22/02/2022
INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY 2022
Organised by vaiphei Research Forum
Topic : Vitality and Endangerment
Date : 21 February, 2022
A Hun : 7 pm
VAIPHEI PAU KIKHIATNA CHUAM CHUAM
~ P Liankhothang, VLS Chairman
1. Kikham = Promises made by one person to another exclusively.
Kitiam = a deal made between 2 individuals
Kihaksialna = Swear/oath affirmed
2. Hâwi = tit na him him nei lo (not qualified)
Tâk = tit thei or tit lo thei
3. Kitung = to sit motionless
Kichu = can move while sitting
4. Lunghel = mi khat or hun chiasa ngai ah mittha a lang sek pen ( To reminisce an event or someone to happen again)
Lungleng = hun khat or mun khat vak tha ngai na (eg. desire to meet his/her partner)
5. A ki dang = exclusively different event or thing (eg. If a pig lay eggs that's called a ki dang)
Lam dang = a variant of a particular thing or event. ( eg. If a hen lays a green egg which is not as the usual white/yellowish one)
6. Bâwl = thought (ngaituana/suangtuana) Usage - zia akchal (c**k) gu ding a lei bawl a hem?
7. Khâwnbawl = a person who works in higher authority's house , mainly a court(eg. A pastor, missionary or deacon can be a called khawnbawl)
8. Lambûn = ambush.
VAIPHEI PAU DIN MUN
~ Dr. Alice Khawlsawnkim Suantak, Assistant Professor, Tripura University
1. Vaiphei is classified as Kuki-chin language under sino-tibetan group.
2. Vaiphei (old kuki) as mentioned by Shakespeare(1912).
3. Vaiphei Pau can be classified under unsafe, severely endangered or critically endangered category based upon the availability of written material.
4. Decadal growth of Vaiphei population
1981 - 3000+
1991 - 10000+
2001 - 13000+
2011 - 3000+ ?
# why the year 2011 shows a declining trend? Younger generations(particularly 21st century born) hardly speak vaiphei dialect or not at all which is due to influence of other social groups and preference for english.
The session emphasied on -
1. Medium of communication and instruction in all families of Vaiphei community should be vaiphei dialect.
2. To promote vaiphei dialect in electronic, print and social media
3. To use Vaiphei dialect even among mutually intelligible groups ( lingua-franc = A vaiphei can talk in his/her own dialect to other Chin-kuki-mizo persons)
Vaiphei Pau hih ha mat in mang chiat hitiu aw!
