top
Within the Munda family and within the Munda community, Mundari is used as the mode of communication. In day-to-day life and intraction in the family and community they use the language. For a munda child it becomes the first language. Even if they are well versed in other languages, they use their own language within the family and among the members of the speech community. They switch on to other languages when they encounter a non-mundari speaker. When there are two mundari speakers and one non-mundari speaker they use the language of the non-mundari speaker. Munda tribe is basically residing in Chotanagpur, where there are other speech communities as well. Therefore the lingua-franka is Sadri and Hindi (the Indo Aryan Languages). In Orissa Sadri and Oriya is the Lingua-franka. Thus a munda child is initiated first in Mundari. As he/she grows he/she acquires the Lingua-franka simultaneously. However, in a Munda dominated village Mundari language is used than indigenous language in all affairs of the community, for instances village gatherings, meetings, worship and marriage, in performing rituals mundari language is used. Folklores, folk tales and instruction are imparted in Mundari language from one generation to another generation.
Recently Mundari has been incorporated as a subject in school curriculum. Mundari language is taught as subject from primary to higher education.
In primary and secondary schools mundari is taught as a compulsory subject. Whereas in some Higher secondary (+2) Schools it is optional subject. In Bachelor degree students are offered as a honours subject in Mundari. In University level the language is taken as a specialized subject. There are many who have done special studies in Mundari and done Ph.D in Mundari and continue their career as Professors and Teachers in educational departments. For career making the language has been incorporated in the NET (National Eligibility Test) and JPSC (The Jharkhand Public Service Commission).
A thing to note is that, when the subject is taught the medium of instruction is mundari, but for the other subjects, like-economics, science and mathematics, the language not used.
Further we do not have any Mundari medium school. In non-formal education the language is used for all the subjects e.g. Maths, General Knowledge, Science. The non-formal education e.g. Night schools run by TRTC (Tribe Research Training Centres) in the district of West Singhbhum among Ho specially and HO, Munda mixed group in Bandgaon and Sarikella block of West Singbhum, Mundari is used as the mode of instruction. The books for this kind of education is designed in Mundari and HO.
In University level there are special branches for language promotion and language research, e.g. Department of Tribal and Regional Languages (TRL) and Jharkhand Tribal Welfare Research Institute in Ranchi.
The language has been taken as profession for many. As more awareness is coming for the importance of language and government is employing teachers in the schools for teaching the language. Thus there are teachers, translation and researchers in the language.
The language is used in mass media too starting with television, the folk songs, drama, one act plays, awareness programmes, e.g. AIDS, Health care, literacy based programmes are telecast in television. There are few films to produced in the language, e.g. “Sasankir”. There are some documentary films produced on marriage in Munda Tribe, rite and rituals, customs and practices to preserve its authenticities. Because the Mundari speakers have settled in Chotanagpur Plateau and they are closely associated with nature. Their sentiments are relative to nature. Thus their songs, dances and feast are different. For each season they have different dances and songs. These traditional dances are telecasted in the T.V. narrating its meanings and stories and its significants.
As the Mundari language is used for telecasting T.V. programmes, for Radio too the language is used and for the same purpose like T.V. seasonal songs are broadcasted quite often. Apart from this, Health care, literacy programmes, legal awareness, one act plays drama, serials like ‘Suno Kahani’ ‘Adivasi Akhara’ etc. Presently production of audio cassettes is quite popular. Thus many audio cassettes is quite popular. Thus many audio cassettes and CDs are being produced and it has great market. The audio cassettes and CD’s comprises of all sorts of songs, e.g. love songs, seasonal songs and traditional songs (seasonal songs, JADOR, OR JADUR, GENA, JARGA, JAPI, KARAM, ARNDI). There are some songs which are not related to any seasons.
There is no single newspaper in Mundari language. There are column allotted for regional languages where time to time articles are printed but language is not used but this articles are on the language.
There are quartly and monthly magazines. E.g. “Serã Seteng” is the magazine which is quite famous and which contributed by the scholars, researchers and those who are working for the promotion of the language. ‘AKHARA’ is the Nagupri magazine, but a section is allotted for Mundari news and views.
Chotanagpur comprises of co-existence of heterogeneous societies. Therefore, Mundari is not used for the administration, judiciary, legislature, science and technology. In administration the language is not used in state level, district level, Taluk level and village level. In Munda dominated panchayat the administrations is Mundari.
In Chotanagpur, usually Mundas are living with other communities, tribals like – ‘Kharia’ ‘Oraon’ and Non-tribals. Thus administration in the language is difficult and not practicle. But there are a lot of intraction among the munda communities of different taluks, block, district and of state. These are intractions for marriage and ‘Munda Paraha’, ‘Munda Summit’, ‘Maha Sabha’. Where the talk about their traditions narrate the stories of their origins. This is the meetings of different munda clans (Totem groups). In this meeting the mode of intraction is mundari. Likewise for community gatherings and in celebration they use the language. If there are disputes, they solve the problems among themselves.
For the language maintenance and promotion seminars are arranged which are known as “Munda Seminar”, “Yuva Sangh” etc. This seminar is arranged taluk and state level. The participants are usually the youths. On the seminar, the youths are acquainted with rites and rituals of the Munda community. They are taught folklores, cultures and folk tales. They are urged to keep up the language. Not to forget and teach their coming generation, because it is their identity. They are also given inputs regarding the language by the experts of the language. In this programmes the standard mundari is spoken.
1) kɔrɔɳɔ, rɔja:, bra:hmɔɳɔ
murkhɔ hele ɔka:rɔɳɔ -dhɔga
(bra:hmɔɳɔ ba: kɔrɔɳɔ bidya: ba:lekha: lekhi dwa:ra: jibɔnɔ nirba:hɔ ɔrɔnti, raja:
murkhɔ hele ra:j yɔrɔbɔhu khɔyɔ khyti ghɔha:e)
2) kempa: kɔrɔɳɔ a:u choʈa: ghoḍa:
khɔna: ɔbɔdh:nɔ ca:kɔrɔ teḍha:
ɔɳa: dhɔra:re jeũ pa:ni kɔḍha:
bele dɔɳa:i e kɔrɔmɔ chɔḍa:
- dɔna:i bɔcɔnɔ
kempa: kɔrɔɳɔ lekhi pa:re na:hi choʈa:
ghoḍa: douḍi pa:re na:hi khɔna: sikhyɔkɔ
pɔdha:i pa:re nã:hi
ɔʈa: dhɔra: rogi kuɔru pa:ni ka: dhipa:re nã:hi
3) ga:ã: ma:ha:nti, nã ma:ha:nti
ma:ha:nti pa:khe tha:i ma:ha:nti - chɔʈa
(kɔrɔɳɔ sama:jre a:ge poili prɔʈha: prɔcɔḷitɔ
thila poilinkɔ gɔrbhɔru jeũma:ne jɔnmɔ
heuthile, sema:ɳku gola:mɔ kuha: ja:uthila:
gola:mɔkɔ prɔti byɔɳgɔ (gopal Chandra prahraj)
4) ɳa:ã: ma:ha:nti
ga:ã: ma:ha:nti
ma:ha:nti pa:khre tha:i ma:ha:nti
pa:ɳ ji pɔtɔrɔ bohi tha:nti lokɔkti
5) sɔbu ma:ha:nti sɔma:nɔ nuhɔnti gã
ma:ha:nti sresthɔ, ja:ha:rɔ sɔngya: ma:ha:nti
ba: je cha:mu kɔrɔɳɔ, kothɔ kɔrɔɳɔ, deuḷɔ kɔrɔɳɔ
guma:sta ba: mohɔriɳkɔ ka:gɔ jɔ pɔtrɔ je buhɔnti
se ga:ã ma:ha:nti nkɔ sɔma:skɔndhɔ nohi pa:rɔnti
6) kɔrɔɳɔ ja:ti
udha:rɔ pa:ile kiɳɔnti ha:ti
7) nɔi hoi jebe nɔ die thɔḷɔ
meghɔ hoi jebe nɔ die jɔḷɔ
bɔndhɔ hoi jebe nɔ die bɔḷɔ
gɔchɔ poti jebe nɔ die phɔḷɔ
posila: puɔ jebe hu khuḷɔ
ati trusa:re nɔ miḷile jɔḷɔ
pa:ikɔ hoi nɔ ja:nile kɔḷɔ
ɔnga: jebe hue tɔḷɔmɔḷɔ
kɔrɔɳɔ puɔ nɔ ja:ɳile kɔḷɔ
ɔɳga: jebe hue ʈɔḷɔmɔḷɔ
kɔrɔɳɔ puɔ nɔ ja:ɳile nɔḷɔ (ma:pɔ)
poili hoi je kɔrɔi chɔḷɔ
pohɔri khoḷi ma:i gɔle dɔḷɔ
8) nohila: ga:ãku hoila: ciʈi
kɔrɔɳɔ pa:ila: ba:rɔ puʈi - dhɔgɔ
(kɔthɔ ɔchi, lekhu lekhukɔrɔɳɔ, kɔrɔɳi
sema:ɳkɔ udbha:bitɔ akhsyar, dɔlil, dɔstabiz
hisa:bɔ lekhiba:re kɔrɔɳɔma:ne osta:t thile
sɔmbhɔbɔ, asɔmbhɔbɔ pɔtrɔ lekhiba:ne
ba:ha:na; kɔri sema:ne murkhɔ sa:mɔntɔ ma:ɳɔku
hɔkuthile, pɔtrɔ lekhiba: ba:bɔtɔku sema:ɳkh ɔarumulyɔ a:da:yɔ kɔruthile.
Copyright CIIL-India Mysore