LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 15:2 February 2015
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
         C. Subburaman, Ph.D. (Economics)
         N. Nadaraja Pillai, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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A Dictionary in Assamese and English by M. Bronson:
Historical Background and Lexicographic Approach

Subasana Mahanta, Ph.D.

Abstract

The first printed lexicographic work in Assam is attributed to Dr. Miles Bronson, an American Baptist Missionary, the compiler of A Dictionary in Assamese and English (published in 1864). At the time of arrival of Dr. Bronson in Assam (1837), the language of the land, Assamese, had been banished. It was replaced in the schools of Assam and courts by Bengali. The missionaries saw that the general population of Assam understood only the Assamese language and that this fact should be recognized by using Assamese in all fields. Bronson openly began the agitation in favor of the Assamese language on behalf of the mission. A Dictionary in Assamese and English was a part of the struggle for the survival of the language. This paper aims at giving an account of the first printed lexicographic work in Assam. The paper sets out with an introduction on historical background and linguistic circumstances which prompted Bronson to compile the dictionary followed by an overview of the work from lexicographic points of view. The paper discusses especially the ‘macro-structure’ of the dictionary. Further, the paper discusses the lexicographic potential that the dictionary intended to fulfill and concludes that in spite of some lapses, this dictionary was Bronson’s outstanding contribution to the Assamese language.

Key Words: Dictionary, Bilingual dictionary, Utility lexicography, Bidirectional-bilingual dictionary

Introduction

A Dictionary in Assamese and English (?????? ??? ?????? ??????) compiled by Dr. Miles Bronson, an American Baptist Missionary, is the first printed lexicographic work in Assamese. The dictionary was published by the American Baptist Mission Press, Sibsagor in1867. It is a bilingual dictionary with meanings from Assamese to both Assamese and English. This had been the only published dictionary in Assamese until 1900.

The American Baptist Missionaries coming to North-east India, in the nineteenth century found themselves among a rich assortment of people, cultures and languages. Language study was necessary for communication, and since in most of the language areas linguistic work had not been previously done, they themselves became pioneers in the work of language analysis and the preparation of dictionaries and grammar.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Dr. Subasana Mahanta
Associate Professor
Department of Assamese
Dibrugarh University,
Dibrugarh-786004
Assam
India
subasanam9@gmail.com
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