Deori (also Deuri) is a Tibeto-Burman language in the Tibeto-Burman languages family spoken by the Deori people of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Deori are also a part of Bodo–Kachari people. Among the four territorial groups only the Dibongiya have retained the language. The others—Patorgoyan, Tengaponiya, and Borgoyan—have shifted to Assamese. It is spoken in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh, and in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Sivasagar and Jorhat districts of Assam. The primary literary body of Deori is known as "deori chucheba chengcha" (Deori Sahitya Sabha).
In the colonial times this language became associated with the Assamese speaking Chutia people,"It was Brown who had the unfortunate idea of associating the name of the Deori with that of the (Assamese speaking) Chutiya." and came to be known as the "Deori-Chutia language" in the Linguistic Survey of India. At present, there is no evidence of closeness of the Deori language to the Assamese speaking Chutia populatjon."The extant literature on Deori (Brown 1895; Brandreth 1878; Grierson 1909; Goswami 1994) associates the language of the Deori community with the Chutiyas, "the original language of Upper Assam" (Brown 1895:5). At present, there is no evidence of closeness of the Deori language to the language spoken by the Chutiya community."
The Deori language is one of the most influential languages which has helped develop the Assamese language in Upper Assam.
However, the word for water has a similar form in many other languages of the Sal branch of Sino-Tibetan to which Deori belongs, so it is not conclusive evidence that Deori speakers were the first to occupy this area.
Vocabulary
Some of the words of Deori present in Assamese derived from the dictionary ChuperemagoKishor Deori, Chuperemago(1997) are: Deori wordAssamese wordMeaningKhang KhongAngerDep-Depia Dhep-DhepiaPlumAuja AujaInclineAtiru AtiHighlandPulunga PulungaStraightLakia LekhiaSimilarGujungJungSpearMihitiMihiSmoothOnOnYesNumoiNumoliLittle girlNoraniNoraStrawSelengSelengWrapper clothDong DongIrrigation Channel Dekagu DekaYoung man KarisaKharisaBamboo Shoot BisuBihu Folk Festival of AssamAnali AnaliHelpless Tangan TanganBeating Stick BotarBatarWeather JakhalaJakhalaLadderHoja HojaSimpleJiyoiJiyoriGirlDokhar DokharPiece of cut offMena MenaCrooked Habang HebangSillyBondaBondaMale catIngkoriIngkoriAn insectSeu SeuHabitMeliMeliUnfoldLopa LaphaA type of green-leafy beKhaofi UfiDandruffAapaAapaFatherMedaliMadoliA type of Assamese JewelryJakoi JakoiFishing toolKhaloiKhaloiBasketDao DaokA type of birdDolong DolongBridgeKetenga KetengaThin/FeebleChutugaChutiShortHuchori HuchoriBihu CarolHata HetaSpatulaHajia HajiaLaborAgu AthuKneeGoi/GogoiBhaitiYounger Brother Kai/kakaiKaiElder BrotherHabiHabiForestJikuJikWetGilaGhilaKnee capEri EriEri silkGadu GaruPillowHasuHasiSneeze HamiHamiYawnHogora HogoraA Deer speciesKera KeraDisplaced eyeKeturi KeturiA kind of turmericKekura KekuraCrookedKamuKamiBamboo twigSoruHoruSmallTemiTemiContainerBorola BorolaWidowerBesoni BisoniHandfanJeng JengBushPei PehiPaternal AuntyJabor JaborWasteHapholuHapholuOut hillKusia KusiaEelKerketua Kerketuwa SquirrelFosola PosolaBanana stemGorali GoralCageGosok GosokTrampleUkha UkhaBreathAmoto AmothuHeartSurukaSurukaCleanHereka HerekaTastelessKuduna KhundonaGrinding potTakun TakunStickJubura JoburaVegetable curryKharoliKharoliMustard pasteLikota LikotaStickyHao HaoCurseUmoniUmoniIncubateUbiribaUburi HuwaLying chest downSereng-serengSereng-serengExcessive heat of sunRobjuRobo/RobaWaitAyoiAyoiPainful sensationBegaBengJumpDep DepiaDhep DhepiaPlumbSa kurubaKuruaEast/SunriseDogiaDhokiaBeatHeleng-jelengHeleng-jelengWeaknessKungaKungaCrippledDaiDaitiPaternal UncleDatiDatiBorder areaRoinaRoinaCleaning instrumentPilingaPelengaBoyKubiKukiA type of BasketDun DunSmall basketDokoraDokoraWooden hammerHesibaHesa moraPressHijuHijuA plantKeng kengKengkengoniYapIsaRisa/RihaWrapper clothSumuSumA plantRang-siRang kukurWild dogMegelaMegela bonPlum grassTekuTekeliPotTokouTokouA type of Palm treeSerepaSerepa A type of insect
References
Bibliography
Further reading Acharyya, Prarthana & Shakuntala Mahanta. (2018). Production and perception of lexical tone in Deori. Sixth International Symposium on Tonal Aspects of Languages (TAL), June 18–20, 2018, Berlin, Germany. 93–97. doi:10.21437/TAL.2018-19. Acharyya, P., & Mahanta, S. (2019). Phonology of Deori: an ‘endangered’language. PhD dissertation. Goswami, Upendranath. (1994). An introduction to the Deori language. Guwahati: Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language, Art, and Culture. Jacquesson, François. (2005). Le Deuri: Langue Tibéto-Birmane d’Assam. Leuven: Peeters Publishers. Mahanta, Shakuntala, Indranil Dutta, & Prarthana Acharyya. (2017). Lexical tone in Deori: loss, contrast, and word-based alignment. In Honeybone, Patrick, Julian Bradfield, Josef Fruehwald, Pavel Losad, Benjamin Ress Molin- eaux, & Michael Ramsammy (eds.), Papers in Historical Phonology 2. 51–87. doi:10.2218/pihph.2.2017.1906. Nath, Arup Kumar. (2010). A lexico semantic study of Tiwa and Deori: Two endangered languages of the Tibeto Burman Family. New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University (Doctoral dissertation). http://hdl.handle.net/10603/31796. Saikia, Sangeeta. (2012). A socio-linguistic survey of Deori speech community. Gauhati: Gauhati University (Doctoral dissertation). Saikia, Sangeeta. (2013). Deuri Asomar Bhasha. In Devy, Ganesh Narayandas (ed.), Peoples Linguistic Survey of India 5(2). 3-15. India: Orient Blackswan Private Limited.