Mara language

Mara
Mara (Lakher)
Pronunciation [m̥ara]
Native to Mizoram, India; Burma
Ethnicity Mara people
Native speakers
 ca. 55,000 (1994–2001)[1]
Dialects
  • Tlosaih (lingua franca)
  • Chapi-Ngephe
  • Hawthai-Lochei
  • Zyhno-Heima-Lialai
  • Vytu-Zyphei
Latin
Official status
Recognised minority
language in
Mizoram
Language codes
ISO 639-3 mrh
Glottolog mara1382[2]

Mara is a language spoken by Mara people living in 60 villages of Chhimtuipui district, southern Mizoram, India and the adjacent people living in Burma.

The Mara language belongs to the Kukish branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. The speakers of the language are also known as Mara.

Mara is a recognised language in the School curriculum of Mara Autonomous District Council (MADC). Mara is a compulsory subject for all schools up to Class VII (Middle School) under Board of School Education, MADC.

Demographics

VanBik (2009:55)[3] lists the following Mara villages: Dar ling, Hlum mang, Lai len pi, Lung cawi pi, Lung cawi te, Nga phai pi, Nga phai te, Pin tia, Sa bawng pi, Sa bawng te, Ti chung lai len, Ti si, Tin nam.

Orthography

Mara Alphabet (capital letters) A, AW, Y, B, CH, D, E, F, H, I, K, L, M, N, NG, O, Ô, P, R, S, T, U, V, Z

Mara Alphabet (small letters): a, aw, y, b, ch, d, e, f, h, i, k, l, m, n, ng, o, ô, p, r, s, t, u, v, z

Mara diphthongs: ao, yu, ai, ei, ia, ie, ua

Grammar

Plurals

The plural form of a noun is formed by affixing one of the following terms to the end of the noun:

Words inside bracket were how a foreign author N.E. Parry (1937) wrote according to his understanding of the sound. But now the Maras have their own alphabet and the correct usages are put up there.

Interrogative words in Mara

What : Khâpa, Khâpa-e, Khâpamaw

Where : Khataih la, Khataih liata

How : kheihta, kheihawhta, Khatluta, Kheihta rai maw

How much? : Khazie?

How long? : Khachâ e, Khachâ maw?

When : Khatita, khatita-e, Khapa nota, nota, tita, nahta, pata, Conj. thlaita, khati nota

Why : Khazia, Khazia-e, Khazia maw, Khapa vata

Why not : Khazia a châ vei chheih aw

Whose : Kheihawpa, Kheihawpa he, Kheihawhpa-e, Kheihawhpa maw, ahy he maw

Which : Kheihawpa, Kheihawpa he, Kheihawhpa-e, Kheihawhpa maw, ahy he maw

Friend : Viasa

Male Friend : Viasa Paw

Female Friend : Viasa Nô

Walk/Go : Sie (Pheita Sie)

Run : Ârâ

Sleep : Âmô, Âzia, Âpazawh

See : Mo, hmô

Sit : Âtyuh

Stand : Âduah

Jump : Âzaw

Hit : Âchô

Eat : Nie

Drink : Doh

Adjectives

Adjectives are placed before the word they qualify. e.g., A good man) When an adjective is used to complete the predicate of a sentence, a pronominal particle agreeing with the subject is placed before the adjective.

Pronouns

Singular:

Plural:

Possessive Pronouns

*Plural.

The demonstrative pronouns are the same as the double forms of the demonstrative adjectives. There are many indefinite pronouns, e.g.:-

References

http://www.marasaw.com/english-mara.html

  1. ↑ Mara at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015)
  2. ↑ Hammarström, Harald; Forkel, Robert; Haspelmath, Martin; Bank, Sebastian, eds. (2016). "Mara (Lakher)". Glottolog 2.7. Jena: Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
  3. ↑ VanBik, Kenneth. 2009. Proto-Kuki-Chin: A Reconstructed Ancestor of the Kuki-Chin Languages. STEDT Monograph 8. ISBN 0-944613-47-0.
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