14. Language.
The Korkus have a language of their own which belongs to the Kolarian or Munda sub-family. Dr. Grierson says of it: “The Munda, sometimes called the Kolarian family, is probably the older branch of the Dravido-Munda languages. It exhibits the characteristics of an agglutinative language to an extraordinarily complete degree.” In the Central Provinces nearly 90 per cent of Korkus were returned as speaking their own language in 1911. Mr. Crosthwaite remarks: “The language is in a state of decay and transition, and Hindi and Marāthi terms have crept into its vocabulary. But very few Gondi words have been adopted. A grammar of the Korku language by Drake has been printed at the Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta.”
[1] This article is largely based on a monograph contributed by Mr. H. R. Crosthwaite, Assistant Commissioner, Hoshangābād, and contains also extracts from a monograph by Mr. Ganga Prasād Khatri, Forest Divisional Officer, Betūl, and from the description of the Korkus given by Mr. (Sir Charles) Elliott in the Hoshangābād Settlement Report (1867), and by Major Forsyth in the Nimār Settlement Report (1868–69).
[2] Risley’s Tribes and Castes of Bengal, Appendix V.: Korwā.
[3] See also art. Kol.
[4] The local term for the god Siva.
[5] Bauhinia Vahlii.
[6] Bassia latifolia, Buchanania latifolia, Gmelina arborea and Sterculia urens.
[7] Nearly 3½ tons.
[8] Paspalum scrobiculatum, Panicum psilopodium, Coix Lachryma, Eleusine coracana, Saccharum officianarum, Setaria italica, Oryza sativa.
[9] Eugenia jambolana.
[10] Makyātotha, Jondhrātotha, Dharsīima, Changri, Lobo, Khambi, Dagde, Kullya, Bursūma and Killībhasam.
[11] Zizyphus jujuba.
[12] The tiger-god.
[13] The above passage is taken from Mr. (Sir Charles) Elliott’s Hoshangābād Settlement Report written in 1867. Since that time the belief in the magical powers of the Bhumka has somewhat declined.
[14] A small measure for grain.
[15] Most of the information in this paragraph is taken from Mr. Ganga Prasād Khatri’s Report.
[16] Boswellia serrata.