কুকুৰ
Kukur
Dog
Usage
Used for pets and street dogs alike. If you are bitten, rabies treatment is needed, so show this word at a clinic at once
Grammar Note
কুকুৰ is the everyday word for dog. It works alone as a noun, which suits showing the card by pointing
বাটৰ কুকুৰ
Bator kukur
Stray dog
Usage
Literally dog of the road. Strays are found in towns and villages and may gather in packs at night; use it to ask your host whether a lane has any
Grammar Note
বাটৰ is বাট (road) with the genitive ৰ and describes the noun after it. This is a plain combination of two words, not a fixed dictionary entry
মেকুৰী
Mekuri
Cat
Usage
For the cat at your guesthouse or a shop. Cats are common household animals everywhere
Grammar Note
মেকুৰী is the general word for cat, used for either sex
গৰু
Goru
Cow
Usage
For most Hindus in Assam the cow is sacred, so leave beef out of conversation and never chase or hit a cow in the road
Grammar Note
গৰু is the general word for cattle, used for the milk cow and the ploughing ox alike
ম'হ
Moh
Water buffalo
Usage
The big dark animal that ploughs paddy fields and gives milk. In some districts buffalo fights are held at Magh Bihu in January
Grammar Note
The apostrophe changes the meaning: ম'হ is water buffalo while মহ is mosquito. The apostrophe marks a dropped vowel
ছাগলী
Sagoli
Goat
Usage
A common sight in villages and towns. Meat sold as mutton is usually goat
Grammar Note
ছাগলী covers goats in general. A male goat has a separate word, but this one is enough for travel
ভেড়া
Bhera
Sheep
Usage
Less common than goats on the Assam plains, so you will seldom see one
Grammar Note
ভেড়া is sheep. It is a different word from ছাগলী, goat, so do not mix them up
কুকুৰা
Kukura
Chicken
Usage
Covers the live bird and the meat. At markets the bird is often butchered in front of the customer
Grammar Note
কুকুৰা is chicken, strictly the cock but used for the bird in general. Do not confuse it with কুকুৰ, dog, which differs by one letter
হাঁহ
Hãh
Duck
Usage
A familiar bird in a land of ponds and paddies. Duck curry is a local speciality
Grammar Note
হাঁহ is duck. The ঁ in হাঁ marks a nasalised vowel
ঘোঁৰা
Ghõra
Horse
Usage
For riding or carts. The horse also appears in festival decoration and local art
Grammar Note
ঘোঁৰা is horse. Do not drop the nasal mark ঁ
গাধ
Gadh
Donkey
Usage
Seen as a pack animal in places. Aimed at a person it means fool, so keep it to the animal
Grammar Note
গাধ is donkey but also means dolt, and the dictionary lists both senses
হাতী
Hati
Elephant
Usage
The best-known animal of Assam. Elephant safaris run in national parks such as Kaziranga
Grammar Note
হাতী is elephant. The final ী is the long i vowel and is written differently from the short ি
বনৰীয়া হাতী
Bonoriya hati
Wild elephant
Usage
Wild elephants sometimes come near villages. Take care walking near fields at night and never approach one or use a flash
Grammar Note
বনৰীয়া is an adjective meaning wild, built from বন, forest. It goes before the noun হাতী
বান্দৰ
Bandor
Monkey
Usage
Common at temples and tourist spots. They snatch food, so avoid eye contact and keep bags closed
Grammar Note
বান্দৰ is monkey. The ন্দ in the middle is a conjunct of two consonants
বাঘ
Bagh
Tiger
Usage
Found in reserves such as Kaziranga and Manas, and the thing most visitors hope to spot on a jeep safari
Grammar Note
বাঘ is tiger and is also loosely used for other big cats in daily speech
গঁড়
Gõr
Rhinoceros
Usage
The one-horned rhino of Kaziranga is the symbol of Assam. Watch quietly from the vehicle and never get out near one
Grammar Note
গঁড় is rhinoceros, a word every Assamese speaker knows, and the animal appears on emblems and souvenirs
সাপ
Xap
Snake
Usage
May be met in paddies and long grass. If bitten, go to a hospital at once and show this word
Grammar Note
সাপ is snake in general, venomous or not, and particular snakes have their own names
ফেঁটী
Phẽti
Cobra
Usage
The venomous snake most often talked about. Use the word when asking a hospital whether antivenom is stocked
Grammar Note
ফেঁটী is cobra in the dictionary, and ফণা is the related word for its spread hood
জেঠী
Jethi
House gecko
Usage
A harmless small animal on guesthouse walls and ceilings that eats insects. The same word also means aunt
Grammar Note
জেঠী is listed as house gecko, but in daily use the meaning aunt is more frequent, so context decides
তেজপিয়া
Tejopiya
Garden lizard
Usage
The reddish lizard of gardens and walls, a different animal from the gecko indoors
Grammar Note
তেজপিয়া is the garden lizard in the dictionary. The element তেজ relates to blood or vigour
নিগনি
Nigoni
Rat / Mouse
Usage
Seen at markets and in old guesthouses. Finding one in your room is a fair reason to ask for a change
Grammar Note
নিগনি covers rats and mice alike
মহ
Moh
Mosquito
Usage
Can carry malaria and dengue. The key word for asking a guesthouse for a mosquito net or repellent
Grammar Note
The apostrophe changes the meaning: মহ is mosquito and ম'হ is water buffalo, so do not add an apostrophe here
পঁইতাচোৰা
Põitasora
Cockroach
Usage
Seen in budget rooms and around street stalls. A fair reason to ask for a clean-up or another room
Grammar Note
পঁইতাচোৰা is a dictionary headword for cockroach. Other names exist, but this headword is used
মাখি
Makhi
Fly
Usage
Unavoidable at street stalls and markets, and a useful cue for deciding which stall to skip
Grammar Note
মাখি is fly and is the second part of মৌমাখি, honeybee
পৰুৱা
Poruwa
Ant
Usage
Ants will find any open snack packet in your room, so keep food sealed
Grammar Note
পৰুৱা is ant. Note ৰু is ৰ with the vowel sign ু
মৌমাখি
Moumakhi
Bee
Usage
Literally honey fly. If a sting causes swelling or an allergic reaction, show this word at a clinic
Grammar Note
মৌমাখি is a compound of মৌ, honey, and মাখি, fly, written as one word
মকৰা
Mokora
Spider
Usage
Common in the corners of budget rooms. Nearly all are harmless, but it is a reason to ask for a clean-up
Grammar Note
মকৰা is spider, a dictionary headword and an encyclopedia article title
জোক
Jok
Leech
Usage
Common on grassy paths, tea gardens and forest trails in the rains. Do not tear one off; let it drop, then wash the bite
Grammar Note
জোক is leech, a short word you can point to when one is on you
চৰাই
Sorai
Bird
Usage
The general word for birds. Winter migrants gather in the wetlands, and this word opens a bird-watching conversation
Grammar Note
চৰাই is the general word for bird; particular species have their own names
কাউৰী
Kauri
Crow
Usage
In every town. They may come to you when you eat on a rooftop
Grammar Note
কাউৰী is crow, listed in the dictionary as the house crow
মাছ
Mas
Fish
Usage
The heart of Assamese cooking. Fish is eaten daily and comes in many dishes, including a sour curry
Grammar Note
মাছ is used for the live fish and the food alike; মাছ খাওঁ means I eat fish
ভেকুলী
Bhekuli
Frog
Usage
They start up all at once in the monsoon. Some villages hold a frog wedding to bring rain
Grammar Note
ভেকুলী is frog; the final ী is a long vowel
কাছ
Kas
Turtle
Usage
Turtles are kept in some temple ponds, as at Hajo, and several species live in the rivers
Grammar Note
কাছ is turtle or tortoise in the dictionary
ঘঁৰিয়াল
Ghõriyal
Crocodile
Usage
Rare in Assam's rivers and mostly met at the zoo or in wildlife books. Also relevant when you check a riverbank is safe for a swim
Grammar Note
ঘঁৰিয়াল is crocodile in the dictionary and is also used for the gharial
শহা
Xoha
Rabbit
Usage
Comes up with children or at the zoo. You will rarely meet a wild one in town
Grammar Note
শহা is rabbit or hare in the dictionary. The initial শ is read close to x
বাদুলী
Baduli
Bat
Usage
They leave the trees at dusk. Never touch one with bare hands, and avoid drinking raw palm sap, which bats can contaminate
Grammar Note
বাদুলী is bat and ends in the long vowel ী
কেৰ্কেটুৱা
Kerketuwa
Squirrel
Usage
Seen in park and garden trees; a quick, familiar animal with a bushy tail
Grammar Note
কেৰ্কেটুৱা is squirrel. The ৰ্ক in the middle is ৰ joined to ক
ময়ূৰ
Moyur
Peacock
Usage
A beautiful bird that appears in festival decoration and fabric patterns. Seen in zoos and parks
Grammar Note
ময়ূৰ is peacock, and the dictionary also gives it for the male bird
পখিলা
Pokhila
Butterfly
Usage
Seen in parks and forests. Assam has many species, which makes it a topic for nature walks
Grammar Note
পখিলা is butterfly. It sounds a little like চৰাই, bird, but is a different word
হাড়গিলা
Harogila
Greater adjutant stork
Usage
A large stork that Assam works hard to protect, seen near Guwahati and in Kamrup. It is well loved locally
Grammar Note
হাড়গিলা is listed as adjutant stork. The ড় in the middle is ড with a dot below
More Assamese phrases
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