History of the Bangla Language
Bangla, also known as Bengali, is one of the most spoken languages in the world and holds a prominent place in South Asia. It is the official language of Bangladesh and is widely spoken in the Indian states of West Bengal, Tripura, and parts of Assam.
The roots of Bangla can be traced back to the Indo-Aryan language family. It evolved from Sanskrit and Prakrit, with significant development occurring between the 10th and 12th centuries. The language gradually emerged as an independent identity during the medieval period, influenced by local dialects and cultural interactions.
During the Bhakti movement, literary contributions by poets like Chandidas and Vidyapati enriched Bangla with devotional and lyrical elements. By the 19th century, under British colonial rule, modern Bangla literature flourished with pioneers like Rabindranath Tagore, who became the first Asian Nobel laureate in literature. Today, Bangla is celebrated for its rich literary heritage, vibrant cultural expression, and its role in uniting millions of speakers globally.
Bangla (Bengali) alphabet
The Bangla (Bengali) alphabet is written in the Bengali script, which is an abugida and consists of vowels (স্বরবর্ণ) and consonants (ব্যঞ্জনবর্ণ). Here is a breakdown of the Bengali alphabet:
Vowels (Swarabarna - স্বরবর্ণ)
Bengali vowels can stand alone or modify consonants.
Bengali Letter | Transliteration | Pronunciation (IPA) |
---|---|---|
\u0985 | A | ɔ |
\u0986 | Ā | a |
\u0987 | I | i |
\u0988 | Ī | i: |
\u0989 | U | u |
\u098A | Ū | u: |
\u098B | Ṛ | ri or r̩ |
\u098F | E | e |
\u0990 | AI | oi |
\u0993 | O | o |
\u0994 | AU | ou |
Consonants (Byanjanbarna - ব্যঞ্জনবর্ণ)
The Bengali consonants are divided into five groups based on articulation.
Velar
Bengali Letter | Transliteration | Pronunciation (IPA) |
---|---|---|
\u0995 | Ka | k |
\u0996 | Kha | kʰ |
\u0997 | Ga | g |
\u0998 | Gha | gʰ |
\u0999 | Nga | ŋ |
Palatal
Bengali Letter | Transliteration | Pronunciation (IPA) |
---|---|---|
\u099A | Ca | t͡ʃ |
\u099B | Cha | t͡ʃʰ |
\u099C | Ja | d͡ʒ |
\u099D | Jha | d͡ʒʰ |
\u099E | Ña | ɲ |
Retroflex
Bengali Letter | Transliteration | Pronunciation (IPA) |
---|---|---|
\u099F | Ṭa | ʈ |
\u09A0 | Ṭha | ʈʰ |
\u09A1 | Ḍa | ɖ |
\u09A2 | Ḍha | ɖʰ |
\u09A3 | Ṇa | ɳ |
Dental
Bengali Letter | Transliteration | Pronunciation (IPA) |
---|---|---|
\u09A4 | Ta | t |
\u09A5 | Tha | tʰ |
\u09A6 | Da | d |
\u09A7 | Dha | dʰ |
\u09A8 | Na | n |
Labial
Bengali Letter | Transliteration | Pronunciation (IPA) |
---|---|---|
\u09AA | Pa | p |
\u09AB | Pha | pʰ |
\u09AC | Ba | b |
\u09AD | Bha | bʰ |
\u09AE | Ma | m |
Semi-Vowels
Bengali Letter | Transliteration | Pronunciation (IPA) |
---|---|---|
\u09AF | Ya | j |
\u09B0 | Ra | r |
\u09B2 | La | l |
\u09AC\u09B7 | Sha | ʃ |
\u09B8 | Sa | s |
\u09B9 | Ha | h |
Additional Letters
- \u09DC - Rra (ঋ)
- \u09DD - Rha (ড়)
- \u09DF - Yaw (য়)
Numerals
Bengali also has its own set of numerals:
Bengali | Numeral |
---|---|
০ | 0 |
১ | 1 |
২ | 2 |
৩ | 3 |
৪ | 4 |
৫ | 5 |
৬ | 6 |
৭ | 7 |
৮ | 8 |
৯ | 9 |
The Bengali script is used not only for Bengali but also for other languages such as Assamese and Manipuri.