Map from the Linguistic Survey of India (1903), Vol. III Tibeto-Burman Family; Part II Specimens of the Bodo, Naga, and Kachin Groups.[2]
Kachari is a Sino-Tibetan language of the Boro-Garo branch that is spoken in Assam, India. With fewer than 60,000 speakers recorded in 1997, and the Asam 2001 Census reporting a literacy rate of 81% the Kachari language is currently ranked as threatened.[3] Kachari is closely related to surrounding languages, including Tiwa, Rābhā, Hajong, Kochi and Mechi.[4]
While there are still living adult speakers, many children are not learning Kachari as their primary language, instead being assimilated into the wider Assamese speaking communities.[5]
Some alternative names are Boro,[6] Bara, Cachari,[7] Plains Kachari[5] and Hill Kachari.[7]