Thadou: An Endangered Voice of the Kuki-Chin World

Thadou: An Endangered Voice of the Kuki-Chin World
Thadou language, Thadou people, Kuki Chin languages, Tibeto Burman languages, Sino Tibetan languages, Thadou culture, Thadou tribe, Thadou clans, Thadou history, Thadou script, Thadou Kuki, endangered languages of India, Manipur languages, Mizoram languages, Nagaland languages, Chin State languages, Kuki people, Kuki Chin Mizo, Hun festival, Chavang Kut, Mim Kut, Thadou weaving, Thadou traditions, Khul origin myth, Anglo Kuki War, Zalengam

Welcome to my channel! This is Andy from I love languages. Let's learn different languages/dialects together.

CHAPTERS:
Introduction: 0:00 - 3:42
UDHR: 3:43 - 4:01
Numbers: 4:02 - 4:14
Greetings & Phrases: 4:15 - 5:40
Vocabulary: 5:41 - 9:08
Sample Text: 9:09 - 10:02
Lord's Prayer: 10:03 - 10:36

Special Thanks to Paul Zo & Hosea Chongloi :)

Chibai! ka min khu Andy ahi. Na dam dam hinai maw?
Hello! My name is Andy. How are you?
Let's talk the Thadou language.

Thadou language:

Thadou is a Tibeto-Burman language belonging to the Kuki-Chin branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It is predominantly spoken in the states of Manipur, Southern Nagaland, South-East of Assam, Tonzang, Bizang and Tidim District region as well in Chin, particularly in regions such as Lamka, Kangpokpi and parts in Ukhrul and Mizoram. Thadou shares linguistic similarities with other Zonese/Chin Kuki Mizo languages, including Vaiphei, Gangte, Ralte, Paite, Zou. According to the 2017 Census of India, there are approximately 350,000 native speakers of Thadou with more outside of Manipur. The language is considered undergoing to become closer with Hindi, as many members of the younger generation increasingly prefer to mix Hindi in Thadou. Thadou is debated whether it should be considered a Dialect or a Language according to ISO 639. The language has its own indigenous script namely Zonese/Zolai which is not widely recognized, so speakers have adopted a modified version of the Roman script known as Thadou-Kuki.

This is not intended to promote any political ideology or propaganda. Rather, it represents the most authentic form of the language, reflecting our culture and history, with the aim of preserving and keeping it pure.


Thadou People and Culture:

The Thadou/Thado being descendants of a historical figure named Thadou had three grandsons named Thalhun(eldest),Chongloi and Hangshing which the current Thadou people descended from all the three siblings. Thadou has several clans, some of which includes Chongloi, Hangshing,Sitlhou,Haokip,Lhouvum, Kipgen,Singson etc. As part of the KUKI-CHIN/Zonese, not to be confused with other clans such as Zomi or Zou family. They, have the same history as the Mizos,Hmar,Kom,Zou,Paite etc which they believed to have come out of a cave called Khul somewhere in present day Yunnan Province of China. They had gone further south due to the executions of the minority by the emperor of the then Chinese Dynasty.

In terms of Culture and Tradition, the Haokip from the Kipte/ Kipgen and Haokip, were seen as the most important event in 1880s after King Goukhothang Guite death in 1860s where he aimed to unify all tribes, which was carried in similar way by Thadou which led to the rise of Anglo-Kuki War/ Zogal in 1917 where Parts of Chin, Manipur and Mizoram clans unite to fight not for any nation but rather for the land they called Zalengam which means Free Country from Brits and India.

Apart from these, the men were headhunters and hunter gatherers while the women are said to have been exceptional weavers bringing a novelty in Puondum of several designs and colours. The most distinctive culture of the Thadou among the KUKI-CHIN group is that their grandchildren's names are taken from the last syllable of their grandparents name and that being the initial syllable of the Baby. Most prominent festivals of the Thadou is Hun festival which falls on 4th of April and The Mim Kut celebrated by Thadou in Mizoram, Nagaland and Assam while Chavang Kut is a festival held for all its brethren tribes coming together in Manipur.

This video is created for educational, language awareness, and language preservation purposes. It aims to provide valuable insights and knowledge to viewers, enhancing their understanding and appreciation of different languages and their unique characteristics. By raising awareness about linguistic diversity, the video seeks to foster a greater respect and recognition for various languages, particularly those that are endangered or underrepresented. Additionally, it contributes to the preservation of languages by documenting and sharing linguistic knowledge, thus ensuring that these languages and their cultural heritage are not lost to future generations.

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