Thadou language

"Kuki language" redirects here and is not to be confused with Kuki language (Nigeria).

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

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.^[6]

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Plosive	voiceless	p	t		k	ʔ
	aspirated	pʰ	tʰ
	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 [kʰ] in the dialect spoken in Burma.
• /ɬ/ can have an allophone of [l̥] in word-medial position.^[7]

Vowels

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