Historical Dictionary of Bengali Language by 2028

Overview

• Project Name: Shabdakalpa
• Institution: School of Cultural Texts and Records, Jadavpur University (JU)
• Objective: Create a historical dictionary capturing Bengali language's evolution, literary and archival heritage.
• Launch Date: Targeted for February 21, 2028 (Bhasha Diwas)
• Significance: Anticipated to be the first historical dictionary for a non-Latin script.

Project Details

• Initiation: Began in 2017-18
• Current Status: Advanced stage
• Team:
  • Project Director: Sukanta Chaudhuri, Professor Emeritus of English
  • Joint Director: Subha Chakrabarti Dasgupta, Retired Professor of Comparative Literature
  • Researchers: Team of 10 dedicated researchers
• Interdisciplinary Involvement: Contributions from Bengali, Computer Science, and Languages departments.

Funding and Support

• Initial Funding: Jadavpur University and state government
• Additional Support:
  • Global Jadavpur University Alumni Foundation
  • Biseswar Chattopadhyay Trust
• Significant Contributors:
  • Ranjit Chakravarti (President of the Alumni Foundation)
  • Dipankar Chatterjee (Established Biseswar Chattopadhyay Trust)
• Latest Support: Biseswar Chattopadhyay Trust committed significant funding.

Importance and Challenges

• Cultural Significance: Preserves Bengal's rich linguistic heritage.
• Project Strategy:
  • Digital-first approach offers advantages in flexibility and updating.
  • Need for ongoing updates and maintenance post-completion.
• Challenges:
  • The necessity of a permanent cell for updates.
  • Preservation and continuity issues.

Future Prospects

• Continuous Updates: Similar to Oxford English Dictionary's ongoing updates.
• Technological Integration: Potential for a cloud-based mirror site to ensure stability and accessibility.

Additional Context

• Comparison with Bichitra: Reference to the Tagore variorum project as an example of extensive online databases.
• Other University Grants by Biseswar Chattopadhyay Trust:
  • Presidency University for pre-Independence history
  • Columbia University for Bengali library under Gayatri Chakravarti Spivak

Key Figures:

• Rudra Chatterjee and Mitakshara Kumari: Involved trustees in the Biseswar Chattopadhyay Trust.

Additional Reporting by: Subhankar Chowdhury