What Was The First Assamese Dictionary, Who Wrote It, And When?

The first Assamese dictionary was titled "A Dictionary in Assamese and English", and it was compiled by Dr. Miles Bronson, an American Baptist missionary. It was published in the year 1867. Dr. Bronson played a significant role in the preservation and promotion of the Assamese language during British rule. His dictionary served as a vital linguistic resource and marked a historic contribution to Assamese literature and education.

There is often confusion between Dr. Miles Bronson’s dictionary and Hemchandra Barua’s HEMKOSH, so let’s clarify the differences and historical significance of both:

Dr. Miles Bronson's Dictionary (1867)

• Title: A Dictionary in Assamese and English

• Author: Dr. Miles Bronson (American Baptist missionary)

• Published: 1867

• Language: Assamese to English

• Significance:

  • First ever compiled Assamese dictionary.

  • Helped preserve Assamese vocabulary during a time when Assamese was being overshadowed by Bengali in colonial administration.

  • Focused mainly on word meanings and vocabulary translation for missionaries and English learners.

Hemkosh by Hemchandra Barua (1900, posthumously)

• Title: Hemkosh

• Author: Hemchandra Barua (renowned Assamese writer and lexicographer)

• Published: 1900, after his death, with the help of Cotton College Principal Capt. P.R. Gordon and overseen by Hemchandra Goswami.

• Language: Purely Assamese

• Significance:

  • First exhaustive and authoritative Assamese-to-Assamese dictionary based on Sanskrit spellings.

  • Considered the first standard Assamese dictionary.

  • Laid the foundation for modern Assamese lexicography.

  • Used in academics and accepted by scholars and writers as the true literary dictionary.

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