Thadou language explained

Thadou–Kuki
Also Known As:	Thado Chin, Thadou, Kuki
Nativename:	Thadoupao
States:	India
Region:	Manipur
Ethnicity:	Kuki people, natively to the Thadou tribe.
Date:	2011–2017
Ref:	e25
Familycolor:	Sino-Tibetan
Fam2:	Tibeto-Burman
Fam3:	Kuki-Chin-Naga
Fam4:	Kuki-Chin
Fam5:	Northern
Iso3:	tcz
Glotto:	thad1238
Glottorefname:	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).^[1] The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.^[2]

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). 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.^[3] 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.^[4]

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.

• 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.^[5]

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Plosive	voiceless	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
	aspirated	pronounced as /pʰ/	pronounced as /tʰ/
	voiced	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Affricate			pronounced as /link/
Nasal		pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Fricative	voiceless		pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
	voiced	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
	lateral		pronounced as /link/
Approximant		pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/

• /p t k/ are heard unreleased as [p̚ t̚ k̚] in word-final position.
• pronounced as /link/ is heard as more apical pronounced as /link/ when occurring before front and central vowels.
• pronounced as /link/ can have a cognate of an aspirated velar plosive pronounced as /link/ in the dialect spoken in Burma.
• pronounced as /link/ can have an allophone of pronounced as /link/ in word-medial position.^[6]

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	pronounced as /link/		pronounced as /link/
Mid	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/	pronounced as /link/
Open		pronounced as /link/

Further reading

• Did you know Thado Chin is severely endangered? (n.d.). Retrieved 10 March 2017, from http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/5702
• Haokip, P. (2011). Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area. THE LANGUAGES OF MANIPUR: A CASE STUDY OF THE KUKI-CHIN-MIZO LANGUAGES*, 34.1 (April), 85-118. Retrieved 9 March 2017, from https://dx.doi.org/10.15144/LTBA-34.1.85
• History. (n.d.). Retrieved 9 March 2017, from http://thethadou.webs.com/history.htm
• "Thadou." Encyclopedia of World Cultures. . Retrieved 3 May 2017 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/thadou
• Thado Chin. (n.d.). Retrieved 10 March 2017, from http://glottolog.org/resource/languoid/id/thad1238
• Thado Chin Rosary Prayers. (n.d.). Retrieved 7 March 2017, from http://www.marysrosaries.com/Chin_Thado_prayers.html
• Thadou Kuki language. (n.d.). Retrieved 10 March 2017, from https://globalrecordings.net/en/language/759
• The Thadou (or Thado). (n.d.). Retrieved 9 March 2017, from http://www.myanmarburma.com/attraction/174/the-thadou-or-thado
• Where on earth do they speak Chin, Thado? (n.d.). Retrieved 10 March 2017, from http://www.verbix.com/maps/language/ChinThado.html
• St George International Ltd. (n.d.). Retrieved 4 May 2017, from http://www.stgeorges.co.uk/blog/learn-english/how-many-people-in-the-world-speak-english

Notes and References

1. Book: Mahapatra. Bijaya P.. The Written Languages of the World: A Survey of the Degree and Modes of Use : Book 2, Non-Constitutional Languages. Padmanabha. P.. December 1989. Pr De L'Universite Laval. 978-2-7637-7196-0. 1311. en.
2. Web site: Meitei Ethnologue . 2023-05-03 . . en.
3. News: Just 4 people keep a language alive . The Hindu . 18 July 2012 . 7 April 2013.
4. Singh. Chungkham Yashawanta. The linguistic situation in Manipur. Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area. 1995. 18. 1. 129–134. 19 June 2014.
5. Web site: Just 4 people keep a language alive. 18 July 2012. The Hindu.
6. Book: Haokip, Marykim. Grammar of Thadou-Kuki: A Descriptive Study. 2014. New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University.