Koch is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Koch people of India and Bangladesh. It is primarily spoken in the Indian states of Meghalaya and Lower Assam and in the northern parts of the country Bangladesh, where it serves as a major means of communication among the Koches. Koch language is written with Assamese, Bengali, Roman scripts.

There is an organization Koch Krorang Mathop in Tura, Meghalaya which publishes Koch materials, such as books, an annual Koch magazine. Koch Development Forum is also working on the promotion of the Koch language among the Koch people who have now switched their language to Indo-Aryan languages.

The state of Assam in Koch :

Kocho koroAssamese
O' ani apani hadam O' ani pelemsa hadamEdeghenek kanchikni edeghenek thaini edeghenek nasini hadam.O' ani kanchikni hurang Asameni thaoni hurang Eh haye lami mung bongni Oten liya jhuchai mung.O' ani bongni thane O' ani nasini ameChai lana ang Nani mahango Hapaka fungchanane.অ' মোৰ আপোনাৰ দেশ অ' মোৰ চিকুণী দেশএনেখন শুৱলা, এনেখন সুফলা এনেখন মৰমৰ দেশ।অ' মোৰ সুৰীয়া মাত অসমৰ সুৱদী মাত পৃথিৱীৰ ক'তো বিচাৰি জনমটো নোপোৱা কৰিলেও পাত।অ' মোৰ ওপজা ঠাই অ' মোৰ অসমী আইচাই লওঁ এবাৰ মুখনি তোমাৰ হেঁপাহ মোৰ পলোৱা নাই।
Sample text: Article 4 of the human rights Act
Englishkoch In Latin scriptkoch In Bengali-Assamese script
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.Habongni hisape bebak morota rasong aro adhikar wai soman aro jokni. Orongni prengni aro chotta towa. Orong sopan sopanna ada-ajong ghenek bebohar hawni se usit dowa.হাবঙনি হিছাপে বেবাক মৰতা ৰাছঙ আৰ' আধিকাৰ ৱাই ছমান আৰ' জক্নি।অৰঙনি প্ৰেঙনি আৰ' চত্তা তৱা।অৰঙ ছপান ছপান্না আদা-আজঙ ঘেনেক বেবহাৰ হাৱনি ছে উছিত দৱা।

Dialects

The Koch language is currently represented by five surviving dialects, which are as follows:

  1. Harigaya,
  2. Tintikiya,
  3. Wanang/Swmbri,
  4. Chapra and
  5. Margan

Short representation of the various dialects:

Sample question and answer:
EnglishKoch HarigayaKoch TintikiyaKoch Wanang
What is your name?Nani ata mung?Nani bita mung?Nani atõ mung?
My name is xyz.Ani mung Xyz.Ani mung Xyz.Ani mung Xyz.
Numbers:
EnglishKoch HarigayaKoch Wanang
ZeroEraRiyaa
OneSaSaa
TwoNingNing
ThreeTamTam
FourBriBri
FiveBõngBãng
SixKrõpKrob
SevenSinSin
EightGinBin
NineGisGin
TenCha

Geographical distribution

Koch is spoken in:

Notes

  • Kondakov, Alexander (2020). (PDF). Language and Culture Documentation and Description.
  • Dialects
  • Koch language report by UNESCO World Atlas of Languages
  • Koch Dictionary