Oriya is one of the official languages of India. It takes its name from the Indian state of Orissa, the principal place it’s spoken, though it is also used in other states such as Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh.
Beyond India…
The diaspora has spread beyond India’s borders into other continents.
In Asia: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Java, Sumatra, Bali, Burma, Malaysia, Fiji, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. In America and Europe: in England, and crossing the Atlantic, in the United States and Canada. In Oceania: they also reached Australia.
Some of the main dialects:
- Midnapori Oriya: spoken principally in Bengal.
- Singhbhumi Oriya: in Singhbhum and Jharkhand.
- Baleswari Oriya: in Baleswar, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj.
- Ganjami Oriya: in Ganjam and in Andhra Pradesh.
- Desiya Oriya: in Koraput, Rayagada, Nowrangpur y Malkangiri. And in Andhra Pradesh.
- Sambalpuri Oriya: in Bargarh, Bolangir, Boudh, Debagarh, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Sambalpur, Subarnapur and Sundargarh. And in Chhattisgarh.
- Bhatri: spoken in the south of Orissa and in the southeast of Chhattisgarh.
- Halbi: in Bastar and in Chhattisgarh.
A few interesting facts:
- Type of alphabet: alphasyllabic or abugida. These are writing systems within which vowels and consonants occupy a single character. This is to say, all consonants have an inherent vowel.
- Writing direction: from left to right, horizontally.
- Arab or Persian influence: in contrast to other Indian languages, Oriya doesn’t exhibit much influence from these other cultures in its oral or written forms.
- There are, on the other hand, some observable similarities with the Thai alphabet. Part of this similarity is ascribed to the fact that originally, both languages were written with plantain leaves.
In India, an infinity of languages coexist and we can’t assume that someone who comprehends and even is able to translate a given language will be able to translate another. Each language deserves its own linguistic professional…
In case of any query regarding these languages, contact us and we’ll provide a quote free of charge for any Indian language.
To see the original post in Spanish go to:
