Thadou language

{{Short description|Tibeto-Burman language spoken in India}} {{redirect-distinguish|Kuki language|Kuki language (Nigeria)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}} {{Infobox language | name = Thadou–Kuki | altname = Thado Chin, Thadou, Kuki | nativename = Thadoupao | states = India | region = Manipur | ethnicity = Kuki people, natively to the Thadou tribe. | speakers = {{sigfig|346,100|2}} | date = 2011–2017 | ref = e25 | familycolor = Sino-Tibetan | fam2 = Tibeto-Burman | fam3 = Kuki-Chin-Naga | fam4 = Kuki-Chin | fam5 = Northeastern | iso3 = tcz | glotto = thad1238 | glottorefname = Thado Chin }}  '''Thadou''', '''Kuki''', or '''Thado Chin''' is a Sino-Tibetan language of the Northeastern sub-branch of Kuki-Chin. It is spoken by the Thadou people in Northeast India (specifically in Manipur and Assam).<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Mahapatra|first1=Bijaya P.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UhcLAQAAMAAJ&q=number+of+thadou+speaking+states+in+india|title=The Written Languages of the World: A Survey of the Degree and Modes of Use : Book 2, Non-Constitutional Languages|last2=Padmanabha|first2=P.|date=December 1989|publisher=Pr De L'Universite Laval|isbn=978-2-7637-7196-0|page=1311|language=en|access-date=2 January 2022|archive-date=27 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230527015748/https://books.google.com/books?id=UhcLAQAAMAAJ&q=number%20of%20thadou%20speaking%20states%20in%20india|url-status=live}}</ref> The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Meitei {{!}} Ethnologue |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mni/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=Ethnologue |language=en |archive-date=24 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724203234/https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mni/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

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).<ref name=e25/> 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.<ref name="Saimar hindu">{{cite news |url= http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3650421.ece |title= Just 4 people keep a language alive |newspaper= The Hindu |date= 18 July 2012 |access-date= 7 April 2013 |archive-date= 3 January 2013 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130103122507/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3650421.ece |url-status= live }}</ref> 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.<ref name=Singh>{{cite journal|last1=Singh|first1=Chungkham Yashawanta|title=The linguistic situation in Manipur|journal=Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area|date=1995|volume=18|issue=1|pages=129–134|url=http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf8/singh1995linguistic.pdf|access-date=19 June 2014|archive-date=19 August 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140819085546/http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf8/singh1995linguistic.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Geographical distribution ==

Thadou is spoken in the following locations (''Ethnologue'').

*Northeast India **Manipur ***Chandel district ***Churachandpur district ***Senapati district ***Kangpokpi district ***Tengnoupal district ***Pherzawl district **Assam ***Karbi Anglong (Mikil Hills) ***NC hills (Dima Hasoa)

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

{{div col}} *Lupho *Lupheng *Misao *Hangsing *Chongloi *Khongsai *Kipgen *Langiung *Sairang *Thangngeo *Haokip *Sitlhou *Touthang *Haolai *Singson (Shingsol) *Hanghal *Lhouvum *Mate *Lhungdim *Baite {{div col end}}

The Saimar dialect is only spoken by 4 people in one village, which is located in Tripura.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/just-4-people-keep-a-language-alive/article3650421.ece|title=Just 4 people keep a language alive|date=18 July 2012|work=The Hindu|access-date=12 July 2022|archive-date=13 September 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240913180145/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/just-4-people-keep-a-language-alive/article3650421.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Phonology == === Consonants === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! colspan="2" | !Labial !Alveolar !Palatal !Velar !Glottal |- ! rowspan="3" |Plosive !voiceless |{{IPA link|p}} |{{IPA link|t}} | |{{IPA link|k}} |{{IPA link|ʔ}} |- !aspirated |{{IPA link|pʰ}} |{{IPA link|tʰ}} | | | |- !voiced |{{IPA link|b}} |{{IPA link|d}} | |{{IPA link|ɡ}} | |- ! colspan="2" |Affricate | |{{IPA link|ts}} | | | |- ! colspan="2" |Nasal |{{IPA link|m}} |{{IPA link|n}} | |{{IPA link|ŋ}} | |- ! rowspan="3" |Fricative !voiceless | |{{IPA link|s}} | |{{IPA link|x}} |{{IPA link|h}} |- !voiced |{{IPA link|v}} |{{IPA link|z}} | | | |- !lateral | |{{IPA link|ɬ}} | | | |- ! colspan="2" |Approximant |{{IPA link|w}} |{{IPA link|l}} |{{IPA link|j}} | | |}

* /p t k/ are heard unreleased as [p̚ t̚ k̚] in word-final position. * {{IPAslink|ts}} is heard as more apical {{IPAblink|ts̺}} when occurring before front and central vowels. * {{IPAslink|x}} can have a cognate of an aspirated velar plosive {{IPAblink|kʰ}} in the dialect spoken in Burma. * {{IPAslink|ɬ}} can have an allophone of {{IPAblink|l̥}} in word-medial position.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Haokip|first=Marykim|title=Grammar of Thadou-Kuki: A Descriptive Study|year=2014|location=New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University}}</ref>

=== Vowels === {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! ! Front !Central ! Back |- ! Close |{{IPA link|i}} | |{{IPA link|u}} |- !Mid |{{IPA link|e}} |{{IPA link|ə}} |{{IPA link|o}} |- !Open | |{{IPA link|a}} | |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==Further reading== {{Incubator|code=tcz}} * {{Cite journal |last=Haokip |first=Pauthang |date=April 2011 |title=The Languages of Manipur: A Case Study of the Kuki-Chin-Mizo Languages |url=http://sealang.net/archives/ltba/pdf/LTBA-34.1.85.pdf |journal=Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=85-118 |doi=10.15144/LTBA-34.1.85 |access-date=9 March 2017}} * {{Cite web |title=History |url=http://thethadou.webs.com/history.htm |access-date=9 March 2017 |website=thethadou.webs.com |archive-date=22 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211022015357/https://thethadou.webs.com/history.htm |url-status=dead }} * {{Cite web |title=Thado Chin |url=http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/5702 |access-date=10 March 2017 |website=Endangered Languages Project}} * {{Cite web |title=Thado Chin |url=http://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/thad1238 |access-date=10 March 2017 |website=Glottolog}} * {{Cite web |title=Thado Chin Rosary Prayers |url=http://www.marysrosaries.com/Chin_Thado_prayers.html |access-date=7 March 2017 |website=marysrosaries.com}} * {{Cite encyclopedia |title=Thadou |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of World Cultures |url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/thadou |access-date=3 May 2017 |via=Encyclopedia.com}} * {{Cite web |title=Thadou Kuki language |url=https://globalrecordings.net/en/language/759 |access-date=10 March 2017 |website=globalrecordings.net}} * {{Cite web |title=The Thadou (or Thado) |url=http://www.myanmarburma.com/attraction/174/the-thadou-or-thado |access-date=9 March 2017}} * {{Cite web |title=Where on earth do they speak Chin, Thado? |url=http://www.verbix.com/maps/language/ChinThado.html |access-date=10 March 2017 |website=verbix.com}}

Category:Languages of Manipur Category:Languages of Tripura Category:Endangered languages of India