| Nagamese | |
|---|---|
| Naga Pidgin | |
| Spoken in | India |
| Ethnicity | Naga people |
| Native speakers | 30,000 (date missing) |
| Language family |
Creole
|
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | nag |
Nagamese ("Naga Pidgin") is a creole used in Nagaland. It is based on Assamese. Since Nagaland is inhabited by people belonging to different Naga tribes speaking languages which are mutually unintelligible, Nagamese is the preferred form of communication for all. It is used in the Nagaland Legislature, as a means of explanation in Nagaland schools and in mixed households. It has been described as a creole, which was stable by 1936 and which is unlikely to decreolize. English is the official language of Nagaland and 67.11% of the population is educated.
Nagamese has two cases, two tenses, three aspectual distinctions and no gender. It shares a large part of its lexicon with Assamese.