Nicobarese, Central

Print

A language of India

ISO 639-3
ncb
Alternate Names
Nicobar
Population

10,100 (2001 census). 5,310 on Katchal, 3,410 on Kamorta, 930 on Nancowry, 430 on Trinket.

Location

Nicobar Islands, Katchal, Camorta, Nancowry, and Trinket islands.

Language Maps
Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification
Austro-Asiatic, Mon-Khmer, Nicobar, Nancowry
Dialects

Camorta (Kamorta), Katchal (Kachel, Tehnu), Nancowry (Nancoury), Trinkut (Trinkat). Related to Car [caq], Chaura [crv], Shom Peng [sii], Southern Nicobarese [nik], and Teressa [tef]. Central Nicobar once regarded as one language but no longer generally accepted. Dialects now regarded as mutually unintelligible with the exception of Trinket and Katchal. (Parkin 1991).

Language Development
Literacy rate in L2: 46% for Scheduled Tribes in Nicobar District. 72% for Nicobar (2001 census). Bible portions: 1884–1890.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Nicobarese, Central
Writing
Devanagari script. Latin script.
Other Comments

Christian.