grt ISO 639
Mande Autonyms
Garo
Visualizations
A language of India
- ISO 639
- grt
- Alternate Names
- Garrow, Mandi
- Autonym
- Mande
- Population
- 1,150,000 in India (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 1,270,000.
- Location
- Assam state: Goalpara, Kamrup, and Karbi Anglong districts; Meghalaya state: Garo Hills district; Nagaland state: Kohima district; Tripura state: south Tripura district, Udaipur sub-district; north Tripura district, Kailasahar and Kamalpur sub-districts; west Tripura district, Sadar sub-district; West Bengal state: Jalpaiguri and Koch Bihar districts.
- Language Maps
- India, Map 4, India, Map 5, Northeastern Bangladesh
- Language Status
- 2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Meghalaya State (1950, Constitution, Articles 347), unscheduled language.
- Classification
- Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Sal, Boro-Garo
- Dialects
- A’beng (A’bengya, Am’beng), A’chick (A’chik, A’we, Chisak, Dual, Matchi), Dacca, Ganching, Kamrup. A’chick is the standardized dialect in India. A’beng dialect used in Bangladesh, but is not mutually intelligible. Reportedly most similar to Koch [kdq].
- Typology
- SOV; postpositions; case-marking (9 cases); numeral classifiers; tense markers; 16 consonant and 5 vowels; non-tonal.
- Language Use
- Awe dialect, spoken in Assam, has few remaining speakers. Most use standard Garo. Used as L2 by Atong [aot], Hajong [haj], Koch [kdq], Lyngngam [lyg], Rabha [rah], Ruga [ruh].
- Language Development
- Literacy rate in L2: 55% for Meghalaya (2001 census). General level of education is low compared to Khasi [kha]. Taught in primary and secondary schools in Meghalaya state. Taught as subject at North-Eastern Hill University. Literature. Radio. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1924–1994.
- Writing
- Bengali (Bangla) script [Beng]. Braille script [Brai], used since 1998. Latin script [Latn].
- Other Comments
- Christian.
- Language Resources
- OLAC resources in and about Garo
Also Spoken in
- Location
- Dhaka division: Dhaka, Jamalpur, Madhupur, Netrokona, Sherpur districts; enclaves north, southwest and northwest of Mymensingh city; Sylhet division: Sylhet and Sunamganj districts.
- Dialects
- Abeng, Achik, Brak, Chibok, Dual.
- Language Status
- 5 (Dispersed)
- Language Use
- Used by all. Also use Bengali [ben]. Also use Hajong [haj]. Used as L2 by Atong [aot], Hajong [haj], Koch [kdq], Lyngngam [lyg], Megam [mef].
- Language Development
- Literacy rate in L1: 25%. Literacy rate in L2: 80% in Bengali [ben]. Parents want their children to read and write Garo.
- Other Comments
- Abeng dialect is spoken but writing is in Achik. Christian, Hindu, traditional religion. View other languages of Bangladesh
Language Name
Garo
User Population
120,000 in Bangladesh (2005).
