Sanenyo

Sanenyo (ISO 639-3: crv)

INTRODUCTION

Chowra Island (also written as Chaura) (N8˚ 27’ 8” latitude E93˚ 02’ 42” longitude) is located to the south of Battimalv Island and to the north of Teressa Island.

Chowra is the most densely populated one among the Nicobarese Islands. According to 2011 census, the total population of the Chowra Island is around 1,300 (Directorate of Census Operations, 2011). There are five villages on the island, namely; Raiheon, Kuitasuk, Chongamong, Alheat, and Ta-eela.

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Sanenyo is the native tongue of the people of Chowra. It is classified under the Austroasiatic language family as part of the Nicobarese subgroup which in itself is a part of the Nico-Monic subgroup (Austro-Asiatic -> Nico-Monic -> Nicobarese -> Sanenyo) (Diffloth, 2005). According to the UNESCO language vitality scale, Sanenyo is considered severely endangered while according to the Ethnologue it is vulnerable 6a. The intergenerational transfer was witnessed in Sanenyo, however speedy contact with the outside world and its small population base renders it on the list of endangered languages of India.

Due to lack of resources in Chowra Island, the Chowra people started sailing to the other neighboring Islands like Car Nicobar in the north and other Islands of the Central Nicobar in search of resources. These voyages led them to new and different places, cultures, and languages. Despite traveling beyond their homes, the Chowra people maintained their own language and culture, alongside learning other languages like ‘moot’ (the language of Kamorta), Luro (the language of the neighboring Island Teressa) and Pu (the language of Car-Nicobar and also the language used to write the Bible). The Chowras are in general multilingual and have strong affiliation to their heritage language Sanenyo.

Chowra people are very diligent. They are masters in gardening, making canoes and sailing, building a round house (traditional hut), pottery, cultivating coconut and animal husbandry (piggery). They have a very strong social structure and are culturally rich people. Chowrites are very hardworking people due to which they have become experts in surviving with limited resources.