Orissa Review

Classicism of Odia Language

Dr. G.K. Srichandan

Man expresses his feelings and emotions through neighbouring languages are Hindi, Bengali, Telgu,
sentences of any language-spoken or written. Tamil etc. In addition to this 62 denominations
Thus, human beings use many words in sentences (communities) of tribals live within the State of
of language which have come to us by oral use Odisha. Their spoken languages or dialects had
for hundreds of thousand years. Words are have impact on Odia language for her evolution
evolved and use for expression of man s inner and enrichment.
feelings. We borrow such words from other
languages also to supplement our own mother Except Surya dynasty rulers all other
tongue. preceding dynasty rulers have come from outside
and brought with them soldiers and officers
The vocabulary of a language depends speaking their native language and after settling in
on the richness or treasure of words accumulated Udra Desha had embraced the then prevailing
and stored in that language by passage of time Odia language. That had impact on development
from the time immemorial. Odia is the mother of the vocabulary of Odia language.
language of the majority of the people of Odisha
at present and also in the past. The present In 1568 Odisha empire lost her
Odisha is the political entity with distinct boundary. sovereignty and independence on sudden and sad
But outside Odisha there exists Odia speaking demise of the last independent and sovereign
tracts which was the result or resultant of the Hindu king-emperor Gajapati Mukunda Deva in
conquests made by the Ganga Vansi and Surya Gohiri Tikira battle field. Odisha was thereafter
Vansi Gajapati emperors of Odisha expanding their ruled in succession by Afghans, Moghuls,
empire from Ganga to Godavari or even beyond Marathas and lastly by the British till the 15th
Krishna and Cauvery particularly during the time August 1947 when India along with Odisha got
of Gajapati Kapileswar (Kapilendra) Deva, the independence from the foreign rule.
founder of Surya dynasty in Utkal.
These foreign rulers enforced their
The geographical situation of Udra language as the official (court) language in
Bhukanda or Udra Desha, now Odisha is such administration of Odisha. Odisha was segmented
that it has been surrounded by other language and such segments/ parts were annexed with the
speaking areas or provinces/states. Such other neighbouring presidencies and provinces for

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convenience and administration from the foreign Ant-Vedic religion having rebellious attitude
rulers point of view. All these political changes towards Vedic-Karmakandas spread into
had have tremendous impact on the structural Kalinga. After Kalingan War Asoka, the great
advancement and making of Odia language till to emperor of Magadha embraced Buddhism and
day. Eight distinct areas and their regional made all out efforts for spread of this new faith
attributes, so far the vocabulary of Odia language even to lands beyond the boundaries of the
is concerned are to be taken into consideration present India subcontinent.
while estimating its evolution, progressive
development, assimilation and abundance. These History is silent whether Buddha came
are 1) Southern, 2) Western, 3) Northern, to Kalinga (Odishan region) to preach his new
4) Eastern, 5) Central, 6) Peripheral, 7) Outlying faith. But Mahavir the 24th Teerthankar of Jainism
tracts and 8) the areas under habitation by different in 6th century BC came to Kalinga to preach his
tribal communities. faith since his father being a king was a personal
friend of the then king of Kalinga and it was
The words used and in vogue in the favourable and conducive for Mahavira to launch
dialects or sub languages of all these areas have his mission in this ancient non-Aryan land. He
come over to the mainstream of Odia language preached his faith in Pali-Prakrita language from
to build the edifice of the vocabulary of the mother the top of Kumar-Kumari hillocks(now known
tongue of Odia people proper. as Khandagiri-Udayagiri hills).
In very ancient time, this land known as When Asoka conquered Kalinga (261
Kalinga, Utkal and parts of South Koshal BC) he promulgated royal commandments
(Dakshin Koshala) was non-Aryan in character (decrees) in Magadhi-Prakrita language. Rock
so far the ways of life of the original inhabitants edicts got erected by him at Dhauli and Jaugada
of this extensive and vast land mass was (Samapa) near the present Purushottampur,
concerned. Boudhyana, the then Law Giver Ganjam district are glaring illustrations of this.
called the people of Anga, Banga, Kalinga,
Pundra, Sumha etc. as Samkeerna yonayah Later Aryan infiltration/migration along
i.e. low bred . Up to the time Boudhayana the with Sanskrit language took place which
people of this land of which the Odia speaking influenced the non-Sanskrit dialect/language of the
tracts now constitute was not Aryanised / people of the ancient land of Odisha. Sanskrit
Sanskritised. words were assimilated into the vocabulary of the
then prevalent language which was a digested
Since Sanskrit including the Vedic
admixture of Pali (Kalinga Pali) and Magadhi
language had little impact and influence on the
Prakrita.
spoken language of the people inhabiting this
land, the two rival kingdom of Magadha and Mahameghabahana Aira Kharavela (40
Kalinga were non-Aryan and non-Brahminical BC), the emperor of Kalinga was a Jaina in faith
for many centuries as a result of which Jainism and his Hati Gumpha inscription is in Kalinga Pali
and Buddhism flourished in these two kingdoms. language using Brahmi script . We find many
Gautam Buddha got enlightenment and preached words in this famous language of Pali used in Hati
his new philosophy in Magadha. Later this new Gumpha inscription which are Sanskrit words or

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derived from Sanskrit and also prevalent in Odia trinity-poetics are literary glossary of vocabulary
language. of Odia language in the 15th Century AD.

Bharat a Muni compo sed Nat ya Below illustrated some Odia words
Shashtram which belongs to second century AD derived from different sources of having similarity
(some scholars place Natya shashtram with other languages :
composed in 2nd century BC.) In Natya Shastram
there is reference of Udra Bibhasha which was Vedic Odia
then the mother tongue of the majority of the Toka/Tok Tokka
people of Udra Bhukhanda (Udra Desha/ Udra
Land). Gradually what happened the Kalinga Palli Nanaa/Nanee Nanaa/Nanee
of Hatigumpha inscription and Magadhi Prakrita
of Asokan edicts amalgamated with locally spoken Bikal Bikal
dialect (if any and possibility is on affirmative side)
Bishaya Bishaya
to emerge as Udra Bibhasha most probably. No
literature in Udra Bibhasha is forthcoming and Kharavela Hatigumpha Odia
available at present except a few lines/ sentences Inscription
available in Prakrita Vyakarana (grammar) namely
Prakrita Sarvaswa of Markendeya Dasa. Ghar Ghar(House)

Udra Bibhasha most possibly after Lekha Lekha

undergoing evolution and transformation has lost
Gopura Gopura
its entity to submerge like river Phalgu in the
sands of a dialect nearer or equivalent to Boudha Corrupt Form :
Gana and Doha which flourished in 7th-8th
century AD in this Udra Bhukhanda . The Pachhima (Paschima in Sanskrit) -Pachhima
language of the Boudha GanaO Doha is a corrupt
Apabhramsha (Sandhya) which is the prime Pathama (Pradhama in Sanskrit) Pathama
shape and expression of Odia language as per Yoboraja (corrupt form of Yubaraj in Sanskrit)
the opinion of historians and research scholars.
Raja (King), Siri from Shree
When Hiuen Tsang, the famous Chinese
pilgrim visited Ukkal (Utkal) he found here a Dutiya (Dwiteeya in Sanskrit)
spoken language in use which was quite distinct
from the languages prevalent then in other parts Tutia corrupt form of Tritiya in Sanskrit
of Indian subcontinent he came across during his Terasa (Terasa Terashaha Thirteen hundred)
entourage. By that time, Odia language had
crystallized into a distinct and separate language Naba (Na a)
which gave birth to the great epic Mahabharat
in Odia language in the blessed hands of Adikavi Hathee of Hatigumpha inscription has
Sarala Das who also composed to his credit turned Haatee in Odia. Bata, Danda, Kothaghar,
Chandi Purana and Bilanka Ramayan . These Paata, Daha (pond or tank full of water) etc. are

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common in both Kharavelan language and modern have been taken into Odia language in original or
Odia language. corrupt form.

This is an attempt to illustrate how words Words from tribal dialects and languages
from Vedic, Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit have merged have entered into Odia and are in use vocabulary
into Odia language in course of time which is as i.e. Kui, Kuvi, Kudami, Oram, Koya, Gond,
old as minimum four thousand years. Juang, Desia, Bhadri, Bhuina, Munda, Mundari,
Shabar, Saura, Santali, Halvi, Ho, etc.
Of course, nearly 80% of Odia words
have been derived from Sanskrit as scholars Inside regional sub-languages have also
claim. Nevertheless, Odia is rightly and correctly contributed words to Odia vocabulary i.e.
developed as the bosom younger sister of Baleswaria, Keojharia, Kot apad Boli,
Sanskrit language. Odia has attained the Classical Nayagadia, Phulbani Odia, Sambalpuri, Ganjami,
State along with Sanskrit and some other modern Kataki, Puria etc. If illustrations are given from
Indian languages in terms of ancientry and each category it would be a full-fledged and full
affluence of vocabulary with a grand distinct length dictionary. Hence, restrained to limit the
grammar emerged on scientific basis. Odia discussion.
Vyakarana (Odia grammar) composed by Pandit
Special attributes and ancientry of Odia
Neelakantha was published as back as 1933 while
vocabulary:
he was a teacher in Satyabadi Vana Vidyalaya
established by Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Linguistic experts opine that pratyayas
Das in 1909 AD. like ni, Anti Nitu , are in use in Greek, Latin,
Vedic language from thousand and thousand years
Our forefathers were skilled and adept
ago. Such Pratyayasa are also in Odia language.
maritime traders. To repeat it is pertinent that they
For example- Galani - has gone, Karanti- do or
built up enormous Odia empire with overseas
is? are doing, Khaanti- eat or is/are doing, Khaanti
colonies in Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Cambodia
eat or is/are eating, Gaanti-sing or is/are singing;
(Kamboj), Laos, Burma-now Myarmyer etc
Karantu-Please do, Khaantu-Please eat etc. So
carrying Kalingan (Odishan) culture, architecture,
all these indicate the ancientry of Odia language.
sculpture, epics, purans, religious faith, language
etc. to such colonies. They had maritime link with In Odia only, like other two M.I.Ls i.e.
western part of the world. So in addition to that Gujurati and Marathi we have 'la' to differentiate
of English, words of Greek, Latin, Arabian, Urdu, pronunciations of word with 'la'. In Sanskrit, Hindi
Turkese, French, Persian, Portuguese etc are and all other regional languages there is one La .
found in original or corrupt form in Odia For example: 'mula' - wage 'mula' - foot or root
vocabulary through give and take process for of a tree or basic, origin, original, fundamental
centuries. Till that is going on. etc.
Words from languages of neighbouring Similarly Maane which is used in plural
States is Ahamia (Assamese), Agria (migrated number in Odia language is not repeated not in
from Agra), Urdu, Chhatisgadee, Tamil, Telgu, any other Indian language. For example :
Bengali, Jharkhand (Seraikala-Kharasuan), Hindi 1. 'manushya' - in singular means Man ,

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'manushyamane' - in plural means Men . References:

2. 'Pandaba' - singular number. 'Pandabamane' -
1. Odia Vyakaran by Pandit Neelakantha Das
in plural number 3. 'Naari' - woman in singular (Repr in ted and Published in 1999 by Pt.
number, 'Narimane' means women in plural Neelakantha Smruti Sansad and Utkal Sammilani,
number. Bhubaneswar-9.
2. Odia Vyakaran Sankalan by Dr.Basudev Nanda
Furthermore, in Odia we use 'Ja' and 'ya' and Ratnaprabha Nanda, First Edition 2002,
according to pronunciation of words. But in Published by Mahavir Prakashan, Municipality
Sanskrit, Hindi etc. only 'ya' is used. For example: Mar ket Complex, Near Old Bus Stan d,
Bhubaneswar-9.
(Jama) for 'yama' in Hindi and Sanskrit. Niyam
3. Samalpuri Odia Shabda Kosha by Prafulla Kumar
for Niyam in Hindi and Sanskrit. These specialities
Tripathy, First Edition-1987, Published by Odisha
in Odia vocabulary gives special and rare Sahitya Academy, Bhubaneswar-14.
distinction to Odia language. It adds to the 4. Ganjami Odia Shabda Sambhar by Shri Mahimohan
elasticity of word-crafts of Odia as a modern Tripathy, First Edition 2002, Published by Bhakta
Indian language which is not found in other Rama Dasa Smriti Mandir, Dura, Ganjam 76007.
languages. 5. Bhasha O Vyakaran by Dr. Indulata Das, First
Edition- 2002, Published by Basanta Publication,
From all angles of discussion and Dagarpada, Cuttack-2.
consideration, Odia as a modern Indian language 6. Kharavelank Samayare Kalinga Bhasha (Essay),
and the official language of Odisha State carving by Dr. Gopal Krishna Srichandan, compiled in
a deserving and rightful place in the 8th Schedule Kalinga Samrat Kharavela Published by Utkal
Sammilani, Bhubaneswar-9.
of our Constitution profoundly deserves to be
7. History of Oriya Literature by Dr.M.Manasingh,
declared as a Classical Language which the Sahitya Akademi Publication, New Delhi, 1962.
Government of India should most rationally and
favourably do in its right and proper perspective
with due objectivity to bestow natural justice on Dr. G.K. Srichandan lives at Plot No.N-3/287, Nayapalli,
the people of Odisha without further lapse of time. Bhubaneswar-751015.

Interaction of the Development

Commissioner, Sri R.N Senapati with the
Bamboo Weavers present at weekly Haat of
Malanandapur Gram Panchayat, Jajpur.

58 February-March - 2011