Sylheti language

Sylheti
ꠍꠤꠟꠐꠤ সিলেটি
The word Silôṭi ('Sylheti') in Sylheti Nagari script
Pronunciation	[silɔʈi]
Native to	Bangladesh and India
Region	Sylhet Division, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Nagaland
Ethnicity	Sylheti people
Native speakers	11 million (2007)
Language family	Indo-European Indo-Iranian Indo-Aryan Eastern Bengali–Assamese Sylheti
Writing system	Sylheti Nagari, Bengali script
Language codes
ISO 639-3	syl
Glottolog	sylh1242
Linguasphere	59-AAF-ui
Sylheti speakers within South Asia

Template:Contains Bengali text Sylheti (Sylheti: ꠍꠤꠟꠐꠤ) is an Indo-Aryan language, primarily spoken in the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh, the Barak Valley and in the Hojai district of the Indian state of Assam. There is a substantial number of speakers in the Indian states of Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura (North Tripura) with smaller populations in Kolkata and Nagaland.

Status

Socially and politically the status of Sylheti is hotly disputed with many considering it a dialect of Bengali, while some considering it a separate language. There are significant differences in grammar and pronunciation as well as a somewhat one-directional intelligibility between the two varieties, with other Bengali speakers being less likely to understand the dialect. Most Sylhetis are at least bilingual to some degree, as Standard Bengali is taught at all levels of education in Bangladesh. Sylhet was part of the ancient kingdom of Kamarupa, and Sylheti shares many common features with Assamese, including having a larger set of fricatives than other Eastern Indo-Aryan languages. According to George Abraham Grierson, "The inflections also differ from those of regular Bengali, and in one or two instances assimilate to those of Assamese" although he himself listed Sylheti as an Eastern Bengali dialect in his linguistic survey. Considering the unique linguistic properties such as phoneme inventory, allophony, and inflectional morphology in particular and lexicon in general, Sylheti is often regarded as a separate language (Grierson 1928, Chatterjee 1939, Gordon 2005). It was formerly written using its own script, Sylheti Nagari, which, although largely replaced with the Eastern Nagari script in recent times, is beginning to experience a revival in use.

Sylheti shares 70% to 80% of its lexicon with Standard Bengali.

Name of the language

Sylheti is the common English spelling of the language name after the accepted British spelling of the Sylhet District. The Standard Bengali spelling of the name Sylheti is সিলেটি (Sileṭi). The Sylheti spelling is ꠍꠤꠟꠐꠤ or ছিলটি (Silôṭi). In Assamese it is called ছিলঠীয়া (Silothia).

Geographical distribution

The Sylheti language is native to the Greater Sylhet region, which comprises the present-day Sylhet Division of Bangladesh as well as the 3 districts of the Barak Valley and in Hojai district of Assam in India.

Besides the native region it is also spoken by the Sylhetis living in North Tripura and the Meghalaya region. A significant amount of Sylheti migration to the United Kingdom and the United States from the 20th century has made Sylheti one of the most spoken languages of the Bangladeshi diaspora.

The Sylhet region became a part of the Bengal Sultanate in 1303 during the Conquest of Sylhet led by Shamsuddin Firoz Shah. This led to influence from Arabic and Persian. When the British arrived in 1765, Sylhet became a part of Assam leading to Assamese influence on the language. Following the 1947 referendum, majority decided to join East Bengal and the Hill Tracts to form East Pakistan. However, due to the Radcliffe Line, the districts of Karimganj, Hailakandi and Cachar were separated from Sylhet and joined Assam. Due to this separation, the Sylheti dialect has evolved into many varieties.

History

SAMPLE TEXT:
Front page of a Nagari book titled Halat-un-Nabi, written in the mid-19th century by Sadeq Ali of Sylhet

In ancient literature, Sylhet was referred as Shilahat and Shilahatta. In the 19th century, the British tea-planters in the area referred to the vernacular spoken in Surma and Barak Valleys as Sylheti. Local names included Ujaniyo and Srihottiyo. In Assam, the language is still referred to as Sylheti.

During the British colonial period, a Sylheti student by the name of Moulvi Abdul Karim studying in London, England, after completing his education, spent several years in London and learned the printing trade. After returning home, he designed a woodblock type for Sylheti Nagari and founded the Islamia Press in Sylhet Town in about 1870. Other Sylheti presses were established in Sunamganj, Shillong and Kolkata. These presses fell out of use during the early 1970s. Since then, the Sylotinagri alphabet has been used mainly by linguists and academics. It gradually became very unpopular.

The script includes 5 independent vowels, 5 dependent vowels attached to a consonant letter and 27 consonants. The Sylheti abugida differs from the Bengali alphabet as it is a form of Kaithi, a script that belongs to the main group of North Indian scripts of Bihar. The writing system's main use was to record religious poetry, described as a rich language and easy to learn.

Campaigns started to rise in London during the mid-1970s to mid-1980s to recognise Sylheti as a language in its own right. During the mid-1970s, when the first mother-tongue classes were established for Bangladeshis by community activists, the classes were given in standard Bengali rather than the Sylheti dialect which triggered the campaign. During the 1980s, a recognition campaign for Sylheti took place in the area of Spitalfields, East End of London. One of the main organisations was the Bangladeshis' Educational Needs in Tower Hamlets (usually known by its acronym as BENTH). However this organisation collapsed in 1985 and with its demise, the pro-Sylheti campaign in the borough lost impetus. Nonetheless, Sylheti remains very widespread as a domestic language in working-class as well as upper-class Sylheti households in the United Kingdom.

Sylheti variation from Standard Bengali

There is also a written form of Sylheti which was used to write Puthis and was identical to puthis written in Dobhashi Bengali due to both lacking the use of tatsama and using Perso-Arabic vocabulary as a replacement. Similar to Dobhashi, those written in Sylheti Nagri were paginated from right to left.

Vocabulary look

A phrase in:

• Standard Bengali: এক দেশের গালি আরেক দেশের বুলি æk desher gali arek desher buli.
• Sylheti: ꠄꠇ ꠖꠦꠡꠞ ꠉꠣꠁꠟ ꠀꠣꠞꠇ ꠖꠦꠡꠞ ꠝꠣꠔ/এক দেশর গাইল, আরক দেশর মাত ex deshôr gail arôx deshôr mat.

which literally means "one land's obscenity is another land's language", and can be roughly translated to convey that a similar word in one language can mean something very different in another. For example:

মেঘ megh in Standard Bengali means cloud .

ꠝꠦꠊ/মেঘ megh in Sylheti means rain.

In Pali মেঘ megh means both rain and cloud.

In Sylheti cloud is called ꠈꠣꠟꠘꠤ/খালনি/khalni. Also referred as ꠢꠣꠎ/হাজ haz, or ꠀꠡꠝꠣꠘꠤ ꠢꠣꠎ/আসমানি হাজ ashmani haz (decor of the sky).

In Standard Bengali rain is called বৃষ্টি brishti.

নাড়া naṛa in Standard Bengali means to stir or to move .

In Sylheti, to stir is called laṛa (ꠟꠣꠠꠣ).

কম্বল kômbôl in Standard Bengali means blanket.

In Sylheti, blanket is called ꠞꠣꠎꠣꠁ/রাজাই razai.

ꠇꠝꠛꠟ/কম্বল xômbôl in Sylheti means buttock and in Bengali it means blanket.

Grammar comparisons

The following is a sample text in Sylheti, of the Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations:
Sylheti in Sylheti Nagari script

ꠗꠣꠞꠣ ১: ꠢꠇꠟ ꠝꠣꠘꠥꠡ ꠡꠣꠗꠤꠘꠜꠣꠛꠦ ꠢꠝꠣꠘ ꠁꠎ꠆ꠎꠔ ꠀꠞ ꠢꠇ ꠟꠁꠀ ꠙꠄꠖꠣ ‘ꠅꠄ। ꠔꠣꠞꠣꠞ ꠛꠤꠛꠦꠇ ꠀꠞ ꠀꠇꠟ ꠀꠍꠦ। ꠄꠞ ꠟꠣꠉꠤ ꠢꠇꠟꠞ ꠃꠌꠤꠔ ꠄꠇꠎꠘꠦ ꠀꠞꠇꠎꠘꠞ ꠟꠉꠦ ꠛꠤꠞꠣꠖꠞꠤꠞ ꠝꠘ ꠟꠁꠀ ꠀꠌꠞꠘ ꠇꠞꠣ।

Sylheti in Bengali script

ধারা ১: হকল মানুষ স্বাধীনভাবে হমান ইজ্জত আর হক লইয়া পয়দা ‘অয়। তারার বিবেক আর আকল আছে। এর লাগি হকলর উচিত একজনে আরকজনর লগে বিরাদরির মন লইয়া আচরণ করা।

Sylheti in Phonetic Romanization

Dara ex: Hôxôl manuš šadinbabe hôman ijjôt ar hôx lôia fôeda ôe. Tarar bibex ar axôl ase. Er lagi hôxlôr usit exzône arôxzônôr lôge biradôrir môn lôia asôrôn xôra.

Sylheti in IPA

/d̪aɾa ex | ɦɔxɔl manuʃ ʃad̪ínbábe ɦɔman id͡ʒːɔt̪ aɾ ɦɔx lɔia fɔe̯d̪a ɔ́e̯ ‖ t̪aɾaɾ bibex aɾ axɔl asé ‖ eɾ lagi ɦɔxlɔɾ usit̪ exzɔne arɔxzɔnɔɾ lɔge birad̪ɔɾiɾ mɔn lɔia asɔɾɔn xɔɾa ‖/

Bengali in Bengali script

ধারা ১: সমস্ত মানুষ স্বাধীনভাবে সমান মর্যাদা এবং অধিকার নিয়ে জন্মগ্রহণ করে। তাঁদের বিবেক এবং বুদ্ধি আছে; সুতরাং সকলেরই একে অপরের প্রতি ভ্রাতৃত্বসুলভ মনোভাব নিয়ে আচরণ করা উচিত।

Bengali in Phonetic Romanization

Dhara æk: Šômôsto manuš šadhinbhabe šôman môrjada æbông odhikar niye jônmôgrôhôn kôre. Tãder bibek æbông buddhi achhe; šutôrang šôkôleri æke ôpôrer prôti bhratrittôšulôbh mônobhab niye achôrôn kôra uchit.

Bengali in IPA

/d̪ʱara ɛk | ʃɔmɔst̪o manuʃ ʃad̪ʱinbʱabe ʃɔman mɔɾd͡ʒad̪a ɛbɔŋ od̪ʱikaɾ nije d͡ʒɔnmɔgɾɔɦɔn kɔɾe ‖ t̪ãd̪eɾ bibek ɛbɔŋ bud̪d̪ʱi at͡ʃʰe ‖ ʃut̪ɔɾaŋ ʃɔkɔleɾi ɛke ɔpɔɾeɾ prɔt̪i bʱɾat̪ɾit̪ːɔʃulɔbʱ mɔnobʱab nije at͡ʃɔɾɔn kɔɾa ut͡ʃit̪ ‖/

Below are the grammar similarities and differences appearing in a word to word comparison:
Sylheti word-to-word gloss

All humans' born happen free and dignity plus rights with. Their conscious, intelligent and judgement-clever staying bearing a-person another-person's with spiritual brotherhood conduct stays.

Bengali word-to-word gloss

All human free-manner-in equal dignity and right taken birth-take do. Their reason and intelligence exist; therefore everyone-indeed one another's towards brotherhood-ly attitude taken conduct do should.

English

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Tone

Sylheti is a tonal language. The Indo-Aryan languages are not generally recognized for tone, although at least one other Indo-Aryan language (Punjabi) is tonal. There are two types of tonal contrasts in Sylheti: the emergence of high tone in the vowels following the loss of aspiration, and a low tone elsewhere.

• at (ꠀꠔ) 'intestine'
• át (ꠀ’ꠔ) 'hand'
• xali (ꠇꠣꠟꠤ) 'ink'
• xáli (ꠈꠣꠟꠤ) 'empty'
• guṛa (ꠉꠥꠠꠣ) 'powder'
• gúṛa (ꠊꠥꠠꠣ) 'horse'
• suri (ꠌꠥꠞꠤ) 'theft'
• súri (ꠍꠥꠞꠤ) 'knife'
• zal (ꠎꠣꠟ) 'net, web'
• zál (ꠏꠣꠟ) 'pungent'
• ṭik (ꠐꠤꠇ) 'tick'
• ṭík (ꠑꠤꠇ) 'correct'
• ḍal (ꠒꠣꠟ) 'branch'
• ḍál (ꠓꠣꠟ) 'shield'
• tal (ꠔꠣꠟ) 'palmyra, rhythm'
• tál (ꠕꠣꠟ) 'plate'
• dan (ꠖꠣꠘ) 'donation'
• dán (ꠗꠣꠘ) 'paddy'
• ful (ꠙꠥꠟ) 'bridge'
• fúl (ꠚꠥꠟ) 'flower'
• bala (ꠛꠣꠟꠣ) 'bangle'
• bála (ꠜꠣꠟꠣ) 'good, welfare'
• bat (ꠛꠣꠔ) 'arthritis'
• bát (ꠜꠣꠔ) 'rice'

Sylheti continues to have a long history of coexisting with other Tibeto-Burman languages such as various dialects of Kokborok, Reang which are tonal in nature. Even though there is no clear evidence of direct borrowing of lexical items from those tonal languages into Sylheti, there is still a possibility that the emergence of Sylheti tones is due to an areal feature as the indigenous speakers of Tibeto-Burman languages by and large use Sylheti as a common medium for interaction.

Phonology

Sylheti is distinguished by its tonal characteristics and a wide range of fricative consonants corresponding to aspirated consonants in closely related languages and dialects such as Bengali; a lack of the breathy voiced stops; word-final stress; and a relatively large set of loanwords from Assamese, Standard Bengali and other Bengali dialects. Sylheti has affected the course of Standard Bengali in the rest of the state.

A notable characteristic of spoken Sylheti is the correspondence of the /ʜ/ (hereafter transliterated x), pronounced as a Voiceless epiglottal fricative to the [ʃ], or "sh", of Bengali, e.g.

Vowels   Front Central Back Close i ꠁ   u ꠃ Close-mid e ꠄ     Open-mid     ɔ ꠅ Open   a ꠀ

Consonants   Labial Dental/ Alveolar Retroflex Palato- alveolar Velar Glottal Nasal m ꠝ n ꠘ     ŋ ꠋ   Plosive/ Affricate voiceless unaspirated p ꠙ, ꠚ t̪ ꠔ, ꠕ ʈ ꠐ, ꠑ t͡ʃ ꠌ, ꠍ k ꠇ, ꠈ   voiced unaspirated b ꠛ, ꠜ d̪ ꠖ, ꠗ ɖ ꠒ, ꠓ d͡ʒ ꠎ, ꠏ ɡ ꠉ, ꠊ   Fricative voiceless fricative ɸ~f ꠙ, ꠚ s ꠌ, ꠍ   ʃ ꠡ x ꠇ, ꠈ ɦ ꠢ voiced fricative   z ꠎ, ꠏ         Flap   ɾ ꠞ ɽ ꠠ       Approximant w l ꠟ   j

Standard Bengali	Assamese	Sylheti	IPA Transcription	Meaning in English
চরণস্পর্শ Côrônspôrshô	ভৰি চোৱা Bhori süa	ꠇꠖꠝꠛꠥꠍꠤ Xôdômbusi	/xɔdɔmbusi/	Touching the feet (A way showing respect)
ঢাকা Dhaka	ঢাকা Dhaka	ꠓꠣꠇꠣ Daxa	/ɖáxa/	Dhaka
একজন লোক Ēkjôn lōk	এজন লোক Ezon lük	ꠄꠇꠎꠘ ꠝꠣꠘꠥꠡ Ēxzôn manush	/exzɔn manuʃ/	A person
একজন Ekjôn	এজন Ezon	ꠄꠇꠎꠘ Exzôn	/exzɔn/	Someone
একজন পুরুষ Ekjôn purush	এজন মানুহ Ezon manuh	‌ꠄꠇꠐꠣ ꠛꠦꠐꠣ Exta beta	/exʈa beʈa/	A man
কীসের Kisher	কিহৰ kihor	ꠇꠤꠅꠞ Kior	/kiɔ́ɾ/	Informal of Whereof
কন্যা, মেয়ে Kônna, Meye	জী, ছোৱালী Zi, Süali	ꠇꠂꠘ꠆ꠘꠣ, ꠏꠤ, ꠙꠥꠠꠤ Xôinna, Zi, Furi	/xoinna/, /zí/, /ɸuɽi/	Daughter
মানবজাতি Manôbjati	মানৱজাতি, মানুহৰ জাতি Manowzati, Manuhor zati	ꠝꠣꠁꠘꠡꠞ ꠎꠣꠔ Mainshor zat	/mainʃɔɾ zat̪/	Mankind
অসমিয়া, অহমিয়া Ôshômiya, Ôhômiya	অসমীয়া Oxomiya	ꠅꠢꠝꠤꠀ Ôhômia	/ɔɦɔmia/	Assamese people
আঙুল Angul	আঙুলি Anguli	ꠀꠋꠉꠥꠁꠟ Anguil	/aŋguil/	Finger, toe
আংটি Angti	আঙুঠি Anguthi	ꠀꠋꠑꠤ Angtí	/aŋʈi/	Ring
আগুনপোড়া Agunpora	জুইত পোৰা, জুইত সেকা Zuit püra, Zuit xeka	ꠀꠉꠥꠁꠘꠙꠥꠞꠣ Aguinfura	/aguinfuɽa/	Baked, grilled
অসিধারী Oshidhari	খৰ্গধৰ,চোকৰধৰা Khorgodhor, Sükordhora	ꠔꠟꠥꠀꠞꠗꠣꠞꠤ Tôluardari	/t̪ɔluaɾd̪aɾi/	Swordsman
পাখি, পক্ষী Pakhi, Pôkkhi	চৰাই, পখী Sorai, Pokhi	ꠙꠣꠈꠤ, ꠙꠣꠈꠤꠀ Faki, Fakia	/ɸaki/, /ɸakia/	Bird
ভালোবাসা, প্রেম, পিরিতি Bhalobasha, Prem, Piriti	মৰম, ভালপোৱা, প্রেম, পিৰিটি Morom, Bhalpüwa, Prem, Piriti	ꠜꠣꠟꠣꠙꠣꠅꠣ, ꠙꠦꠞꠦꠝ, ꠙꠤꠞꠤꠔꠤ, ꠝꠢꠛ꠆ꠛꠔ Balafawa, Ferem, Firiti, Môhôbbôt	Firiti	/balaɸawa/, /ɸeɾem/, /ɸiɾit̪i/, /mɔɦɔbbɔt̪/	Love
পরে Pôre	পিছত, পৰত pisot, porot	ꠙꠞꠦ, ꠛꠣꠖꠦ Fôre, Bade	/ɸɔɾe/, /bad̪e/	Later
সকল, সমস্ত, সব Shôkôl, Shômôsto, Shôb	সকলো, সব, চব Xokolü; Xob; Sob	ꠢꠇꠟ, ꠢꠇ꠆ꠇꠟ, ꠡꠛ Hôxôl, Hôkkôl, Shôb	/ɦɔxɔl/, /ɦɔkkɔl/, /ʃɔb/	All
সারা Shara	গোটেই Gutei	ꠢꠣꠞꠣ Hara	/ɦaɾa/	Whole
সাত বিল Shat bil	সাত বিল Xat bil	ꠢꠣꠔ ꠛꠤꠟ Hat bil	/ɦat̪ bil/	Seven wetlands
সাতকড়া Shatkôra	সাতকৰা Xatkora	ꠢꠣꠔꠇꠠꠣ Hatxôra	/ɦat̪xɔɽa/	Citrus macroptera fruit
সাতবার Shatbar	সাতবাৰ Xatbar	ꠢꠣꠔꠛꠣꠞ Hatbar	/ɦat̪baɾ/	Seven-times (Sylheti term for lots of time)
সিলেটি Sileṭi	ছিলঠীয়া Silôṭiya	ꠍꠤꠟꠐꠤ Silôṭi	/silɔʈi/	Sylheti
সৌভাগ্য Shoubhaggô	সৌভাগ্য Xoubhaiggô	ꠈꠥꠡꠘꠍꠤꠛ, Shoubaiggô, Kushnôsib	/kuʃnɔsib/	Good luck (Sylheti: God's Authority)
ভালো করে খান। Bhalo kôre khan.	ভালকৈ খাওক। Bhalkoi khaük.	ꠜꠣꠟꠣ ꠇꠞꠤ ꠈꠣꠃꠇ꠆ꠇꠣ, ꠜꠣꠟꠣ ꠑꠤꠇꠦ ꠈꠣꠃꠇ꠆ꠇꠣ। Bala xôri xaukka, Bala tike xaukka.	/bála xɔɾi xaukka/, /bála ʈike xaukka/	Bon appetit
স্ত্রী, পত্নী Stri, Pôtni	ঘৈণী, পত্নী Stri, Ghôini, Pôtni	ꠛꠃ Bôu	/bɔu/	Wife
স্বামী, বর, পতি Shami, Bôr, Pôti	গিৰি, পৈ, স্বামী Swami, Giri, Pôti	ꠎꠣꠝꠣꠁ Zamai	/zamai/	Husband
জামাই Jamai	জোঁৱাই Züai	ꠖꠣꠝꠣꠘ Daman	/daman/	Son-in-law
শ্বশুর Shôshur	শহুৰ Xohur	ꠢꠃꠞ Hôur	/ɦɔúɾ/	Father-in-law
শাশুড়ি Shashuṛi	শাহু Xahu	ꠢꠠꠣ Hoṛi	/ɦɔɽi/	Mother-in-law
শালা Shala	খুলশালা Khulxala	ꠢꠣꠟꠣ Hala	/ɦala/	Brother-in-law
শালী Shali	খুলশালী Khulxali	ꠢꠣꠟꠤ Hali	/ɦali/	Sister-in-law
শেখা Shekha	শিকা Xika	ꠢꠤꠇꠣ Hika	/ɦika/	Learn
সরষে Shorshe	সৰিয়হ Xorioh	ꠢꠂꠞꠧ Hoiro	/ɦɔiɾo/	Mustard
শিয়াল Shiyal	শিয়াল Xial	ꠢꠤꠀꠟ Hial	/ɦial/	Fox, Jackal
বেড়াল Beral	মেকুৰী, বিৰালী Mekuri, birali	ꠝꠦꠇꠥꠞ, ꠛꠤꠟꠣꠁ Mékur, Bilai	/mekuɾ/, /bilai/	Cat
শুঁটকি Shuṭki	শুকটি, শুকান মাছ Xukoti, Xukan mas	ꠢꠥꠐꠇꠤ, ꠢꠥꠇꠂꠘ Huṭki, Hukôin	/ɦuʈki/, /ɦukoin/	Sundried Fish
আপনার নাম কী? Apnar nam ki?	আপোনাৰ নাম কি? Apünar nam ki?	ꠀꠙꠘꠣꠞ ꠘꠣꠝ ꠇꠤꠔꠣ? Afnar nam kita?	/aɸnaɾ nam kit̪a/	What's your name?
ডাক্তার আসার পূর্বে রোগী মারা গেল। Daktar ashar purbe rogi mara gelo	ডাক্তৰ অহাৰ আগতেই ৰোগী মৰি গ’ল। Daktor ohar agotei rügi mori gól	ꠒꠣꠇ꠆ꠔꠞ ꠀꠅꠣꠞ ꠀꠉꠦꠃ ꠛꠦꠝꠣꠞꠤ ꠝꠞꠤ ꠉꠦꠟ। Daxtôr awar ageu bemari môri gelo.	/ɖaxt̪ɔɾ awaɾ ageu bemaɾi mɔɾi gelo/	Before the doctor came, the patient had died.
বহুদিন দেখিনি। Bôhudin dekhini.	বহুদিন দেখা নাই। Bohudin dekha nai.	ꠛꠣꠇ꠆ꠇꠣ ꠖꠤꠘ ꠖꠦꠈꠍꠤ ꠘꠣ। Bakka din dexsi na.	/bakka d̪in d̪exsi na/	Long time, no see.
আপনি কি ভালো আছেন? Apni ki bhalo Achen?	আপুনি ভালে আছে নে? Apuni bhale asê nê?	ꠀꠙꠘꠦ ꠜꠣꠟꠣ ꠀꠍꠂꠘ ꠘꠤ? Afne bala asôin ni?	/aɸne bála asoin ni/	How are you?
আমি তোমাকে ভালোবাসি। Ami tomake bhalobashi.	মই তোমাক ভাল পাওঁ। Moi tümak bhal paü.	ꠀꠝꠤ ꠔꠥꠝꠣꠞꠦ ꠜꠣꠟꠣ ꠙꠣꠁ। Ami tumare bala fai.	/ami t̪umare bála ɸai/	I love you.
আমি ভুলে গিয়েছি। Ami bhule giechi.	মই পাহৰি গৈছোঁ। Môi pahôri goisü.	ꠀꠝꠤ ꠙꠣꠅꠞꠤ ꠟꠤꠍꠤ। Ami faûri lisi.	/ami ɸaʊɾi lisi/	I have forgotten.
মাংসের ঝোলটা আমার খুব ভালো লেগেছে। Mangsher jholṭa amar khub bhalo legeche.	‍মাংসৰ তৰকাৰীখন মোৰ খুব ভাল লাগিছে। Mangxor torkarikhon mür khub bhal lagise.	ꠉꠥꠍꠔꠞ ꠍꠣꠟꠝꠐꠣ ꠀꠝꠣꠞ ꠈꠥꠛ ꠜꠣꠟꠣ ꠟꠣꠉꠍꠦ। Gustôr salômṭa amar kub bala lagse.	/gust̪ɔɾ salɔmʈa amaɾ kúb bála lagse/	I liked the meat curry.
শিলচর কোনদিকে? Shilcôr kondike?	শিলচৰ কোন ফালে/পিনে? Xilsor kün fale/pine?	ꠢꠤꠟꠌꠞ ꠇꠥꠘ ꠛꠣꠄ/ꠛꠣꠁꠖꠤ/ꠝꠥꠈꠣ? Hilcôr kun bae/baidi/muka?	/ɦil͡tʃɔɾ kun bae, baid̪i, muká/	Which way to Silchar?
শৌচাগার কোথায়? Shôucagar kothay?	শৌচালয় ক’ত? Xousaloy kót?	ꠐꠣꠐ꠆ꠐꠤ ꠇꠥꠘꠈꠣꠘꠧ/ꠇꠥꠘꠣꠘꠧ/ꠈꠣꠘꠧ/ꠇꠤꠀꠘꠧ/ꠇꠁ/ꠇꠥꠀꠁ? ṭaṭṭi kunxano/kunano/xano/kiano/xoi/kuai?	/ʈaʈʈi kunxano, kunano, xano, kiano, xoi, kuai/	Where is the toilet?
এটা কী? Eṭa ki?	এইটো কি? Eitü ki?	ꠁꠉꠥ/ꠁꠇꠐꠣ/ꠁꠐꠣ ꠇꠤꠔꠣ? Igu/Ikṭa/Iṭa kita?	/igu, ikʈa, iʈa kit̪a/	What is this?
সেটা কী? Sheṭa ki?	সেইটো কি? Xeitü ki?	ꠢꠤꠉꠥ/ꠢꠤꠇꠐꠣ/ꠢꠤꠐꠣ ꠇꠤꠔꠣ? Higu/Hikṭa/Hiṭa kita?	/ɦigu, ɦikʈa, ɦiʈa kit̪a/	What is that?
শেষ Shesh	শেষ Xex/xeh	ꠢꠦꠡ Hesh	/ɦeʃ/	End, finish

External links

Sylheti phrasebook travel guide from Wikivoyage

• UK-Based Group that collects and republishes Sylheti literature