Santali latin alphabet
Encyclopedia
The Santali Latin alphabet was invented in the 1890s by the Norwegian missionary Paul Olaf Bodding
, and is still used by most Santals
, especially the members of the Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church
(NELC).
Since the Santals have no alphabet of their own, they have adopted the Roman script, using certain diacritical marks to denote sounds differing from those which these letters have in English. This was done under the influence of Christian missionaries who were the first to take an active interest in the study of the Santal language.
Paul Olaf Bodding
Paul Olaf Bodding was a Norwegian missionary, linguist and folklorist. He served in India for 44 years , and operated mainly from the town Dumka in the Santhal Parganas-district...
, and is still used by most Santals
Santals
The Santhal , are the largest tribal community in India, who live mainly in the states of Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, and Assam. There is also a significant Santal minority in neighboring Bangladesh, and a small population in Nepal....
, especially the members of the Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church
Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church
Northern Evangelical Lutheran Church is a multi-lingual Lutheran Christian church that is centred mainly in three states of North India - Bihar, Assam and Bengal. The reach of the Church extends into Nepal and the NELC also works in Bhutan....
(NELC).
Since the Santals have no alphabet of their own, they have adopted the Roman script, using certain diacritical marks to denote sounds differing from those which these letters have in English. This was done under the influence of Christian missionaries who were the first to take an active interest in the study of the Santal language.