IV Script and Spelling

C. Introduction to graphemes:

 
Grapheme is defined by crystal as “the minimal contrastive unit in the writing system of a language”.  

1-2. Since Khasi uses the Roman script, more or less the same graphemes are used as for English and other European languages.  
These 31 units are classed as:  

i). Consonants      b           k           d           G           ng               H               J
      (15)               [bi]       [ke]        [di]        [ek]        [eŋ]             [ec]           [je]
                            l           m           n          Ñ            p                 R              S        T
                           [el]       [em]       [en]      [eŋ]         [pi]              [ar]           [es]      [ti]

ii). Vowels          A              E            I           Ï                O               U
         (6)           [a:]            [e]          [I]        [yi:]             [o]             [u]

iii). Diphthongs   [ai]           [a:i ]      [ei ]      [oi]         [o:i]
        (10)           [au]          [a:u]      [i:u]      [eu]        [ia]
While most of the graphemes are productive, G [ek] is not used at all.

S/Sb-, Sd-, Sk-, Skh-, Sng-, Sh-, Sl-, Sm-, Sn-, Sŋ-, Sp-, St-, Sw-, S?-

Clusters- Khasi abounds in consonant Clusters, these include.
b) br-, bl-, bn-, bs-, bh-, bt-, btʰ-, bš-, 
k) kb-, kd-, kh-, kj-, kl-, km-, kn-, kp-, kr-, ks-, kt-, ktʰ-, kj-, kš-, kw-, ky-
d) dk-, dng-, dh-, dn-, dp-, dr-, dkʰ-
j)  jr-, jl-, jn-
l)  lp-, lb-, lt-, ld-, lk-, lkʰ-, l?-, lm-, lng-, lw-, lh-
m) ml-, mn-,
p)  pd-, ph-, pl-, pn-, pr-, pt-, pj-,
r)   rb-, rkʰ-, rm-, rn-, rng-, rh-, rt-, rw-.

(Ref. Phonology section on consonant clusters)

3. Distribution of Allographs:

Each grapheme can be represented through its various form or allographs, written as Capital letters A B C D [lower case). Capital letters are used in initial position sentences or for Proper names; small letters are used in non-initial positions in sentences. Khasi follows the same convention as English in the distribution of allographs.

4. Rules for combinations of vowel modifier:

For vowels, length is an important feature to distinguish minimal pairs, but this is not reflect in orthography, only in spoken language. Eg. Lum [lum] (v., collect) lum [lo:m] (N, a hill), Kam [ka:m] (V, stepover) kam [kam] ( N, work).

 
5. Phonetic – graphemic fit:
    A a     B b     K k     D d     E e  G g   NG  ng    H h    I i
    [a]      [bi]     [ke]     [di]      [e]   [ek]   [eŋ]       [esh]   [i]
    Ï ï       J j       L l      M m    N n       Ñ ñ          O o      P p
   [yi:]    [je]      [el]      [em]    [en]      [eiŋ]          [o]       [pi]
   R r      S s      T t      U u      W w       Y y
  [ar]     [es]       [ti]       [u]     [dahliw]   [wai] 

6. Direction for writing each grapheme:
As in English and other languages using Roman script.

7.  Special features:
G g is pronounced as [ek] and is not in use.
Ï ï [yi:] is used in words like ‘ïing’ (house), ïeng (stand), ïuh (stamp),
Ñ ñ [ein] is used in word like ‘ñia’ (aunty), kñia (sacrifice), keiñ (enough), bseiñ (snake)

D. History of script:

1. Change of script:

William Carey, a missionary of the Serampore Baptist Mission, (West Bengal), was also known as a translator and literature of several Indian languages, including Bengali. In 1831, the first Hindu convert of Carey named Krishna Chandra Pal who also a Pupil of Carey, came to Pandua, which was then under the Sohra ‘Kingdom’ (Hima Sohra). Among the seven converts of Pal, two were Khasi, i.e. U Duwan and ka Anna. Since Carey was been to spread the gospel among the Khasis, he began to translate the New Testament into Khasi (Shella dialect), using Bengali script, with the help of one Sylheti and five or six Khasi literature in Bengali. This New Testament was completed in 1824.

In 1832 Carey sent a young American, Alexander List, to Sohra (Cherrapunji) to work among the Khasis. In 1834 List set up three schools in Sohra, Mawsmai and Mawmluh, with around thirty six students. He also wrote two three books, using Bengali script, including a translation of parts of the Gospel according to Mathew. List left Sohra in 1838.

Hence the work among the Khasis came to a standstill. It had been observed by writers like (L) Prof. R.S.Lyngdoh, that perhaps Bengali script would have been adopted for Khasi Language, had there been continuity in the work of the Serampore Baptist Mission under Carey. Some other writers however feel that the Bengali script was not really suitable for the Khasi language, especially with abundance of consonant clusters, the presence of the glottal stop etc. Sohra (So?ra) was pronounced as ‘Cherra’ (cera), Khasi (khasi) was pronounced and written as ‘Khashee’ (with a sound and a long i : ).

It was left to another mission society, the Welsh Calvinistic Presbyterian Mission, to send a young Missionary, Thomas Jones, and his wife, to Sohra in 1841. When the Baptist Mission had failed (in the work of Pal, Carey and List), the Welsh Presbyterian succeeded in laying the foundation for literacy, literature, Education, Health Care and other aspects of life. Christianity too began to take roots in the Khasi Jaintia Hills.

After studying the sounds of Khasi (Sohra dialect) Jones experimented with Roman script and alphabets, which he know, abandoning Bengali script which he did not know, to transliterate the Sohra dialect. As discussed earlier in 1 (History) Thomas Jones books (Translations of parts of the Bible, primers, ethics etc) laid the foundation for literacy, education and literature. Unknowingly, he also ‘created’ the standard variety that became the link language for all the dialect speakers in the Khasi-Jaintia hills, and the language for other functions (education, administration, judiciary etc).

It is interesting to note that a Khasi writer Jeebon Roy, first experimented with Bengali script for his book ‘ka kitab nyngkong’ but changed to Roman script later.

2. Development of script:

Originally only eleven letters of the Roman alphabets were used. In 1899 Jeebon Roy Mairom a Khasi scholar, introduced I and n in order to spell certain words. In 1846, ‘c’ was deleted and ‘k’ was substituted in the first Khasi Reader ‘Ca Citap Nyngkong ban hicai pule ca ctin Cassi’ (1942), to make the spelling more close to he actual pronunciation “Ka kitap nyngkong ban hikai pule ka Ktien Khasi”.

Spelling:

The above example shows the necessity to change the spelling by substituting ‘c’ by ‘k’. It is understandable that Thomas Jones used the Roman script but spelled the Khasi words as a Welshman would pronounce the words. The Lord’s Prayer was originally rendered as:

 
                     “Oo Copha  jong ngi  oo  ba  ha buneng”
                     (Ko kpa  jong  ngi  u ba  ha bneng )
                    “long bacooid  ca  curteng  jong  me……”
                     (long bakhuid  ka kyrteng  jong me ……) 
A brief comparison between the welsh spelling and modern khasi spelling (second lines in bracket) show the differences.

Other writers like Dr. John Robert, Jeebon Roy Mairom, Radhon Singh Berey etc, also improved Khasi spelling. However, the spelling 
is by no means standardized for words like.
          ieit                        ieit                        ieid             (to love)
          bieij                      bieit                       bieid           (fool, foolish)

3. Script reform/Revival:

So far there has been no script reform. Since letters of the Roman script are used, the development of modern technology has not affected the Khasi script.