Eastern Bengali
Vaṅga (বঙ্গ)
Bangali (বঙ্গালী)
Native to	Bangladesh India
Region	Bangladesh Barisal Division,Chittagong Division,Dhaka Division,Mymensingh Division,Khulna Division,Sylhet Division India Tripura,Barak Valley Myanmar Maungdaw District
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan Eastern Zone Bengali-Assamese Bengali Eastern Bengali
Writing system	Bengali alphabet Latin-Roman (Banglish) Sylhet Nagari (historical) Perso-Arabic (historical)
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–
Glottolog	vang1242  Vanga

Eastern Bengali,^[1]Baṅgālī (Bengali:বঙ্গালী,romanized: bôṅgalī)^[2] orVaṅga (Bengali:বঙ্গ,romanized: bôṅgô)^[3] is a set ofvernaculardialects ofBengali, spoken in most ofBangladesh andTripura, thus covering majority of the land ofBengal and surrounding areas.

It is also known asBaṅgālī (Bengali:বঙ্গালী,romanized: bôṅgalī),^[2]Pūrvavaṅgīẏa (Bengali:পূর্ববঙ্গীয়,romanized: pūrbôbôṅgīẏô),^[4]Prācya (Bengali:প্রাচ্য,romanized: prachyô),^[5]Vaṅga (Bengali:বঙ্গ,romanized: bôṅgô),^[3] orVaṅgīẏa (Bengali:বঙ্গীয়,romanized: bôṅgīẏô).Chatterji often cited a more generalised variant of Eastern Bengali which he dubbed as,Typical East Bengali, for the sake of broader comparison with other varieties of Bengali.^[6] Eastern Bengali is often colloquially referred to by theexonymBangal Bhasha (Bengali:বাঙাল ভাষা,romanized: bangal bhasha) inWest Bengal due to its association withBangals. It may also be referred to by names such asKhaisi-Gesi Bangla^[7] (Bengali:খাইছি-গেছি বাংলা,romanized: khaisi-gesi baṅla,lit. 'I've eaten-I've gone Bengali'), emphasising the contrast between Eastern Bengali varieties and the standard language in terms of grammar by use of the example phrases "I have eaten" (খেয়েছিkheẏechhi in Standard Bengali butখাইছিkhaisi in Typical East Bengali) and "I have gone" (গিয়েছিgiẏechhi in Standard Bengali butগেছিgesi in Typical East Bengali). A similar name,Khaitesi-Zaitesi Bangla^{[citation needed]} (Bengali:খাইতেছি-যাইতেছি বাংলা,romanized: khaitesi-zaitesi baṅla,lit. 'I'm eating-I'm going Bengali'), instead juxtaposes the examples of "I am eating" (খাচ্ছিkhacchhi in Standard Bengali butখাইতেছিkhaitesi in Typical East Bengali) and "I am going" (যাচ্ছিjacchhi in Standard Bengali butযাইতেছিzaitesi in Typical East Bengali).

Suniti Kumar Chatterji, describing the cluster as "Vaṅga Dialects", further divided it into two groups of two: "Western and Southwestern Vaṅga" and "Eastern and Southeastern Vaṅga". Eastern Vaṅga is spoken across the modern Bangladeshidivision ofSylhet and theGreater Comilla region ofChittagong along with theBarak Valley Division of Assam and the state of Tripura in India. Southeastern Vaṅga is spoken in the remaining area of the Chittagong division, corresponding to the former colonial territories ofNoakhali District andChittagong District, and historically extended further intoSittwe.^[8] Western Vaṅga is spoken across the Bangladeshi divisions ofMymensingh,Dhaka, andBarisal. Southwestern Vaṅga is spoken across theKhulna Division, where Eastern Bengali transitions intoCentral Standard Bengali.^[9]

Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah divided all Bengali dialects into two groups: Prācya (Bengali:প্রাচ্য,romanized: prachyô,lit. 'eastern') and Pāścātya (Bengali:পাশ্চাত্য,romanized: pashchatyô,lit. 'western').^[10] Within his Prācya grouping, he created the divisions of "Southeastern" and "Extreme Eastern", which approximately correspond to Chatterji's "Western and Southwestern Vaṅga" and "Eastern and Southeastern Vaṅga", respectively. The Southeastern group is spoken across the modern Bangladeshi divisions of Mymensingh, Dhaka, Barisal, and Khulna, as well as theGreater Noakhali region of the Chittagong division and eastern parts of the24 Parganas district in West Bengal.^[11] The Extreme Eastern group is spoken across the Bangladeshi divisions Sylhet and Chittagong, including Greater Comilla and excluding Greater Noakhali, as well as the Barak Valley division of Assam.^[12]

Gopal Haldar, in his study of Eastern Bengali, divided all East Bengali dialects into four groups. Group I or "Central East Bengali" spans the modern Bangladeshi divisions of Mymensingh, Dhaka, Faridpur, and Barisal, as well as the district ofChandpur in Chittagong Division.^[13] The de facto Standard East Bengali spoken around theBikrampur region is a member of this group, comparable to Chatterji's "Typical East Bengali".^[14] Group II or "Central North East Bengali" is spoken in eastern areas of the Mymensingh and Dhaka divisions, the western half of the Sylhet Division, as well as theBrahmanbaria District of the Chittagong Division.^[15] Group III or "North East Bengali" is spoken in the eastern half of the Sylhet Division as well as the bordering Barak Valley division of Assam, India.^[16] Group IV or "South East Bengali" is spoken in the Chittagong Division, notably excluding the Greater Comilla region.^[17] TheComilla District and Tripura state of India, the Bengalis in the latter chiefly being migrants from the former, sit at the confluence of all the major groupings and thus the speech of this region shares features with all the major groups classified by Haldar.^[18] Transitionary East Bengali is spoken in the Khulna division as well as Western Greater Faridpur i.e.Rajbari District, which shares features with both Standard Bengali and Eastern Bengali dialects.^[19]

Eastern Bengali is characterised by a considerably smaller phoneme inventory when compared withStandard Bengali.

Eastern Bengali notably preservesepenthesis (Bengali:অপিনিহিতি,romanized: ôpinihiti) from an earlier stage of Bengali.^[20] Thus, the equivalent ofStandard Literary Bengaliকরিয়া (ISO-15919:kariẏā) 'having done' in Typical East Bengali is [kɔ̝i̯ɾa̟], having gone through the medial phase of *[kɔi̯ɾiä]; by comparison, the Standard Colloquial Bengali equivalent is [kore], as the standard language has undergone the additional phonological processes ofsyncope andumlaut, unlike most Eastern Bengali dialects.^[21] Similar occurrences of metathesis occur in the case of consonant conjuncts containing ‍্যjôphôla, due to the fact that it had, in earlier Bengali, also represented the addition of thesemivowel [i̯] at the end of a conjunct containing it in addition to its current standard usage of simplygeminating the previous consonant in the conjunct.^[22]সত্য (ISO-15919:satya, 'truth'), for example, pronounced [ʃɔt̪ːi̯ɔ] in earlier Bengali, is pronounced [ʃɔ̝i̯t̪ːo] in Eastern Bengali and [ʃot̪ːo] in Standard Bengali. Metathesis also occurs in the case of consonant conjuncts which were once pronounced with [i̯] as a component even if they do not contain ‍্যjôphôla itself, such as ক্ষ (ISO-15919:kṣa), whose value in earlier Bengali was [kːʰi̯].^[23] Henceরাক্ষস (ISO-15919:rākṣasa, 'rakshasa'), with the earlier Bengali pronunciation of [räkːʰi̯ɔʃ], is pronounced [räi̯kʰːɔ́ʃ] or [räi̯kːɔ́ʃ] in Eastern Bengali and [räkːʰoʃ] in Standard Bengali. Such is also the case for the conjunct জ্ঞ (ISO-15919:jña), which had the value of [gːĩ̯] in earlier Bengali.^[24] Hence,আজ্ঞা (ISO-15919:ājñā, 'order'), with the earlier Bengali pronunciation of [ägːĩ̯ä], has the Typical East Bengali pronunciation of [äi̯gːa̟] and the Standard Bengali [ägːä̃]. There is also a tendency tohypercorrect, leading to the frequentdiphthongisation of vowels with [i̯] if they precede anyconsonant cluster, even when there is no etymological basis to do so. For example,ব্রাহ্ম (ISO-15919:brāhma, 'Brahmo') has the Standard Bengali pronunciation of [bɾämɦo], or, more commonly, [bɾämːo], but may be pronounced [bɾäi̯mːɔ̝] in Eastern Bengali as if it were speltব্রাম্য (ISO-15919:brāmya).^[25][26]

• The vowels /e/ and /o/ in the standard language are shifted to /ɛ/ and /u/, respectively.^[27][28][29] For example,দেশ (ISO-15919:dēśa) 'country' andদোষ (ISO-15919:dōṣa) 'blame' are respectively pronounced [d̪eʃ] and [d̪oʃ] in Standard Bengali but [d̪ɛʃ] and [d̪uʃ] in Typical East Bengali. /o/ may be considered amarginal phoneme due to it not merging with /u/ in rare instances, such as inধো (ISO-15919:dhō) 'wash'.^[30]
• /ɛ/ and /ɔ/ haveraisedallophones, [ɛ̝] and [ɔ̝], that occur when followed by aclose vowel such as /i/ or /u/.^[31] This raising may also occur inopen syllables.^[32]
• /a/ iscentralized, generally pronounced [ä]. A major exception to this is when the previous vowel is /i/, especially in cases of metathesis, where a fronted allophone [a̟] is used instead.^[33][34]
• Although Western Bengali features distinctnasalised forms of each of its vowels, nasalisation is absent in most dialects of Eastern Bengali with the notable exception of Southeastern Vaṅga.^[35] This lack of nasalisation also characterises the Standard Bengali of Bangladesh.^[36]

• Phonemic voiceless aspirated stops—/kʰ/, /tʰ/, and /t̪ʰ/—have been attributed to some Vaṅga dialects, only contrasting with their unaspirated counterparts in initial position.^[32] However, their phonemic status is based on analogy withWestern Bengali. Učida (1970) provides the alternative interpretation that these aspirates are allophones—[kʰ], [tʰ], and [t̪ʰ]—of corresponding voiceless unaspirated stops—/k/, /t/, and /t̪/—which occur when followed by a suprasegmental change in pitch, i.e. tone.^[37] Furthermore, some dialects invariably aspirate initial /t̪/ to [t̪ʰ].^[38]
• Like Standard Bengali, Eastern Bengali lacks trueretroflexes.^[39][40] However it further fronts theapicalpostalveolar stops of the standard language toapico-alveolar.
• Voiceless stops—/k/, /t/, and /p/—undergo lenition in most varieties.
  • The voiceless labial and velar plosives also undergo lenition into spirants, such that [p] becomes [ɸ] and [k] becomes [x] or [ɦ], especiallyintervocalically.^[41][42] Henceপাকা (ISO-15919:pākā, 'ripe'), pronounced [päkä] in Standard Bengali, may variably be pronounced [päɦä], [ɸäɦä], or [ɸäxä] in Eastern Bengali dialects.^[43] [k] is often deleted entirely instead of simply being spirantised, especially when in proximity of [i]. For example,বিকাল (ISO-15919:bikāla, 'afternoon'), pronounced [bikäl] in Standard Bengali, is frequently pronounced [biäl] in Eastern Bengali.^[44]
  • When followed by arounded vowel, [ɸ] and [ɦ] are interchangeable in most dialects of Eastern Bengali. For example,কাঁকই (ISO-15919:kām̐kai, 'comb') [käɦɔi̯] may often be pronounced [käɸɔi̯] andফকীর (ISO-15919:phakīra, 'beggar') [ɸɔɦiɾ] may often be pronounced [ɦɔɦiɾ].^[45] Thismerger is expanded upon in the Noakhali dialect, where all word-initial [ɸ] (and, by extension, [p]) are pronounced [ɦ], e.g.পাগল (ISO-15919:pāgala) 'madman' [pägɔl] → [ɸägɔl] → [ɦägɔl],^[46] and by some speakers of the Mymensingh and Comilla dialects, who pronounce all [ɸ] as [ɦ], e.g.ঢুপি (ISO-15919:ḍhupi) [d̠ʱupi] → [dúɸi] → [dúɦi] 'dove'.
  • Intervocalic /t/lenites to a voiced allophone [d] in most Eastern Bengali dialects. For example,মাটি (ISO-15919:māṭi, 'soil') is pronounced [mät̠i] in Standard Bengali but [mädi] in Eastern Bengali.^[47] However, this does not occur in geminates,^[48] soটাট্টি (ISO-15919:ṭāṭṭi, 'latrine') remains relatively unchanged across varieties, being [t̠ät̠ːi] in Standard Bengali and [tätːi] in Eastern Bengali.
• The voiced retroflex flap found in Standard Bengali is almost always merged with /ɾ/ in Eastern Bengali, though it may occur in a minute number of speakers.^[49] This merger of /ɽ/ and /ɾ/ also characterises the Standard Bengali of Bangladesh.^[50]
• Eastern Bengali dialects tend tospirantise the Standard Bengali palato-alveolar affricates /t͡ʃ/, /t͡ʃʰ/, as well as /d͡ʒ/ and /d͡ʒʱ/ into [t͡s], [s], and [z], respectively.^[51] For example,চোর (ISO-15919:cōra, 'thief'),ছয় (ISO-15919:chaẏa, 'six'), andজাড় (ISO-15919:jāṛa, 'cold') are respectively pronounced [t͡ʃoɾ], [t͡ʃʰɔe̯], and [d͡ʒäɽ] in Standard Bengali but [t͡suɾ], [sɔe̯], and [zäɾ] in Typical East Bengali. /t͡s/ in tends to merge with /s/ as the areas of Eastern and Southeastern Vaṅga are approached, such thatচা (ISO-15919:cā, 'tea'), pronounced [tʃä] in Standard Bengali, is pronounced [t͡sä] in farther western varieties and [sä] in farther eastern varieties of Eastern Bengali.^[52] [d͡z] is an allophone of /z/ that more frequently occurs in Southwestern Vaṅga. [t͡ʃ] occurs as an allophone of /t͡s/ and /s/ while [d͡ʒ] occurs as an allophone of /z/ in geminates andconsonant clusters,^[53] e.g.বাচ্চা (ISO-15919:bāccā, 'child') /bat͡sːa ~ basːa/ [bäi̯t͡ʃːa̟],ইঞ্চি (ISO-15919:iñci, 'inch') /int͡si ~ insi/ [int͡ʃi],ইজ্জৎ (ISO-15919:ijjat, 'honour') /izːɔt̪/ [id͡ʒːɔt̪].
• /ʃ/ has a tendency todebuccalise to [ɦ] in word-initial position, e.g.শালা (ISO-15919:śālā) /ʃälä/ → [ɦälä] 'brother-in-law', be deleted entirely in word-medial position, e.g.উশাস (ISO-15919:uśāsa) /uʃäʃ/ → [uäʃ] 'breath', and be either retained or deleted in word-final position, e.g.মানুষ (ISO-15919:mānuṣa) /mänuʃ/ → [mänuʃ ~ mänu] 'people'.^[54]

The aspiration andbreathy voice present in Standard Bengali is notably mostly if not entirely absent in Eastern Bengali. TheWest Bengali linguists Chatterji andSen described the deaspirated voiced consonants present in Eastern Bengali as beingimplosive consonants,^[55] such that the Standard Bengali phonemes /bʱ/, /d̪ʱ/, /ɖʱ/, /dʒʱ/, and /ɡʱ/ would respectively correspond to /ɓ/, /ɗ̪/, /ᶑ/, /ɗʒ/, and /ɠ/ in Eastern Bengali. However, Animesh K. Pal, a native speaker of Eastern Bengali fromNarayanganj, disputed this claim, instead describing the deaspiration as leading to the development oftones.^[56][57]

These tones are not limited to voiced aspirates, but are also present as compensation for the aspiration of consonants that were voiceless aspirates in Standard Bengali. Tone continues to exist in words even if they are not part of a near-identical pair that requires it for the sake of contrast.

Furthermore, the [ɦ] of Standard Bengali is most often deleted in Eastern Bengali dialects. Thish-dropping has also been said to result in tone.

Mymensinghi Bengali (Bengali:ময়মনসিংহী বাংলা) is aneastern dialect of theBengali language, spoken primarily in the greaterMymensingh region ofBangladesh. Mymemsinghi Bengali closely resembles the dialect of greaterDhaka region.^[58] It is also highly mutually intelligible with other dialects of Bengali.^[59][60] It is commonly classified among the "Central East Bengali" varieties of Bengali language.^[61]

Mymensinghi Bengali
Momensinga Mominsinga
Native to	Bangladesh &India
Region	Mymensingh Division,Dhaka division,Sylhet Division,Rangpur Division
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan Eastern Bengali–Assamese Bengali Eastern Bengali Mymensinghi Bengali
Writing system	Bengali script
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–

This article containsIndic text. Without properrendering support, you may seequestion marks or boxes, misplaced vowels or missing conjuncts instead of Indic text.

The word "Mymensinghi" is locally pronounced as Momensinga and Moimensinga. It is also referred to as Mymensingiyo, Moymonsingha, Maimensingha or simply Mymensingh.

The Mymensinghi dialect is common in almost all districts ofMymensingh Division of Bangladesh.^[62] It is also spoken by many local residents ofKishoreganj andTangail districts of Dhaka division outside Mymensingh division. Additionally, it is spoken by people in adjacent areas of theMeghalaya state in India, as well as theGazipur,Kurigram andSunamganj districts of Bangladesh.

Mymensinghi dialect shows almost similar features like others eastern dialects of Bengali language. Mymensinghi Bengali speakers generally produce consonantal sounds with reduced aspiration. For example, the Standard Bengali consonants /t͡ʃ/ and /t͡ʃʰ/ are pronounced as [t͡s] and [s] respectively. Similarly, the sound corresponding to ‘p’ sometimes articulated in a less aspirated manner and becomes akin to [ɸ]. In addition, the dialect shows variation in the realization of certain affricates and fricatives. Moreover, there are extensive uses ofepenthesis of ‘i’ and ‘u’ vowels, developed from an earlier stage of Bengali language. The vowel sound ‘o’ may shift toward a pronunciation akin to ‘u’. For example,বোকা (ISO-15919:bōkā, 'dumb') is pronouncedbukā in this dialect.^[63][64]

The morphology of the Mymensinghi Bengali retains several features that differentiate it from the standard dialect. A notable example along with other eastern Bengali dialects, Mymensinghi Bengali agree in having ‘rē’ as the proper affix for dative case whereas the standard dialect prefer ‘kē’. For example, the Standard Bengali word "āmākē" (to me) becomes "āmārē" in all eastern and southern Bengali varieties. Furthermore, in forming the future tense, speakers add the suffix 'mu' or 'ām' to the first-person singular verb root (e.g., “Kormu/koram” for “I will do”), reflecting a systematic morphological variation in verbal inflection. The Mymensingh dialect has mid-front and back vowel mergers.^[65]

A comparison of Standard Bengali and Eastern Bengali dialects are presented below:

• Bengali language in India
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