Brajavali dialect

Brajavali (Assamese: ব্ৰজাৱলী Brôzawôli) was a literary language used by Sankardev (1449–1568) for some of his compositions (Borgeets and Ankia Naats) in the context of his Vaishnavite religion, Ekasarana Dharma, in Assam. Though similar languages were used in the Vaishnavite contexts in Odisa and Bengal too, the one used in Assam was different, as it was based on Maithili (and not Brajbhasa), to which Assamese and a sprinkling of Western Hindi was added.^[1] In general, the vocables and idiomatic expressions of Brajavali were local (Assamese), while the inflectional forms were Maithili,^[2] easily understood by the people of Assam but which carried the flavor of Brajbhasa, the language of choice of the Bhakti poets.

Notes

1. 'The Brajabuli idiom developed in Orissa and Bengal also. But as Dr Sukumar Sen has pointed out "Assamese Brajabuli seems to have developed through direct connection with Mithila" (A History of Brajabuli Literature, Calcutta, 1931 p1). This artificial dialect had Maithili as its basis to which Assamese and a sprinkling of Western Hindi was added.' (Neog 1980, p. 257f)
2. (Neog 1980, p. 246)

References

• Neog, Maheshwar (1980). Early History of the Vaishnava Faith and Movement in Assam. Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass.