[16] Its sister languages include Angika, Bengali, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Noakhali, Chakma, Chittagonian, Hajong, Rajbangsi, Maithili, Rohingya and Sylheti.

Assamese was designated as a classical Indian language by the Government of India on 3 October 2024 on account of its antiquity and literary traditions.

[20][21] The Indo-Aryan, which appeared in the 4th–5th century in Assam,[22] was probably spoken in the new settlements of Kamarupa—in urban centers and along the Brahmaputra river—surrounded by Tibeto-Burman and Austroasiatic communities.

[22] Based on the 7th-century Chinese traveller Xuanzang's observations, Chatterji (1926) suggests that the Indo-Aryan vernacular differentiated itself in Kamarupa before it did in Bengal,[24] and that these differences could be attributed to non-Indo-Aryan speakers adopting the language.

[25][26][27] The newly differentiated vernacular, from which Assamese eventually emerged, is evident in the Prakritisms present in the Sanskrit of the Kamarupa inscriptions.

[36] A distinctly Assamese literary form appeared first in the 13th-century in the courts of the Kamata kingdom when Hema Sarasvati composed the poem Prahlāda Carita.

[41] Sankardev produced many translated works and created new literary forms—Borgeets (songs), Ankia Naat (one-act plays)—infusing them with Brajavali idioms; and these were sustained by his followers Madhavdev and others in the 15th and subsequent centuries.

Bhattadev's prose was classical and restrained, with a high usage of Sanskrit forms and expressions in an Assamese syntax; and though subsequent authors tried to follow this style, it soon fell into disuse.

[38] Most importantly this was also when Assamese developed a standardised prose in the Buranjis—documents related to the Ahom state dealing with diplomatic writings, administrative records and general history.

[49] Though this effort was not immediately successful the administration eventually declared Assamese the official vernacular in 1873 on the eve of Assam becoming a Chief Commissioner's Province in 1874.

[54] As the political and commercial center moved to Guwahati in the mid-twentieth century, of which Dispur the capital of Assam is a suburb and which is situated at the border between the western and central dialect speaking regions, standard Assamese used in media and communications today is a neutral blend of the eastern variety without its distinctive features.

Assamese is unusual among Eastern Indo-Aryan languages for the presence of /x/ (realised as [x] or [χ], depending on the speaker and speech register), due historically to the MIA sibilants' lenition to /x/ (initially) and /h/ (non-initially).

[72] Assamese, Odia, and Bengali, in contrast to other Indo-Aryan languages, use the velar nasal (the English ng in sing) extensively.

In the modern standard /ɔ/ is generally deleted in the final position unless it is (1) /w/ (ৱ); or (2) /j/ (য়) after higher vowels like /i/ (ই) or /u/ (উ);[76] though there are a few additional exceptions.

[6] The following is a portion from the story Silonir ziekor xadhu (The tale of the kite's daughter), written by Lakshminath Bezbaruah in his book Burhi Aair Xadhu: চৰুটোsörutüso̞ɹutʊpot-theনৈতnöitno̞itriver-inউটিutiutifloatingগৈgöigo̞igoingআছে,ase,asɛ,being,এনেতেeneteɛnɛtɛsuch-inনৈৰnöirno̞iɹriver'sপাৰতparotpaɹɔ̞tbank-onকাপোৰkapürkapʊɹclothe(s)ধুইdhuidʱuiwashingথকাthokathɔ̞kastayingধোবাdhübadʱʊbawashermanএটাইetaiɛtaione-cʟs-ᴇʀɢচৰুটোsörutüso̞ɹutʊpot-theদেখিdëkhidekʰiseeingতাতtattatthere-inকিkikiwhatআছেaseasɛexistsচাওঁsaü̃saʊ̃see-1ᴘবুলিbulibulisaying/thinkingসাঁতুৰিxãturix̟ãtuɹiswimmingগৈgöigo̞igoingসাঁফৰটোxãphortüx̟ãpʰɔ̞ɹtʊlid-theমেলিmëlimeliopeningদেখিলে,dëkhile,dekʰilɛ,saw,নকৈnoköinɔ̞ːko̞inew-lyহোৱাhüahʊabeingকেঁচুৱাkẽsuakẽsuababyছোৱালীsüalisʊaligirlএজনীezoniɛzɔ̞nione-cʟsতাতেtatetatɛthere-in-ᴇᴍᴘʜভৰাইbhoraibhɔ̞ɹaiinsertingকোনোবাইkünübaikʊnʊbaisomeone-ᴇʀɢউটাইutaiutaifloatingদিছে।dise.disɛ.gave.ধোবাটোৱেdhübatüedʱʊbatʊɛWasherman-theছোৱালীজনীsüalizonisʊalizɔ̞nigirl-cʟsতুলিtulituliliftingল’বৰlöborlo̞bɔ̞ɹtaking-ofমনেৰেmoneremɔ̞nɛɹɛmind-withসাঁফৰটোxãphortüx̟ãpʰɔ̞ɹtʊlid-theগুচাইgusaigusairemovingচৰুটোsorutüsɔ̞ɹutʊpot-theধৰিdhoridʱo̞ɹiholdingলাহেlahelahɛslow-withলাহেlahelahɛslow-withসাঁতুৰিxãturix̟ãtuɹiswimmingবামৰbamorbamɔ̞ɹshallow-ofফালেphalepʰalɛside-inটানিtanitanipullingআনোতেই,anü̃tëi,anʊ̃tei,bring-while-ᴇᴍᴘʜ,হঠাৎhothat‌hɔ̞that‌suddenlyএজনীezoniɛzɔ̞nione-cʟsচিলনীয়েsiloniesilɔ̞niɛkite-ᴇʀɢথাপthapthapsnatchমাৰিmarimaɹidoingচৰুটোৰsörutürso̞ɹutʊɹpot-the-ofপৰাporapɔ̞ɹafromছোৱালীজনীsüalizonisʊalizɔ̞nigirl-cʟsলৈlöilo̞itakingগুচিgusigusiremovingগ’ল।göl.go̞l.went.এজোপাezüpaɛzʊpaOne-cʟsআঁহতãhotãhɔ̞tpeepulগছৰgosorgɔ̞sɔ̞ɹtree'sআগতagotagɔ̞ttop-inচিলনীজনীৰsilonizonirsilɔ̞nizɔ̞niɹkite-the-ofবাহbahbahnestআছিল।asil.asil.existed.তাইtaitaiSheছোৱালীজনীsüalizonisʊalizɔ̞nigirl-theসেইxëix̟eithatবাহতেbahotebahɔ̞tɛnest-in-ᴇᴍᴘʜথ’লেগৈ।thölegöi.tho̞lɛgɔ̞̞i.put-going.কণমানkonmankɔ̞nmanLittleৰূপহrupohɹupɔ̞hbeautyছোৱালীটিsüalitisʊalitigirl-theদেখিdëkhidekʰiseeingচিলনীৰsilonirsilɔ̞niɹkite'sবৰborbɔ̞ɹveryমৰমmorommɔ̞ɹɔ̞mloveলাগিল।lagil.lagil.attached.সেইদেখিxëidëkhix̟eidekʰiThat-seeingতাইtaitaisheছোৱালীজনীsüalizonisʊalizɔ̞nigirl-theতুলি-তালিtuli-talituli-taliliftingডাঙৰ-দীঘলdaṅor-digholdaŋɔ̞ɹ-digʱɔ̞lbig-longকৰিবলৈköribolöiko̞ɹibɔ̞lo̞idoing-forমনতেmonotemɔ̞nɔ̞tɛmind-in-ᴇᴍᴘʜঠিকthikthikfixকৰিলে।körile.ko̞ɹilɛ.did.চৰুটো নৈত উটি গৈ আছে, এনেতে নৈৰ পাৰত কাপোৰ ধুই থকা ধোবা এটাই চৰুটো দেখি তাত কি আছে চাওঁ বুলি সাঁতুৰি গৈ সাঁফৰটো মেলি দেখিলে, নকৈ হোৱা কেঁচুৱা ছোৱালী এজনী তাতে ভৰাই কোনোবাই উটাই দিছে। ধোবাটোৱে ছোৱালীজনী তুলি ল’বৰ মনেৰে সাঁফৰটো গুচাই চৰুটো ধৰি লাহে লাহে সাঁতুৰি বামৰ ফালে টানি আনোতেই, হঠাৎ এজনী চিলনীয়ে থাপ মাৰি চৰুটোৰ পৰা ছোৱালীজনী লৈ গুচি গ’ল। এজোপা আঁহত গছৰ আগত চিলনীজনীৰ বাহ আছিল। তাই ছোৱালীজনী সেই বাহতে থ’লেগৈ। কণমান ৰূপহ ছোৱালীটি দেখি চিলনীৰ বৰ মৰম লাগিল। সেইদেখি তাই ছোৱালীজনী তুলি-তালি ডাঙৰ-দীঘল কৰিবলৈ মনতে ঠিক কৰিলে।sörutü nöit uti göi ase, enete nöir parot kapür dhui thoka dhüba etai sörutü dëkhi tat ki ase saü̃ buli xãturi göi xãphortü mëli dëkhile, noköi hüa kẽsua süali ezoni tate bhorai künübai utai dise.

For example:[80] Assamese has a large collection of classifiers, which are used extensively for different kinds of objects, acquired from the Sino-Tibetan languages.

[82] Assamese has 8 grammatical cases: বাৰীতbaritgarden-LOCগৰুgóru-cattle-ABSসোমাল।xwmal.enteredবাৰীত গৰু সোমাল।barit góru- xwmal.garden-LOC cattle-ABS enteredCattles entered into the garden.-এ,-e,-ই-i-এ, -ই-e, -iগৰুৱেgóru-ecattle-ERGঘাঁহghãhgrass-ACCখায়।kha-e.eat-3.HAB.PRESগৰুৱে ঘাঁহ খায়।góru-e ghãh kha-e.cattle-ERG grass-ACC eat-3.HAB.PRESCattles eat grass.Note: The personal pronouns without a plural or other suffix are not marked.

A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living.

Eastern Assamese (Sibsagar): Künü ejon manuhor duta putek asil, tare xorutüe bapekok kole, "Oi büpai!

Olop dinor pasot xorutw puteke tar bhagot ji pale take loi dur dexoloi goi beisali kori gutei xompotti nax korile.

Tate xi gahorir khüa ebidh gosor seire pet bhoraboloi bor hepah korileü tak küneü ekü nidile.

Tate xi aru borai khawa ekbidh gasör sei di pet bhorabak legi bor hepah kollak.

Ekdin xortö putake bapiakok kola, "Bapa wa, apunar xompöttir moi bhagöt zeman kheni pam teman khini mök dia."

Ekdin xorutu puteke bapekök kolak, "Pita, amar xompöttir moi zikhini mör bhagöt paü xikhini mök dia."

Xoru beta gote tar bapok koisil, "Baba moy xompottir jikhini bhag pang xikhini mok dek toy/apuni morar agote".

Bap gote xompotti khini nijor beta koytar majot bhag kori dewar karne manti hol.

Tae poisa makha xek koria felar pasote tamar tar tate thikse khawar obhab hol.

Tar olpo din pasöte öi söta saöata sök götea dur desot gel.

Ote suare khaöa ek rokom gaser sal dia pet bhoroba saileö ok kaho kisu nadil.Assamese does not have many caste- or occupation-based dialects.

In addition to the regional variants, sub-regional, community-based dialects are also prevalent, namely: There is a growing and strong body of literature in this language.