Car is a member of the Nicobarese branch of the Austroasiatic language family. It is spoken on Car Nicobar, the northernmost of the Nicobar Islands, part of the Indian Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. In 2001 there were perhaps 5,000 speakers of Car - the exact number is unknown as the India Census does not indicate how many people speak each of the Nicobarese languages. The language is considered critically endangered by UNESCO.
Car is also known as Car Nicobarese, Nicobar or Pû. It is distantly related to Khmer and Vietnamese, and has borrowed elements from languages such as Achenese, which is spoken in northern Sumatra in Indonesia, about 150km from the Nicobar Islands.
A way to write Car with the Latin alphabet was devised by George Whitehead, an Anglican missionary, in the late 19th century. It is still used to this day. Whitehead also published a dictionary of the language in 1925. Car is also sometimes written with the Devanagari alphabet.
Download an alphabet chart for Car (Excel)
Source: https://www.bible.com/en-GB/bible/1060/JHN.1.NBRE
John 1:1-5, source: https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/John-Chapter-1/#3
Details provided by Biswajit Mandal (biswajitmandal[dot]bm90[at]gmail[dot]com)
Information about Car | Tower of Babel
Information about Car
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_language
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Car_(langue)
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Кар_(язык)
https://www.ethnologue.com/language/caq
https://www.routledge.com/blog/article/discover-the-worlds-endangered-languages
Dictionary of the Car-Nicobarese Language
Car, Chaura, Nancowry, Shompen
Aka-Jeru, Angika, Athpare, Avestan, Awadhi, Bahing, Balti, Bantawa, Belhare, Bhili, Bhumij, Bilaspuri, Bodo, Bhojpuri, Braj, Car, Chamling, Chhantyal, Chhattisgarhi, Chambeali, Danwar, Dhatki, Dhimal, Dhundari, Digaro Mishmi, Dogri, Doteli, Gaddi, Garhwali, Gondi, Gurung, Halbi, Haryanvi, Hill Miri, Hindi, Ho, Jarawa, Jaunsari, Jirel, Jumli, Kagate, Kannauji, Kham, Kangri, Kashmiri, Khaling, Khandeshi, Kharia, Khortha, Korku, Konkani, Kullui, Kumaoni, Kurmali, Kurukh, Kusunda, Lambadi, Limbu, Lhomi, Lhowa, Magahi, Magar, Mahasu Pahari, Maithili, Maldivian, Malto, Mandeali, Marathi, Marwari, Mewari, Mundari, Nancowry. Newar, Nepali, Nimadi, Nishi, Onge, Pahari, Pali, Pangwali, Rajasthani, Rajbanshi, Rangpuri, Sadri, Sanskrit, Santali, Saraiki, Sirmauri, Sherpa, Shina, Sindhi, Sunwar, Sylheti, Tamang, Thakali, Thangmi, Wambule, Wancho, Yakkha, Yolmo
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page last modified: 23.04.21
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