Lesson ONE

 Lesson 1

Rohingya Alphabet & Pronunciation

Alphabet

Aa   Bb   Cc   Çç   Dd   Ee   Ff

 

Gg   Hh   Ii   Jj   Kk   Ll   Mm

 

Nn   Ññ   Oo   Pp   Qq   Rr   Ss

 

Tt   Uu   Vv   Ww   Xx   Yy   Zz

Consonants

"c"  is pronounced as sh in shell.

"ç"  is pronounced as retroflex r in Rohingya words such as caça

     and naça meaning mat and closed.

 

"d"  is pronounced as d in Dubai.

"dh" is pronounced as d in day.

 

"t"  is pronounced as t in tooth.

"th" is pronounced as t in ten.

 

"ñ"  is pronounced as silent n or half n such as in

     Rohingya words fiañs and fañs 

     meaning onion and five. Basically  

     it gives nasal sound to the preceding consonant.

 

"ñy" is nasal y.

"ñg" is nasal g

"ts" is equal to sida.

 

"y"  is used as consonant only, not used as a semi vowel.

     So My must be written as Mai.

Vowels

Rohingya has two sets of vowels. The first line represent (6) soft-sound (normal) vowels and, the second line (6) hard-sound (accented) vowels. The last two-lettered vowels in each line below – ou and óu – are treated as if it is a single vowel respectively. Accented vowels are always emphasized with high tone and unaccented vowels are always pronounced as soft vowels.

a    e    i    o    u    ou

á    é    í    ó    ú    óu

Each vowel gives only one sound as shown in bold in the English and Rohingya phrase below:-

"America on full tour"

"Alemi modúr houli" - meaning International Honey Center.

 

a  is pronounced as in the word America.

e  is pronounced as in the word Letter.

i  is pronounced as in the word India.

o  is pronounced as in the word Long.

u  is pronounced as in the word Put.

ou is pronounced as in the word Go.

Circular vowels

Rohingya uses at least 4 circular vowels in each set. It is like adding “i” after each vowel of a, e, o, u. You cannot add “i” to “i”.)

ai  ei  oi  ui   (for soft sounds)

ái  éi  ói  úi   (for hard sounds)

For example;
Dhail (=lentil), Beil (=sun), Boi (=sit), Tui (=you) for not emphasized.
Bái (=brother), Dhéil (=tree branch), Bóin (=sister), Kúilla (=open) for emphasized.

Long vowels and its variants

Rohingya uses double vowels to extend the sound in three different ways such as horizontal, rising and falling. For example;

aa  horizontal elongation; example Gaa (=body).

aá  raising up; example Gaá (=sing).

áa  falling down; example Gáa (=infections).

Questions

In Rohingya Language yes/no questions are created by adding “né” at the end of the sentence:

• Sálma’ttu bilai uggwá asé né? — Is there a cat with Salma?
• Sálma’ttu bilai uggwá asé.       — There is a cat with Salma.
• Ói, Sálma’ttu bilai uggwá asé. — Yes, There is a cat with Salma.

• Usman ottú bilai asé né?         — Is there cat with Usman?
• Usman ottú bilai nái.               — There is no cat with Usman.
• Nái, Usman ottú bilai nái.       — No, There is no cat with Usman.

Relevant vocabulary

Sálma'ttu  = 'with Salma'

uggwá      = 'a'

bilai      = 'cat'

asé né     = 'is there'

Usman ottú = 'with Usman'

nái        = 'no' or 'there is no'

Other questions are created by USING question pronouns like:

• hoçé              – where
• hoñótté         – when
• hone             – who
• ki                  – what
• hotúkkun     – how long/when
• hoddúr         – how far/how much
• hodún          – how much
• hondila        – what kind
• honnán        – which one
• kengóri        – how

Hoçé – Where

• Tui hoçé zaibi?          – Where will you go?
• Ite/Ibá hoçé zaibou? – Where will he/she go?
• Tui hoçé zaifaribí?    – Where can you go?

Hoñótté – When

• Ibá hoñótte zaibou?                      – When will she go?
• Ali hoñótte aibou?                         – When will Ali come?
• Tui añár loi hoñótte dehá goríbi? – When will you see me?

Hone – Who

• Hone hoórde?        – Who is saying?
• Tuñí honnwá?       – Who are you?
• Tuñí haré soórde? – Whom are you looking for?

Ki – What

• Yián ki?           – What is it?
• Tuñí ki gorór? – What are you doing?

Hotúkkun – How long

• (Thaim) hotúkkun laiggé? – How long it took (time)?
• Tui hotúkkun ot zaibi?         – When will you go?

Hoddúr – How far/How much

• Ham hoddúr óiye?   – How far is work done?
• Lamba hoddúr?       – How much is the length?
• Tuñí hoddúr zaiba? – How far will you go?

Hodún – How much

• Yián hodún?               – How much is it?
• Tuñí hodún soódde?  – How much you want?
• Tuñí hodún loiba?     – How much you want to buy?

Hondila – What kind

• Tuáñrtú hondila hoor fosón de? – What kind of clothes do you like?
• Tuáñrtú hondila ham fosón de? – What kind of work do you like?
• Tuáñrtú hondila lageddé?           – What kind do you need?

Honnán – Which one

• Tuñí honnán basíba? – Which one you choose?
• Tuñí honnán loba?     – Which one will you take?

Honíkká – Any body/Any where

• Honíkká asé né?           – Is there any one?
• Ite honíkká no zaibóu? – He will not go any where?

Kengóri – How

• Ali kengóri aibóu?                            – How will Ali come?
• Ite eskul ekkán kengóri banaibóu? – How will he build a school?