Ahom language
The Ahom language or Tai-Ahom language is a dead language, that was formerly spoken by the Ahom people, but which is currently undergoing a revival. Ahom is an important language in Tai studies. It was relatively free of both Mon-Khmer and Indo-Aryan influences and has a written tradition dating back to the 13th century.
| Ahom | |
|---|---|
| 𑜒𑜑𑜪𑜨 | |
The word "Ahom" in Ahom script | |
| Native to | India |
| Region | Assam |
| Ethnicity | Ahom people |
| Extinct | 18th or 19th century AD used in religious chants and literary materials |
Kra–Dai
| |
| Ahom script | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | aho |
| Glottolog | ahom1240 |
The Ahom people established the Ahom kingdom and ruled parts of the Brahmaputra river valley in the present day Indian state of Assam between the 13th and the 18th centuries. The language was the court language of the kingdom, until it began to be replaced by the Assamese language in the 17th century. Since the early 18th century, there have been no native speakers of the language, though extensive manuscripts in the language still exist today. The tonal system of the language is entirely lost. The language was only partially known by a small group of traditional priests of the Ahom religion, and it was being used only for ceremonial or ritualistic purposes.
There has been efforts to revive the language in recent times. A reconstructed version is taught in various educational institutions in Assam by AHSEC and Dibrugarh University.