Dhaka – Bangladesh is home to rich cultural practices and history. The country caters to remarkable communities of various ethnicities. Travelers and researchers can find an interesting gem within this country. In visiting this South Asian country, anyone is sure to have an engaging view of the Bengali ethnic group’s life.
With different colorful characteristics that define the distinct homogeneity of the country, many non-locals can hear people speaking Arabic, Persian, and even Turkish languages aside from the Bangla. This is a distinct beauty that the Bengalis are proud to share with guests from all over the world.
Migration and Diversity
In the years prior to the concrete identification of the ethnic group, the region of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal are first inhabited by the Vedda of Sri Lanka. They were only later joined by the Mediterranean peoples.
Now, the Bengali count to over 98 percent of the country with predominantly Bangla-speaking peoples. Aside from their great population, many are also fascinated by the use of the language itself which is even considered as one of the sweetest languages in the world.
The connections with the other individuals close to the region help the communities grow and future develop a deeper engagement with their own culture. Even with the vast diversity of non-native tongues, the Bengalis are able to keep their own distinct language. However, where did the notion of this country’s sweet language come from?
A Look Within the Vernacular
The Bengali use the Bangla (interchangeably labeled as Bengali) as their official language. It is a member of the Indo-European family of languages that can be classified and studied through an intensive look at the different rich cultural heritage in poetry, literature, music, and even the daily conversations of locals.
The Bangla has been enriched through the use of several regional dialects. There are some that have been strongly marked by Arab-Persian influences such as the dialects of Chittagong, Noakhali, and Sylhet. Aside from these, English has also influenced the growth of the language in the late 1980s. Through these kinds of intermingling scenarios with the languages, one can understand the broad yet still distinct value of the Bangla.
Moreover, if people look close into the technical linguistic features of this particular language, it is good to note the famous Bengali linguist Suniti Kumar Chattopadhay’s view of languages. In his work, he opined that languages with more sh sound are sweeter than those that uses a lot of s sound as it is considered harsh. With this, it can be seen that Bengali sure is a sweet form of communication as it is virtually devoid of the s sound. It even uses less short and long vowels which make it more sophistication in intonation. In addition to this unique understanding of the language is that the Bengali uses words derived from Sanskrit which is distinct from the other dominant Indian languages. Also, non-native speakers are surprised with the richness of the emotional expressions locals use that brings out an extra sweetness to the Bengali encounter.
With these fascinating facts about the language, there sure are a lot of other more wonderful treats for people to learn about the Bengali’s life and culture. Even in the continuing changes in the modern communities, there are more to appreciate and understand alongside one of the sweetest languages in the South Asian region.
Image from Ata Adnan, https://www.flickr.com/photos/aadnan613/8649507464/
