Thadou language

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Thadou–Kuki
Thado Chin, Thadou, Kuki
Thadoupao
Native to India
Region Manipur
Ethnicity Kuki people, natively to the Thadou tribe.
Native speakers
350,000 (2011–2017) [1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3 tcz
Glottolog thad1238
ELP Thado Chin

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 (specifically in Manipur and Assam). [2] The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue. [3]

Contents

The language is known by many names, including Thado, Thado-Pao, Thado-Ubiphei, Thādo, Thaadou Kuki, or just Kuki or Chin.

There are several dialects of this language: Hangshing, Khongsai, Kipgen, Saimar, Langiung, Sairang, Thangngeo, Haokip, Sitlhou, Singson (Shingsol). [1] The Saimar dialect was reported in the Indian press in 2012 to be spoken by only four people in one village in the state of Tripura. [4] The variety spoken in Manipur has partial mutual intelligibility with the other Mizo-Kuki-Chin languages varieties of the area including Paite, Hmar, Vaiphei, Simte, Kom and Gangte languages. [5]

Geographical distribution

Thadou is spoken in the following locations ( Ethnologue ).

Dialects

Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Thadou, the names of which mostly correspond to clan names. There is high mutual intelligibility among dialects.

The Saimar dialect is only spoken by 4 people in one village, which is located in Tripura. [6]

Phonology

Consonants

Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Plosive voiceless p t k ʔ
aspirated
voiced b d ɡ
Affricate ts
Nasal m n ŋ
Fricative voiceless s x h
voiced v z
lateral ɬ
Approximant w l j

Vowels

Front Central Back
Close i u
Mid e ə o
Open a

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuki people</span> Ethnic group in India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar

The Kuki people, or Kuki-Zo people, are an ethnic group in the Northeastern Indian states of Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram, as well as the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Myanmar. The Kukis form one of the largest hill tribe communities in this region. In Northeast India, they are present in all states except Arunachal Pradesh. The Chin people of Myanmar and the Mizo people of Mizoram are kindred tribes of the Kukis. Collectively, they are termed the Zo people.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aimol people</span> Ethnic group

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The Kuki-Chin 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.

Vaiphei is a Sino-Tibetan language belonging to the Zo-Mizo linguistic subbranch of the Tibeto-Burman group of languages. It is spoken mainly in the Indian state of Manipur and minutely in Mizoram, Assam, Meghalaya, and Tripura. The dialect spoken in Manipur exhibits a least partial mutual intelligibility with the other Zo-Mizo dialects of the area including Thadou, Hmar, Paite, Simte, Mizo and Gangte languages.

Gangte is a Sino-Tibetan language of Kuki-Chin linguistic sub branch of Northeastern India. Its speakers primarily live in Manipur and the adjacent areas of Meghalaya and Assam. The language appears to be homogeneous with no known dialectal variation and exhibits at least partial mutual intelligibility with the other Chin-Kuki-Mizo dialects of the area including Thadou, Hmar, Vaiphei, Simte, Kom and Paite languages. The speakers of this language 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chiru language</span> Southern Naga language of Manipur, India

Chiru is a Kuki-Chin language spoken mostly in Manipur. The Chiru population numbers approximately 8,599. It is an endangered spoken in three districts of Manipur: Senapati, Noney district of Manipur and Cachar district of Assam. Chiru has been recognized as a Scheduled Tribe of Manipur by the government of India since 1956 under "The Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Orders (Amendment) Act, Act No. 63 of 1956" Dated 25 September 1956. The total population of the native speakers of Chiru is only 8599. The native speakers have high proficiency in Meitei language. The language is neither used in schools nor in radio or mass media. Older people read and write in Meitei language. The younger generation of Chiru speakers prefers Roman script.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aimol language</span> Sino-Tibetan language spoken in India

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chothe language</span> Sino-Tibetan language spoken in India

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Purum language</span> Kuki-Chin language spoken in India

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monsang language</span> Unclassified Sino-Tibetan (possibly Sino-Tibetan) language of Northeast India

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuki Students' Organisation</span>

Kuki Students' Organisation (KSO) is a generic name of an organisation comprising many Kuki student bodies in India. It functions under a general headquarters, with districts and other branches at different states and cities of northeast India and mainland India. During the Manipur violence they launched Thingkho le Malcha, an evening daily newspaper in English.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kharam language</span> Southern Naga language of Manipur, India

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.

References

  1. 1 2 Thadou–Kuki at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed Access logo transparent.svg
  2. Mahapatra, Bijaya P.; Padmanabha, P. (December 1989). The Written Languages of the World: A Survey of the Degree and Modes of Use : Book 2, Non-Constitutional Languages. Pr De L'Universite Laval. p. 1311. ISBN   978-2-7637-7196-0. Archived from the original on 27 May 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  3. "Meitei | Ethnologue". Ethnologue . Archived from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  4. "Just 4 people keep a language alive". The Hindu. 18 July 2012. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 7 April 2013.
  5. Singh, Chungkham Yashawanta (1995). "The linguistic situation in Manipur" (PDF). Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area. 18 (1): 129–134. Archived (PDF) from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
  6. "Just 4 people keep a language alive". The Hindu. 18 July 2012. Archived from the original on 13 September 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  7. Haokip, Marykim (2014). Grammar of Thadou-Kuki: A Descriptive Study. New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

Further reading