Dialects I Like

Assamese and Dogri. Indian dialects, I kid you not. I found these while doing a circle-a-word puzzle today and this made me a very happy camper. Not only did I learn that there are over 23 official languages in India, I learned that the population was close to 337 million.

I'm quite unsure how accurate this particular word puzzle book's facts are, so I'm looking at Wikipedia while I type this missive.
HA! Ginormous mistake on population: 337 million!? More like 1.18 BILLION people accounted for in India. There is a very good chance there are more than that because of the inaccuracies of the census.

Languages: 23-24 is about right according to the Wiki. Here is the Wiki link for India if anyone cares to learn a tad:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/India

I have always thought the Indian culture was intriguing and extremely interesting, especially in art and music. The music is very hypnotic in my mind and the art and sculpture is both shocking and alluring. As an example, the Khajuraho temple in Madhya Pradesh is a perfect example of the exotic aspect of some Indian sculpture. India would be one of my top destinations for a world wide trek. I firmly believe I could easily spend a couple of years exploring the country and soaking in the art and culture.

As banal as this will sound, and I'm sure this will eventually piss somebody off, the two languages I mentioned at the beginning of this post brought me special (and admittedly juvenile) glee. I mean no dishonor to people who speak the two dialects. I hope they find much humor in our English speech as well.

Assamese just sounds like it should be butt talk. I'm sorry...it does. I can bet you a hefty amount of money that some group of juvenile delinquents here in the U.S. had accidentally come up with Assamese Butt Talk as a language of their own without knowing it was an official dialect of India. It is too perfect for juvenile fecal humor to not have been stumbled upon by some miscreant youth. Assamese: The Language of Farts.

Dogri. I speak that to my lovable sidekick, Roxy, quite often. As a matter of fact, EVERY time I talk to Roxy the conversation is in Dogri. It is the language used when one "talks" to their dog. It's not just a spoken language, but also a language of belly rubs, ear scratches, and kisses between the eyes. It's the silent, loving language of bonding when you are alone with your dog(s). That aspect is more felt than heard. To know Dogri is to know unconditional love.

Sometimes I will speak Assamese to Roxy, but she doesn't always understand because it is such a staccato dialect. Well...mostly staccato with a little glissando thrown in occasionally. That can be alarming and confusing to her sensitive canine ears and sensibilities, so I try and stay away from such butt banter. She thinks I'm yelling at her when I drift into Assamese.

In all seriousness, I suggest going to the links I have put in this post that are dealing with India. I spent a couple of hours drifting in between all the HTML in Wiki's entries on India. Here is another good link to look into:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_of_India

That actually came from the first Wiki article on India, but I felt it would be a good alternate place to start if you wanted to learn more of the culture of India than the basic, general facts and figures of the first article.

And now, I am back to the "Lost" series and hopefully a good night's sleep tonight.