Mixed Great Andamanese

Mixed Great Andamanese
Great Andamanese koiné
Native toIndia
RegionStrait Island
Ethnicity60 (2020)
Extinct2009, with the death of Nao Jr., the last semi-fluent speaker
Mixed Khora–Bo–Jeru–Sare on a Jeru base
Language codes
ISO 639-3gac
Glottologmixe1288
ELPMixed Great Andamanese

Mixed Great Andamanese is a koiné language of the Northern Andamanese language based primarily on the Jeru dialect, with lexical and grammatical influence from other Northern Andamanese dialects (Bo, Kora and Cari).

Phonology

Vowels

The Great Andamanese koiné has a seven-vowel system.

Vowels
FrontCentralBack
Close iu
Close-mid eo
Open-mid ɛɔ
Open a

Consonants

Consonants
Labial Dental
/Alveolar		 Retroflex Palatal Velar
Nasal m n ɲ ŋ
Plosive voiceless p t ʈ tʃ k
voiceless aspirated pʰ tʰ ʈʰ kʰ
voiced b d ɖ dʒ
Fricative s ʃ
Tap ɾ
Approximant w l j

Grammar

It is a head-marking polysynthetic and agglutinative language with a SOV pattern. It has a very elaborate system for marking inalienability, with seven possessive markers reflecting different body-divisions. These markers appear as proclitics that classify a large number of nouns as dependent categories.

Vocabulary

Northern Andamanese literacy material

Koiné vocabulary:

GlossGreat AndamaneseDevanagari
nestaarachaआराचा
houseflyijibuईजीबू
snake (king cobra)ulukhuऊलूखू
chilliekajiraएकाजीरा
deerairenऐरेन
fishing netochoओचो
axeauloऔलो
snailkalatopकालाटौप
dugongkauroingकौरौईञ
coconutkhiderखीदेर
roadngortoङौरतौ
betelnutchaumचौम
dolphinchoaचोआ
batjibetजीबेट
fishnyureञूरे
herontakaटाका
tonguethatatठातात
sunsetdiuडीऊ
black pigdirim raaडीरीम राऽ
leaftaichतौच
dewthunथून
scorpiondikiraseniदीकीरासेनी
mosquitoniphoनीफो
mushroompataपाता
crowphatkaaफाटका
frogphorubeफोरूबे
ropepharakoफाराको
green turtlebelotauroबेलोटौरौ
grey pigeonmiritमीरीत
roostermauchoमौचौ
strewn leavesyephaay taichयेफाऽय तैच
bambooratरैट
tusked male pigratairlautoरातैरलौतो
smokelepलेप
fireluro, wuroलूरो, वूरो
waist jewelleryshirbeleशीरबेले
snakeshubiशूबी
crocodilesarekateyoसारेकातेयो
White-bellied Sea-Eaglekaratchomकरटचोम
Pacific Golden Plovercheleleचैलेले
Oriental Honey Buzzardtaulom-tut-bioटौलोम-तूत-बीओ
Whimbrelchautotचौटोट

Place names

Vocabulary:

Contemporary namePresent Great Andamanese name
Andaman IslandsMarakele
South Andaman IslandSorobul
Little AndamanIlimu Tauro
Strait IslandKhringkosho
Havelock Island (Swaraj Island)Thi Lar Siro
Interview IslandBilikhu Tara Phong
Neill Island (Shaheed Island)Tebi Shiro
Baratang IslandBoa
Bluff IslandLurua
Landfall IslandMauntenga
Long IslandBol Phong
Inglis IslandJirikta Phong
Port BlairLaotara Nyo
DiglipurThitaumul
MayabunderRet Phor
Saddle PeakPuluga Chang

References

  1. 1 2 Mixed Great Andamanese at Ethnologue (23rd ed., 2020) Closed access icon
  2. ↑ Anvita Abbi (2006), "Endangered Languages of the Andaman Islands", LINCOM Studies in Asian Linguistics, 64.) München
  3. ↑ Anvita Abbi (2009), "The Unique Structure of the Present Great Andamanese: An Overview of the Grammar", VOGA(Vanishing Voices of the Great Andamanese), archived from the original on October 24, 2010
  4. ↑ Andamani Varnamala (PDF), Centre for Linguistics Jawaharlal Nehru University, 2008, archived from the original on April 22, 2021
  5. ↑ "GA Lexicon". VOGA. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Indigenous knowledge place names". Andamanese.org. Retrieved 1 May 2025.