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]

Thadou–Kuki
Thado Chin, Thadou, Kuki
Thadoupao
Native toIndia
RegionManipur
EthnicityKuki people, natively to the Thadou tribe.
Native speakers
350,000 (2011–2017)[1]
Language codes
ISO 639-3tcz
Glottologthad1238
ELPThado Chin

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

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Thadou is spoken in the following locations (Ethnologue).

Dialects

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

  • Lupho
  • Lupheng
  • Misao
  • Hangsing
  • Chongloi
  • Khongsai
  • Kipgen
  • Langiung
  • Sairang
  • Thangngeo
  • Haokip
  • Sitlhou
  • Touthang
  • Haolai
  • Singson (Shingsol)
  • Hanghal
  • Lhouvum
  • Mate
  • Lhungdim
  • Baite

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

Phonology

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Consonants

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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
  • /p t k/ are heard unreleased as [p̚ t̚ k̚] in word-final position.
  • /ts/ is heard as more apical [ts̺] when occurring before front and central vowels.
  • /x/ can have a cognate of an aspirated velar plosive [] in the dialect spoken in Burma.
  • /ɬ/ can have an allophone of [] in word-medial position.[7]

Vowels

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

References

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  1. ^ a b Thadou–Kuki at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022)  
  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

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