Meitei, also known as Manipuri, is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India. It is the official language and the lingua franca of Manipur and one of the official languages of Assam. It is one of the constitutionally scheduled official languages of the Indian Republic. Meitei is the most widely-spoken Tibeto-Burman language of India and third most widely spoken language of northeast India after Assamese and Bengali. There are 1.76 million Meitei native speakers in India according to the 2011 census. Most of these, or 1.52 million, are found in the state of Manipur, where they represent majority of its population. There are smaller communities in neighbouring Indian states, such as Assam (168,000), Tripura (24,000), Nagaland (9,500), and elsewhere in the country (37,500). The language is also spoken by smaller groups in neighbouring Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Gangte is an ethnic group residing predominantly in the Indian state of Manipur, as well as in parts of Mizoram, Assam, and Myanmar. Also part of the larger Zo people, and are recognized as a tribe in both Manipur and under the Indian Constitution. As of as of 2018, their global population is estimated to be approximately 40,000. Their primary settlements in India are located in Churachandpur district of Manipur and in neighboring states, including Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Assam. The Gangtes predominantly use the Meitei language as their second language (L2).
The Koireng people are one of the ethnic groups inhabiting Manipur in North-East India. They speak the [Koireng language]. They are mentioned in the Meitei royal chronicle Cheitharol Kumbaba in the year 1404, one of the oldest tribes to be so mentioned. They have a shared common ancestry, history, cultural traits, folklore and dialects with their kindred people like Aimol and Kom. They use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.
The Hmar language belongs to the Mizo language branch of the Sino-Tibetan family of languages. The speakers of this language use Mizo language as their second language (L2).
The Kuki-Chin–Naga languages are a geographic clustering of languages of the Sino-Tibetan family in James Matisoff's classification used by Ethnologue, which groups it under the non-monophyletic "Tibeto-Burman". Their genealogical relationship both to each other and to the rest of Sino-Tibetan is unresolved, but Matisoff lumps them together as a convenience pending further research.
Koireng or Koren is a Kuki-Chin-Mizo language spoken by Koireng people in Manipur, India. It is particularly close to Aimol, Purum and Kharam. The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.
Thadou, Kuki, or Thado Chin is a Sino-Tibetan language of the Northern Kuki-Chin sub-branch. It is spoken by the Thadou people in Northeast India. The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.
The Aimol people are an ethnic group living mainly in Manipur and in parts of Mizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and Assam,Meghalaya in India. They speak Aimol language which is a Kuki-Chin language. They identify themselves as 'Aimol' an independent tribe with no affiliates. Aimols have continued to live in harmony with neighboring communities before the independence and to this day. Aimols are closely related to Kom, Koireng, Chiru, Chothe,khelma,Biete,Biate etc. They use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.
The Sukte are one of the clans of Tedim Chins that mainly inhabit the Tedim district in Myanmar, with small numbers in India, in Manipur, Meghalaya and Assam states. They are recognized as a Scheduled Tribe in Manipur. From 1995, they have been part of the Zomi Re-unification Organisation in Manipur.
The Kuki-Chin-Mizo languages are a branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family spoken in northeastern India, western Myanmar and southeastern Bangladesh. Most notable Kuki-Chin-speaking ethnic groups are referred to collectively as the Zo people which includes: the Mizo of Mizoram, the Kuki of Manipur, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura and Bangladesh and the Chin of Chin State, Myanmar.
Sakachep also known as Khelma, is a Central Kuki-Chin-Mizo language of Northeast India. Dialects are Khelma, Thangachep, and Sakachep (Ethnologue). VanBik (2009) classifies Sakachep as closely related to Hmar.
Vaiphei is a Sino-Tibetan language belonging to the Kuki-Chin linguistic subbranch of the Tibeto-Burman group of languages. It is spoken mainly in the Myanmar minutely in Manipur-KukiZogam, Mizoram, Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura. The dialect spoken in Myanmar exhibits a least partial mutual intelligibility with the other Mizo/Kukish dialects of the area including Thadou, Hmar, Paite, Simte, Kom and Gangte languages.
The Kharam people, also known as the Kharam Kuki, are a Tibeto-Burmese ethnic group inhabiting the Northeast Indian state of Manipur. They are recognised as a Scheduled Tribe (STs) by India. They use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.
Simte is a Kuki-Chin language of India. It is spoken primarily by the Simte in Northeastern India, who are concentrated in Manipur and adjacent areas of Mizoram and Assam. The dialect spoken in Manipur exhibits partial mutual intelligibility with the other Kuki-Chin dialects of the area including Thadou, Hmar, Vaiphei, Paite, Kom and Gangte. It is written in Latin script.
Aimol, also known as Aimual, is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Aimol people of Manipur, India. It is considered endangered and has less than 9,000 speakers worldwide as per 2011 census. The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.
Purum is a Southern Naga language of India. Speakers consider themselves to be ethnic Naga people, rather than part of the Kuki and Chin ethnic groups. Peterson (2017) classifies Purum as part of the Northwestern branch of Kuki-Chin. According Ethnologue, Purum shares a high degree of mutual intelligibility with Kharam. The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.
Monsang is an unclassified Sino-Tibetan language spoken in the Northeast of India. Scott DeLancey, et al. (2015) classifies Monsang as a "Northwest Naga" language. The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.
Moyon is a Sino-Tibetan language of Southern Naga linguistic sub branch. It is spoken by the Moyon peoples in Manipur, India and in Burma. The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.
Kharam is a Southern Naga language of India. Peterson (2017) classifies the closely related Purum language as part of the Northwestern branch of Kuki-Chin. According Ethnologue, Kharam shares a high degree of mutual intelligibility with Purum. The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.
Meitei language, the sole official language and the lingua franca of Manipur, one of the scheduled languages of India, one of the recognised educational and literary languages of Assam and Tripura states, has its speakers spread across entire India.
