Jeseri

Jeseri
Jasari, Dweep Bhasha
ജസരി
Native toIndia
Lakshadweep
RegionLakshadweep
EthnicityLakshadweep people
Native speakers
(undated figure of 65,000[citation needed])
Dravidian
DialectsAminidivi, Koya, Malmi, Melacheri
Malayalam script
Language codes
ISO 639-3–
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Malayalam is written in a non-Latin script. Malayalam text used in this article is transliterated into the Latin script according to the ISO 15919 standard.

Jeseri (also known as Dweep Bhasha) is a dialect of Malayalam,[1] spoken in the Union Territory of Lakshadweep in India.[2][3]

The word 'Jeseri' derives from Arabic word 'Jazari' (جزري) which means 'Islander' or 'of island'. It is spoken on the islands of Chetlat, Bitra, Kiltan, Kadmat, Amini, Kavaratti, Androth, Agatti, and Kalpeni, in the archipelago of Lakshadweep. Each of these islands has its own dialect. The dialects are similar to Arabi Malayalam, a traditional dialect spoken by the Mappila community of Malabar Coast.[4]

  1. ^ Kōyammakkōya, Eṃ (2012). Lakshadweep Pradesikabhasha Nighandu (Translation: Lakshadweep Regional Language Dictionary), Editor: Dr. Koyammakoya M. Sāhityapr̲avarttaka Sahakaraṇasaṅghaṃ, Nāṣaṇal Bukkȧ St̲āḷ. ISBN 978-81-922822-9-9.
  2. ^ Sura's Year Book 2006. Sura Books. 2006. p. 250. ISBN 978-81-7254-124-8.
  3. ^ India, a reference annual. Government of India. 2004. p. 851. ISBN 978-81-230-1156-1.
  4. ^ Subramoniam, V. I. (1997). Dravidian Encyclopaedia. Vol. 3, Language and literature. Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): International School of Dravidian Linguistics. pp. 508-09. [1]