Survival Phrases in Khasi: Walking in the Abode of Clouds

Written  by A. Avtans

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In the North-Eastern part of India, there is the state of Meghalaya (in Sanskrit meaning the abode of clouds). Meghalaya is home to primarily three indigenous communities namely Khasi, Garo and Jayantia (Pnar) who are united by their mutual belief in matrilineal lineage i.e the women inherits all the family property . In 1972 Meghalaya state was formed by merging Garo Hills , Khasi Hills and Jayantia Hills. Shillong is the capital city of the Meghalaya state. Because of its famous rolling hills, it is often called as “Scotland of the East”. Since it was the capital of undivided Assam for long during British times, Shillong has developed into a popular hill station and a cosmopolitan city. Apart from being the seat of several governmental and educational institutions, Shillong has a bracing climate throughout the year.

Khasi is an Austro-Asiatic language of the Mon-Khmer branch and is spoken primarily in Meghalaya by the Khasi people. It is the lingua franca in Shillong and the surrounding areas of Khasi and Jayantia hills. According to 2001 Indian census, it is spoken by more than 1,128,575 speakers. It is also spoken in some parts of Bangladesh and neighboring districts of Assam state of India. There are mainly five varieties of Khasi language viz ‘Standard Khasi’ (which is based on a variety called Khynriem spoken in Cherapunji/Sohra area) ‘Langrin’, ‘Lyngngam’, ‘Bhoi’ and ‘Nongtung’.

Khasi is nowadays written in Latin script which was introduced by Welsh missionary Rev. Thomas Jones.  It is used in schools, markets, homes and as a medium of instruction/lecture in the universities. Higher education is also available in Khasi in North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. Since the official language of the state is English and there is a growing tendency to learn and speak English in the state, Khasi is slowly loosing ground in the area of education.
Some of the survival phrases which might come handy for anyone visiting Shillong (The Rock Capital of India) or any other part of Meghalaya, is presented below. I have been helped in compiling these phrases by a friend Ms Ianosha Majaw who is a native Khasi speaker and lives now in Shillong. Thanks to all !