagboʔ
* Subessive -aluŋ
* Adessive -borotere
* Perlative -nande
* Inessive -bitre
miɳɖa
one.HUM
remo
man
ŋkwusi-aluŋ
jackfruit-SUBE
ɖi-ta
COP-NPST.II
miɳɖa remo ŋkwusi-aluŋ ɖi-ta
one.HUM man jackfruit-SUBE COP-NPST.II
'One man is beneath the jackfruit tree.'
There are instances of a- replacing the locative markers. Such examples, two sentences are equivalent:
niŋ
I
korji-bagboʔ
chair-SUPE/LAT
layk-t-iŋ
sit-NPST-1
niŋ korji-bagboʔ layk-t-iŋ
I chair-SUPE/LAT sit-NPST-1
'I sit on the chair'
niŋ
I
a-korji
OBL-chair
layk-t-iŋ
sit-NPST-1
niŋ a-korji layk-t-iŋ
I OBL-chair sit-NPST-1
'I sit on the chair'

## Vocabulary
### Kinship terminology

In Kinship terms, the velar nasal, ŋ, is often used. Various kinship terms also represent multiple positions.
| Bonda | English Gloss |
| baʔ | Father |
| iyɔŋ | Mother |
| remɔ | Man |
| mpɔr | Husband |
| kunui | Wife |
| bɔrai | Aunt |
| busã | Uncle |
| tata | Grandfather |
| ya/iya | Father's Mother/Mother's Mother |
| maŋ | Eldest brother |
| miŋ | Elder sister |
| ileʔǐ | Grandchild |
| masɔ | Nephew |