Khotta Bhasha

Khotta Bhasha is the language of the Khotta people, a small group of people who inhabit in the state of West Bengal.
There is a language in Jharkhand and in western borders of West Bengal, called Khortha is a well established language with its own literature. But Khotta Bhasha which is spoken in West Bengal is very much different from Khortha language and has no written form.

Geographic distribution

The Khotta speaking people mainly inhabit in Harishchandrapur I & II, Ratua I & II, Manikchak and Kaliachak I, II and III blocks in the district of Malda and Farakka, Samserganj, Suti I & II, Raghunathganj I & II blocks in the district of Murshidabad in the state of West Bengal, India. They are also found scattered in parts of Birbhum, Medinipur & Hooghly district in West Bengal and in some places of Anwara upazila of Chittagong district in Bangladesh.

Present circumstances

The total speakers of Khotta Bhasha is about 10 lakhs in the state of West Bengal. But they all are bilingual and speak and learn Bengali, as Khotta Bhasha has no written form. At present the language has only an intra community conversational status. Bengali is the only medium of education of Khotta People.

Sample phrases and comparison

! English
! Khotta Bhasha
! Hindi
! Bengali
Mera/Hamra nam Ahmad.
Mera nam Ahmad hai.
Amar nam Ahmad.
Maiñ/Ham Farakka meñ raheiñ.
Main Farakka mein rahta hooñ.
Ami Farakkay thaki.
Mijhko/Mujhko/Hamko khrarap lage he.
mujhe bura lag raha hai.
Amar Kharap lagche.
Maiñ/Ham turuni ame heñ.
Main jaldi a raha hun.
Ami taratari aschi.
Uske/Unsab abe ga.
Vo sab aenge.
Ora sobai asbe.
morning.
Mere/Hamsab kal bihane jange.
Ham kal subah jaenge.
Ami kal sokale jabo.
anything!
Tum kucchu kahe/kahne Sako ni!
Tum kuch kah nahiñ sake!
Tumi kichu bolte parle na!
Khela meñ kiske jitis?
Khel mein kaun jeeta?
Khelay ke jitlo?
Tay ka kare he?
Tu kya kar rahe hai?
Tui ki korchis?
Tum ki bhat khaliyo ho?
Kya tumne chaval kha liya?
Tumi ki bhat kheye niyecho?
Tumre/Tumsab kahle/kahe jago ni?
Tumlog kiyun nahin jaoge?
Tomra keno jabe na?
now.
Mere/Hamsab abhbhi khele/khelne jange ni.
Ham abhi khelne nahin jaunga.
Amra ekhon khelte jabo na.
today.
Maiñ/Ham aj ar lecu khange ni.
Mein aj aur lici nahin khaunga.
Ami ar licu khabo na.
along the river.
U laddika kañdhi me ghure/ghurne giya ha.
Vah nadi ke kinare ghumne gaya hai.
Se nodir pare ghurte geche.
Mijhko/Mijhe am khayme/khaneme
khub accha lagei.
Mujhe am khana bahut pasand hai.
Amar am khete khub bhalo lage.
Chota rahte mere/hamsab eksathe
laddi me lahe jatiñ.
Bachpan mein ham ek sath nadi mein
nahane jaya karte the.
''Chotobelay amra eksonge nodite
snan korte jetam.''