Paite language
| Paite ใปเต/ใปเต ปัว | |
|---|---|
| Paite pau / Paite | |
| Pronunciation | Pai-te pao |
| Native to | Burma, India |
| Ethnicity | Paite |
Native speakers | 64,000 (2001 census)[1] |
Sino-Tibetan
| |
| Roman alphabet/Latin alphabet,
PauChinHau script, Burmese script and Thai script(which is rarely used and not known by most Paite people ) | |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | pck |
| Glottolog | pait1244 |
| ELP | Paite Chin |
Paite is a language spoken by the Paite people. There are different Paite dialects. The language exhibits mutual intelligibility with the other dialects of the region including Thadou, Hmar, Vaiphei, Simte, Kom, Gangte and other languages.[2]The name Paite literally means 'Go-people' and can be translated as 'Leavers' , 'Marchers' or 'simply the people who went.'
Even though the Paite language is a tonal language, the usage of tones can be neglected and Paite speakers will understand even if you use a flat tone in every word.
Paite literature is written in the Lamjang dialect, which is indistinguishable from the Tedim language.
Alphabet and Numbers
The alphabet is based on the Roman alphabet and has 15 Consonants and 7 vowels.
| Letter | a | aw | b | ch | d | e | f | g | ng | h | i | j | k |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter | l | m | n | o | p | r | s | t | u | v | z |
| Consonants | b | ch | d | f | g | ng | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | p | r | s | t | v | z |
|---|
| Vowels | a | aw | e | i | o | ou | u |
|---|
A is pronounced as u in under, E as e in end, I as e in electric, O as a short aw and U as oo in Moon.
Diphthongs
| High-front-oriented | ei | ai | ui | oi |
|---|
| High-back-oriented | au | iu | eu | ou |
|---|
| Low-central-oriented | ia | ua |
|---|
'iai'(yai) and 'uau'(wao) are the Triphthongs of Paite language.
Numbers
| Paite | English | Meitei |
|---|---|---|
| Bial | Zero | Phun |
| Khat | One | Ama |
| Ni | Two | Ani |
| Thum | Three | Ahum |
| Li | Four | Mari |
| Nga | Five | Manga |
| Guk | Six | Taruk |
| Sagih | Seven | Taret |
| Giat | Eight | Nipal |
| Kua | Nine | Mapal |
| Sawm | Ten | Tara |
| Sawmlehkhat | Eleven | TaraMathoi |
| Sawmlehkua | Nineteen | TaraMapal |
| Sawmhni | Twenty | Khun |
| Sawmthum | Thirty | KhumThra |
| Sawmkua | Ninety | MariPhuTara |
| Za | Hundred | ChaAma |
| Zanga | Five hundred | ChaManga |
| Saang(khat) | One thousand | Lishing |
| Siing(khat) | Ten thousand | |
| Nuai(khat) | Hundred thousand/One lakh in Indian English | |
| Maktaduai | Million | |
| Vaibelsia | Ten million | |
| Vaibelsetak | Hundred million | |
| Tuklehdingawn | Billion | |
| Tuklehdingawn sawm | Ten billion | |
| Tuklehdingawn za | Hundred billion |
Thai-Paite/Tedim script
This Paite script is taken from the Thai alphabet to write the Paite/Tedim language but didn't gain popularity so it was forgotten .It was created in 2002 and has 31 consonants and 21 vowels .
Consonants:
| Romanisation | Consonant | Name |
|---|---|---|
| K | ก | Ka |
| Kh | ฆ | Kha |
| G | ค | Ga |
| Gh | ฅ | Gha(used for borrowed words) |
| Ng | ง | Nga |
| Ch | จ | Cha |
| Chh | ฉ | Chha |
| Z | ช | Za/Ja |
| Zh | ซ | Zha/Jha (used in borrowed words) |
| Ny | ณ | Nya (Used in borrowed words) |
| T | ต | Ta(sometimes spelled as dta) |
| Th | ท | Tha |
| D | ด | Da |
| Dh | ธ | Dha (used in borrowed words ) |
| N | น | Na |
| P | ป | Pa |
| Ph | พ | Pha |
| B | บ | Ba |
| Bh | บ่ | Bha (used in borrowed words) |
| M | ม | Ma |
| Y | ย | Ya |
| R | ร | Ra |
| L | ล | La |
| W | ว | Wa |
| S | ศ | Sa (for writing verbs ) |
| S | ษ | Sa (words except for verbs and nouns) |
| S | ส | Sa (for writing nouns) |
| H | ฮ | Ha |
| F | ฟ | Fa |
| V | ผ | Va |
| Silent/? | อ | Gingneilou (vowel bearer) |
Vowels (Lai-aw ใล-อ็)
| Romanisation | Vowel |
|---|---|
| A | อั |
| Aw | อ็ |
| E | เอ |
| I | อิ |
| O | โอ |
| Ou | อ็ว |
| U | อุ |
| Aa | อะ |
| Ae/ee | แอ |
| Yi/ii | อี |
| Uu | อู |
| Ei | เอย |
| Ai | ไอ |
| Ui | อุย |
| Oi | โอย |
| Au | เอา |
| I/yu | อิยุ |
| Eu | เอว |
| Ia/ya | อิยั |
| Ua/wa | อุวั |
| Aai | ใอ |
| Glottal stop(h) | อ |
| English | Paite | Thai |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Bial | Soon ๐ |
| 1 | Khat | Neung ๑ |
| 2 | Ni | Song ๒ |
| 3 | Thum | Sam ๓ |
| 4 | Li | See ๔ |
| 5 | Nga | Haa ๕ |
| 6 | Guk | Hok ๖ |
| 7 | Sagih | Jet ๗ |
| 8 | Giat | Bpaet ๘ |
| 9 | Kua | Gao ๙ |
| 10 | Sawm | Sib ๑๐ |
Sample text
The following is a sample text in Paite of the Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights:
| Paite pau | English |
|---|---|
| Mi tengteng zalena piang ihi ua, zahomna leh dikna tanvou ah kibangvek ahi. Sia leh pha theihna pilna neia siam ihihziakun imihingpihte tungah unauna lungsim iputngai ahi.มิเทงเทงชัเลนอัปิยังอิฮิวั, ชัอโอมนัเลอดิกนัทันผ็วอัอกิบังเผกอัฮิ. ษิยัเลอพัเฌยอนัปิลนัเนยอัศิยัมอิฮิอชิยักอุนอีมิฮิงปิอเททุงอัออุเนานัลุงสิมอิปุทไงอัฮิ. | All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience. Therefore, they should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. |
There are two major dialects of Paite in Manipur, namely Lousau, Lamjang and Dapjar.[3]
Lamjang and Dapjar
Lamjang is mostly influenced by TeddimChin language while Dapjar is mostly influenced by the MizoLanguage
One in Lamjang dialect is Khat but in Dapjar it is called Pa'Khat
Lamka Dialect
In Lamka Town there is a mix of the dialects which formed the Standard Paite most people speak today. An example of some words:
| Standard Paite | English |
|---|---|
| Fang | Explore |
| Khekor(was khekol) | Pants |
| Fuh | good quality(describes the physical appearance) |
| Pisa | Office |
| Daktor(was Siampu) | Doctor |
| Radio(was meelmuhtongsang) | Radio |
| Bouruak(was huihkhua) | Atmosphere |
| Ni | Two/Sun/Day |
| Rong | Colour |
| Kum | Year/age |
| Manghilh | forget |
| Leitung(was leitungbubpi) | Earth |
| Huih | Air |
| Lenna(was vaanleng) | Aeroplane |
| Lennakhawlna(kummun/tummun) | Airport |
| Leitungbubpidang | Planet |
| VanSuang | Asteriods |
| Aksikete/aksikiate | Meteroroids /Meteors |
| Khawvel | World |
| Kha | Moon |
| Nisa/Ni | Sun |
| Aksibubpi | Galaxy |
| Aksitampibubpi | Universe |
| Zan | Night |
| Zaan | Yesterday |
| Vaite | Mainland Indians |
| Maangkaangte | Europeans |
| Mangvomte | Africans |
| Saapte | Americans |
| Esiate | Asian |
| Kawlte | Burmese |
| Khut'zahsimdan | Math |
Geographical distribution
Paite is spoken mainly in the following locations (Ethnologue).
- Manipur: CCpur Bazar(Lamka Bazar), Khuga valley(Lamka phaizang), Churachandpur district
- Mizoram: 20 villages of Champhai subdivision, Aizawl district
- Tripura
- Assam
- Chin State , Myanmar
Dialects
Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Paite.
- Bukpi (Bukpui)
- Dapzal (Dapzar)also written as Dapjar
- Dim
- Dimpi
- Lamzang also written as Lamjang
- Lousau
- Saizang
- Sihzang
- Telzang (Teizang)
- Tuichiap
- Lamka
References
- ^ Paite ใปเต/ใปเต ปัว at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
- ^ Singh, Chungkham Yashawanta (1995). "The linguistic situation in Manipur" (PDF). Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area. 18 (1): 129–134. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Singh, Naorem Saratchandra Singh (2006). A Grammar of Paite. Mittal Publications. p. xviii. ISBN 978-8183240680. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
- Singh, Naorem Saratchandra. 2006. A grammar of Paite. New Delhi: Mittal Publications.
Further reading
- Muivah, Esther T. 1993. English-Paite dictionary. Lamka, Manipur: Paite Tribe Council.
- Tualkhothang, Naulak. 2003. English-Paite dictionary. Lamka, Manipur: The Tualkhothang Naulak Memorial Trust.
- Tawmbing, Chinzam. 2014. English-Paite dictionary. Lamka, Manipur: Hornbill Publication.
- Paite Tribe Council. 2013. Paite customary law & practices / Paite pupa ngeina dan leh a kizatnate. Lamka, Manipur: Paite Tribe Council.
- Thuamkhopau, T. 2009. Paite paunaak leh pau upate. Manipur: Tribal Research Institute.
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