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Ethnologue: Languages of the World
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Ethnologue > Web version > Country index > Asia > India > Garo

Garo

A language of India

ISO 639-3: grt

Population  780,000 in India (2007). Population total all countries: 900,000.
Region  Meghalaya, Garo Hills District; West Assam, Goalpara, Kamrup, Karbi Anglong districts; Nagaland, Kohima District; Tripura, South Tripura District, Udaipur Subdivision; North Tripura District, Kamalpur, Kailasahar subdivisions; West Tripura District, Sadar Subdivision; West Bengal, Jalpaiguri and Koch Bihar districts. Also in Bangladesh.
Alternate names   Garrow, Mande, Mandi
Dialects  A’beng (A’bengya, Am’beng), A’chick (A’chik), Achik (A’we, Chisak, Dual, Matchi), Dacca, Ganching, Kamrup. Achik is the standardized dialect in India. A’beng dialect used in Bangladesh, but is not mutually intelligible. Most similar to Koch [kdq].
Classification  Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Jingpho-Konyak-Bodo, Konyak-Bodo-Garo, Bodo-Garo, Garo
Language use  Official language. Awe dialect, spoken in Assam, has few remaining speakers. Most use standard Garo.
Language development  Literacy rate in L2: 55% for Meghalaya. General level of education is low compared to Khasi [kha]. Taught in primary schools. Films. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1924–1994.
Writing system  Bengali script. Latin script.
Comments  A Scheduled Tribe. Official language in Meghalaya only. Christian.

Also spoken in:

Bangladesh

Language name   Garo
Population  120,000 in Bangladesh (2005).
Region  Mymensingh plains, Tangail Sherpur, Madhupur, Jamelpur, Netrakona, Sylhet, Dhaka.
Language map  Bangladesh
Alternate names  Garrow, Mande, Mandi
Dialects  Abeng, Achik, Brak, Chibok, Dual.
Language use  All ages. Parents want their children to read and write Garo.
Language development  Literacy rate in L1: 25%. Literacy rate in L2: 90% in Bengali [ben].
Comments  Abeng dialect is spoken but writing is in Achik. Christian.