Chakma language

Chakma
π‘„Œπ‘„‹π‘„΄π‘„Ÿπ‘„³π‘„¦ π‘„žπ‘„Œπ‘„΄
"Changma Bhach" in Chakma Script
Pronunciation[tʃaŋmha]
Native to
Region
EthnicityChakma, Daingnet
Native speakers
740,000 (2011-2024)
Dialects
Official status
Official language in
 India (CADC)
Recognised minority
language in
Language codes
ISO 639-3ccp
Glottologchak1266
Linguasphere59-AAC-?
IETFccp
Chakma is classified as Definitely Endangered by the UNESCO Atlas of the World's Languages in Danger (2010).

Chakma (/ˈtʃɑːkmΙ™/; autonym: π‘„Œπ‘„‹π‘„΄π‘„Ÿπ‘„³π‘„¦ π‘„žπ‘„Œπ‘„΄) is an Eastern Indo-Aryan language in the branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family, whose speakers are known as the Chakma or the Daingnet people. It has nearly 1 million speakers, with 60% residing in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) in Bangladesh and 35% spread across Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Mizoram and Tripura in India. The remaining 5% live in Myanmar. The language has its own script, the Chakma script or the ajhapat (π‘„Œπ‘„‹π‘„΄π‘„Ÿπ‘„³π‘„¦ 𑄃𑄧𑄏𑄛𑄖𑄴), which is an abugida similar to other South-east Asian scripts. It is mutually intelligible with the Chittagonian language. Besides Chittagonian, the language is also mutually intelligible with Tanchangya, Noakhali and Rohingya.

Similarities of the Chakma language with Sanskrit, Maghadi Prakrit and with Pali is visible referring it to be a classical language. This suggests that the Chakmas have been present in the Indian subcontinent since ancient times. Cultural exchanges with neighboring communities have led to the adoption of Indo-Aryan and Arakanese terms. Studies suggest that the language may have originally been a Tibeto-Burman language before transitioning into an Indic language. However, there are abundant of vocabularies used in the Chakma language that do belong neither to Indo-Aryan nor Tibeto-Burman linguistic group, likely originating from their ancestral language. Historically, a Mongoloid group that settled in the Himalayan foothills spoke a Tibetan-related language but gradually incorporated Aryan vocabulary.

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