- Garo language
language
name=Garo
nativename=Mande
states=India andBangladesh
region=Meghalaya ,Assam ,Bangladesh
speakers=990,000 +889,479 in India (2001); 102,000 in Bangladesh (1993)
familycolor=Sino-Tibetan
fam2=Tibeto-Burman
fam3=Kamarupan
fam4=Bodo -Garo
nation=Meghalaya (India )
iso2=sit|iso3=grtGaro (also spelled as Garrow, or else known by the people's own name for themselves, Mande) is the language of the majority of the people of the
Garo Hills in theIndian state ofMeghalaya Garo is also used inKamrup ,Dhubri ,Goalpara and theDarrang district s ofAssam ,India [ [http://www.india9.com/i9show/Garo-Language-52309.htm India9 site about usage of Garo language] ] as well as in neighboringBangladesh . Garo uses theLatin alphabet and has a close affinity to Bodo, the language of one of the dominant communities of the neighbouring state ofAssam .Dialects include A'beng (A'bengya, Am'beng), A'chick (A'chik), A'we, Chisak, Dacca, Ganching, Kamrup, Matchi. The Achik dialect predominates among several inherently intelligible dialects. The Abeng dialect is in Bangladesh, closest to Koch.
Garo speakers total approximately 575,000 in India (1997) and 102,000 in Bangladesh (1993).
The Department of Garo, the only one of its kind in the world, was established by popular demand in 1996 at the inception of
North Eastern Hill University . The Department documented in audio and videotapes parts of A’chick (Garo) epic poetry of "Katta Agana", the legend of "Dikki & Bandi", some folktales, folksongs, and traditional oral poetry. [ [http://www.nehu.ac.in/Schools/Humanities/Garo%20Tura/ Department of Garo page at the North-Eastern Hill University] ]See also
*Garo people
*Garo Hills References
"The Ethnologue, 13th Edition, Barbara F. Grimes, Editor, 1996, Summer Institute of Linguistics, Inc."
External links
* [http://eastgarohills.nic.in/ East Garo Hills District official website]
* [http://westgarohills.nic.in/ West Garo Hills District official website]
* [http://southgarohills.nic.in/ South Garo Hills District official website]
* [http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=grt Ethnologue entry for Garo]
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