Meitei language

Meitei
Manipuri
ꯃꯩꯇꯩꯂꯣꯟ • মৈতৈলোন • Meiteilon
Meitei Lon written in Meitei script
Native toManipur, Assam and Tripura
RegionNortheast India and Neighbouring areas of Bangladesh and Myanmar
EthnicityMeitei people
Total speakersL1 & L2 combined: 3 million[1]
L1 only: 1.8 million (2003–2011)[2]
Early forms
Dialects
Official status
Official language in
Recognised minority
language in
Regulated byDirectorate of Language Planning and Implementation, Manipur
Development body
Language codes
ISO 639-2mni
ISO 639-3Either:
mni – Manipuri
omp – Old Manipuri
Glottologmani1292  Manipuri
meit1246  Meitei (standard dialect)
loii1241  Loi (Chakpa dialect)
pang1284  Pangal (Muslim dialect)
  Regions where Meitei is official and educational language
  Regions where Meitei is recognised and educational language but not official
  Regions where Meitei is not recognised and not official but educational
  Regions where Meitei is recognised but not official and educational
  Regions with significant Meitei speaking minorities
This article contains IPA phonetic symbols. Without proper rendering support, you may see question marks, boxes, or other symbols instead of Unicode characters. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see Help:IPA.

Meitei (/ˈmt/;[4] ꯃꯩꯇꯩꯂꯣꯟ, Eastern Nagari script: মৈতৈলোন্, [mejtejlon] (IPA), romanized: meiteilon) also known as Manipuri (ꯃꯅꯤꯄꯨꯔꯤ, Eastern Nagari script: মণিপুরী, [mɐnipuɾi] (IPA)), is a Tibeto-Burman language of northeast India. It is the official language and the lingua franca of Manipur and an additional official language in four districts of Assam. It is one of the constitutionally scheduled official languages of the Indian Republic.[5] Meitei is the most widely-spoken Tibeto-Burman language of India and the third most widely spoken language of northeast India after Assamese and Bengali.[6] There are 1.76 million Meitei native speakers in India according to the 2011 census, 1.52 million of whom are found in the state of Manipur, where they represent the majority of its population. There are smaller communities in neighbouring Indian states, such as Assam (168,000), Tripura (24,000), Nagaland (9,500), and elsewhere in the country (37,500). The language is also spoken by smaller groups in neighbouring Myanmar[7] and Bangladesh.[2]

Meitei and Gujarati jointly hold the third place among the fastest growing languages of India, following Hindi and Kashmiri.[8]

Meitei is not endangered: its status has been assessed as safe by Ethnologue (where it is assigned to EGIDS level 2 "provincial language").[2] However, it is considered vulnerable by UNESCO.[9]

The Manipuri language is associated with the Ningthouja dynasty (Mangangs), the Khuman dynasty, the Moirangs, the Angoms, the Luwangs, the Chengleis (Sarang-Leishangthems), and the Khaba-Nganbas. Each had their respective distinct dialects and were politically independent from one another. Later, all of them fell under the dominion of the Ningthouja dynasty, changing their status of being independent "ethnicities" into those of "clans" of the collective Meitei community. The Ningthouja dialect was predominant,[10][11][12] and received heavy influences from the speech forms of the other groups.[13][14][15]

Meitei is one of the advanced literary languages recognised by Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters.

Classification

Meitei belongs to the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages.[16][17]

During the 19th and 20th centuries, different linguists tried to assign Meitei to various sub-groups. Early classifier George Abraham Grierson (1903–1924) put it in Kuki-Chin, Vegelin and Voegelin (1965) in Kuki-Chin-Naga, and Benedict (1972) in Kuki-Naga. Robbins Burling has suggested that Meitei belongs to none those groups.[18] Current academic consensus agrees with James Matisoff in placing Manipuri in its own subdivision of the Kamarupan group—a geographic rather than a genetic grouping.[17] However, some still consider Meitei to be a member of the Kuki-Chin-Naga branch.[19]

History

Yumbanlol (Yumpanlol), a group of 6th century Classical Meitei language copper plate inscriptions, written in Meitei script.

The Meitei language has existed for at least 2000 years.[20] According to linguist Suniti Kumar Chatterjee, the ancient Meitei literature dates back to 1500 to 2000 years before present.[21]

First Millennium CE

The earliest known Meitei language compositions is the ritual song Ougri (ꯑꯧꯒ꯭ꯔꯤ), which was used in religious and coronation ceremonies of Kangleipak. It may have existed before the Common Era.[22] Numit Kappa (Meiteiꯅꯨꯃꯤꯠ ꯀꯥꯞꯄ, transl: The Shooting of the Sun), a religious epic that tells the tale of how the night was divided from the day, was also composed in the first century.[23]

Poireiton Khunthok (Meiteiꯄꯣꯢꯔꯩꯇꯣꯟ ꯈꯨꯟꯊꯣꯛ, transl: The Immigration of Poireiton) is a 3rd-century narrative work describing the establishment of a colony in Kangleipak by a group of immigrants led by Poireiton, the younger brother of the god of the underworld.[24]

The Yumbanlol, a copper plate manuscript was composed in the 6th century or 7th century CE for the royal family of Kangleipak. It is a rare work of dharmashastra, covering sexuality, the relationships between husbands and wives, and instructions on how to run a household.[25]

The Khencho (ꯈꯦꯟꯆꯣ), an early Meitei work of poetry was composed by the beginning of the 7th century CE.[26] Although it is obscure and unintelligible to present-day Meiteis, it is still recited as part of the Lai Haraoba festival.[27]

One of the best-preserved early Meitei language epigraphic records is a copper plate inscription dating to the reign of King Khongtekcha (r. c. 763 – 773 CE).[28] During the same time period, Akoijam Tombi composed the Panthoibi Khonggul (ꯄꯥꯟꯊꯣꯏꯄꯤ ꯈꯣꯡꯀꯨꯜ), an account of the romantic adventures of the deified Meitei princess Panthoibi.[29]

Second Millennium CE

The first page of Loyumba Shinyen, the 11th-12th century Meitei-language constitution of Kangleipak.

In 1100 CE, a written constitution, (Meiteiꯂꯣꯏꯌꯨꯝꯄ ꯁꯤꯜꯌꯦꯜ, romanized: Loyumba Shinyen), was finalised by King Loiyumba (r. c. 1074 – 1112 CE) of Kangleipak. It was a codification of the proto-constitution drafted by King Naophangba in 429 CE.[30][31]

Before 1675 CE, the Meitei language experienced no significant influence from any other languages.[20] Beginning in the late 17th century, Hindu influence on Meitei culture increased, and the Meitei language experienced some influences from other languages, on its phonology, morphology (linguistics), syntax and semantics. At the same time, the Hinduised King Pamheiba ordered that the Meitei script be replaced by the Bengali-Assamese script.[20]

An 1822 CE stone recording a royal decree attributed to King Jai Singh (r. 1759–1762, 1763–1798), erected at Andro, Imphal East, Manipur

In 1725 CE, Pamheiba wrote Parikshit, possibly the first piece of Meitei-language Hindu literature, based on the story of the eponymous king Parikshit of the Mahabharata.[32]

Geographical distribution

The majority of Meitei speakers, about 1.5 million[33] live in the Indian state of Manupur. Meitei is the official language of the Government of Manipur as well as its lingua franca.[5]

Districts of Barak Valley – Meitei speaking population settlement areas of Assam

There are nearly 170,000 Meitei-speakers in Assam,[33] mainly in the Barak Valley, where it is the third most commonly-used language after Bengali and Hindi.[34] Manipuri is also spoken by about 9500 people in Nagaland, in communities such as Dimapur, Kohima, Peren and Phek.[3][33] Meitei is a second language for various Naga and Kuki-Chin ethnic groups.[3]

Areas with significany numbers of Meitei speakers in Bangladesh

There are around 15,000 Meitei speakers in Bangladesh[35] mainly are in the districts of Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Sunamganj and Habiganj in the Sylhet Division of Bangladesh. In the past, there was a Meitei speaking population in Dhaka, Mymensingh and Comilla also.[36] Manipuri is used as a second language by the Bishnupriya Manipuri people.[3]

Myanmar has a significant Meitei speaking population in the states of Kachin and Shan and the regions of Yangon, Sagaing, and Ayeyarwady, among others.[37]

Name

According to the Ethnologue, the alternative names of Meitei language are Kathe, Kathi, Manipuri, Meetei, Meeteilon, Meiteilon, Meiteiron, Meithe, Meithei, Menipuri, Mitei, Mithe, Ponna.[3]

The name Meitei or its alternate spelling Meithei is preferred by many native speakers of Meitei over Manipuri.[38] The term is derived from the Meitei word for the language Meitheirón (Meithei + -lon 'language', pronounced /mə́i.təi.lón/).[38][39] Meithei may be a compound from 'man' + they 'separate'.[38] This term is used by most Western linguistic scholarship.[38] Meitei scholars use the term Meit(h)ei when writing in English and the term Meitheirón when writing in Meitei.[38] Chelliah (2015: 89) notes that the Meitei spelling has replaced the earlier Meithei spelling.[40]

The language (and people) is also referred to by the loconym Manipuri.[38] The term is derived from the name of the state of Manipur.[38] Manipuri is the official name of the language for the Indian government and is used by government institutions and non-Meitei authors.[38] The term Manipuri is also used to refer to the different languages of Manipur and to the people.[38] Additionally, Manipuri, being a loconym, can refer to anything pertaining to the Manipur state.

Speakers of Meitei language are known as "Kathe" by the Burmese people, "Moglie" or "Mekhlee" by the people of Cachar, Assam (Dimasas and Assamese) and "Cassay" by the Shan people and the other peoples living in the east of the Ningthee River (or Khyendwen River). "Ponna" is the Burmese term used to refer to the Meiteis living inside Burma.[41]

Dialects

The Meitei language exhibits a degree of regional variation; however, in recent years the broadening of communication, as well as intermarriage, has caused the dialectal differences to become relatively insignificant. The only exceptions to this occurrence are the speech differences of the dialects found in Tripura, Bangladesh and Myanmar.[42] The exact number of dialects of Meitei is unknown.[43]

The three main dialects of Meitei are: Meitei proper, Loi and Pangal. Differences between these dialects are primarily characterised by the extensions of new sounds and tonal shifts. Meitei proper is considered to be the standard variety—and is viewed as more dynamic than the other two dialects.[44] The brief table below compares some words in these three dialects:[45]

Standard Meitei Loi Pangal English translation
chaaba chaapa chaaba to eat
kappa kapma kappa to weep
saabiba saapipa saabiba to make
thamba thampa thamba to put
chuppiba chuppipa chuppiba to kiss

Devi (2002)[46] compares the Imphal, Andro, Koutruk, and Kakching dialects of Meitei.

Status

Meitei is the sole official language of the Government of Manipur, and has been an official language of India since 1992.[5][47]

Meitei language was the court language of the historic Manipur Kingdom,[48] and before it merged into the Indian Republic.[49] The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, recognised Meitei as one of the major advanced Indian literary languages in 1972, long before it became an official language in 1992. In 1950, the Government of India did not include Meitei in its list of 14 official languages.[50] A language movement, spearheaded by organisations including the Manipuri Sahitya Parishad and the All Manipur Students' Union demanded that Meitei be made an official language for more than 40 years, until Meitei was finally added to the Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India in 1992.[51][52]

Meitei became an associate official language of Assam in 2024,[53] following several years of effort by the Meitei associate official language movement to protect the identity, history, culture and tradition of Manipuris in Assam.[54][55][56]

The Meitei language is one of the 13 official languages of the India used to administer police, armed services, and civil service recruitment exams.[57][58]

The Press Information Bureau of the Indian Ministry of Information and Broadcasting publishes in 14 languages, including Meitei.[59]

Education

Meitei is a language of instruction in all in the educational institutions in Manipur. It is one of the 40 instructional languages offered by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), controlled and managed by the Ministry of Education.[60] Meitei is taught as a subject up to the post-graduate level in Indian universities, including Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi University, Gauhati University, and the University of North Bengal.[61][62] Indira Gandhi National Open University teaches Meitei to undergraduates.[63]

Assam

Meitei language instruction has been offered in the lower primary schools of Assam since 1956.[64] The Board of Secondary Education, Assam offers secondary education in Manipuri.[65] The Assam Higher Secondary Education Council of Assam offers both Meitei-language schooling and instruction in Meitei as a second language.[66]

Since 2020, the Assam Government has made an annual grant of 5 lakh (equivalent to 5.9 lakh or US$7,100 in 2023) to the Manipuri Sahitya Parishad (Manipuri Language Council). It also invested 6 crore (equivalent to 7.1 crore or US$850,000 in 2023) in the creation of a corpus for the development of the Meitei language.[64]

The Department of Manipuri of Assam University offers education up to the Ph.D. level in Meitei language.[67][68][69]

Tripura

Since 1998, the Government of Tripura has offered Meitei language as a "first language" subject at primary level in 24 schools throughout the state.[70]

In December 2021, Tripura University proposed to the Indian Ministry of Education and the University Grants Council (UGC), regarding the introduction of diploma courses in Meitei, along with international languages like Japanese, Korean and Nepali.[71]

Phonology

The exact classification of the Meitei language within Sino-Tibetan remains unclear. It has lexical resemblances to Kuki and Tangkhul.[72]

Tone

The Meitei language is a tonal language. There is a controversy over whether there are two or three tones.[73]

Segments

Meitei distinguishes the following phonemes:[74]

Consonants

Labial Dental/
Alveolar
Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n ŋ
Plosive voiceless unaspirated p t k ʔ
aspirated
voiced unaspirated b d ɡ
breathy ɡʱ
Fricative s h
Tap ɾ
Lateral l
Approximant w j

Vowels

Front Central Back
High i u
Mid e ɐ o
Low a

Note: the central vowel /ɐ/ is transcribed as <ə> in recent linguistic work on Meitei. However, phonetically it is never [ə], but more usually [ɐ]. It is assimilated to a following approximant: /ɐw/ = [ow], /ɐj/ = [ej].

Phonological processes

A velar deletion is noted to occur on the suffix -lək when following a syllable ending with a /k/ phoneme.[73]

Meitei has a dissimilatory process similar to Grassmann's law found in Ancient Greek and Sanskrit, though occurring on the second aspirate.[75] Here, an aspirated consonant is deaspirated if preceded by an aspirated consonant (including /h/, /s/) in the previous syllable. The deaspirated consonants are then voiced between sonorants.[citation needed]

/tʰin-/

pierce

+

 

/-kʰət/

upward

 

/tʰinɡət/

pierce upwards

/tʰin-/ + /-kʰət/ → /tʰinɡət/

pierce {} upward {} {pierce upwards}

/səŋ/

cow

+

 

/kʰom/

udder

 

/səŋɡom/

milk

/səŋ/ + /kʰom/ → /səŋɡom/

cow {} udder {} milk

/hi-/

trim

+

 

/-tʰok/

outward

 

/hidok/

trim outwards

/hi-/ + /-tʰok/ → /hidok/

trim {} outward {} {trim outwards}

Writing systems

Meitei script

Depiction of the 18th century historic burning of texts written in Meitei script.

The Meitei script (ꯃꯩꯇꯩ ꯃꯌꯦꯛ, Meitei mayek)[76] is one of the official scripts of the Indian Republic. Meitei mayek is also known as Kanglei script (ꯀꯪꯂꯩ ꯃꯌꯦꯛ)[77] or kok sam lai script (ꯀꯣꯛ ꯁꯝ ꯂꯥꯏ ꯃꯌꯦꯛ, romanized: kok sam lai mayeke), after its first three letters.[78][79] Its earliest known appearance is on 6th century coins.[80] It was used until the 18th century, when it was replaced by the Bengali script, and then revived in again massively in the 20th.[81] In 2021, the use of Meetei Mayek to write Manipuri was officially adopted by the Government of Manipur, alongside Bengali script.[82]

The Roman alphabet has been used in medium for teaching basic Meitei as a second language teaching by the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur.[83][84] More recently, the Board has issued a directive that no more Manipuri textbooks using the Latin alphabet be published.[85] Meitei language editions of the Bible in Roman script are very commonly used by the Christians in Manipur.[86]

The Naoriya Phulo script is a constructed script, invented by Laininghan Naoriya Phulo (1888–1941). It shares many similarities with Devanagari and Bengali script.[87] It was championed by Apokpa Marup, but never widely adopted.[88]

Grammar

Sentences in the Meitei language use the subject–object–verb word order (SOV). For example, in the sentence Ei chak chai (ꯑꯩ ꯆꯥꯛ ꯆꯥꯢ), which translates to I eat rice, the gloss is "ei" (I), "chak" (rice), "chai" (eat).

Nouns

Nouns and pronouns are marked for number in Meitei. The plural is indicated by the suffixes -khoi (for personal pronouns and human proper nouns) and -sing (for all other nouns). Verbs associated with the pluralised nouns are unaffected. Examples are demonstrated below:[89]

Noun (Meitei) Noun (English) Example (Meitei) Example (English)
angaang baby angaang kappi Baby cries.
angaangsing babies angaangsing kappi Babies cry.

When adjectives are used to be more clear, Meitei utilises separate words and does not add a suffix to the noun. Examples are show in the chart below:[89]

Adjective (Meitei) Adjective (English) Example (Meitei) Example (English)
ama one mi ama laak’i A person comes.
khara some mi khara laak’i Some persons come.
mayaam many mi mayaam laak’i Many persons come.

Compound verbs

Compound verbs are created by combining root verbs each ending with aspect markers. While the variety of suffixes is high, all compound verbs utilise one of two:[90]

Suffix English translation
-thok out/ come out
-ning To wish/ want/ desire

Aspect markers appear as suffixes that clarify verb tense and appear at the end of the compound verb. Overall, the formula to construct a compound verb becomes [root verb] + [suffix] + [aspect marker]:[90]

Language Root verb Suffix Aspect marker Combined form
Meitei tum -thok -le tumthokle
English sleep out/ come out perfect aspect has started sleeping
Meitei tum -ning -le tumningle
English sleep want perfect aspect has felt sleepy

Compound verbs can also be formed utilising both compound suffixes as well, allowing utterances such as pithokningle meaning "want to give out".

Number words

Numeral Word Etymology Meitei Script
1 a-ma ~ a-maa "1" ꯑꯃꯥ
2 a-ni Proto-Tibeto-Burman *ni ꯑꯅꯤ
3 a-húm PTB *sum ꯑꯍꯨꯝ
4 ma-ri PTB *li ꯃꯔꯤ
5 ma-ngaa PTB *ŋa ꯃꯉꯥ
6 ta-ruk PTB *luk ꯇꯔꯨꯛ
7 ta-ret PTB *let ꯇꯔꯦꯠ
8 ni-paan "2-less" ꯅꯤꯄꯥꯟ
9 maa-pan "1-less" ꯃꯥꯄꯟ
10 ta-raa "10" ꯇꯔꯥ
11 taraa-maa-thoi "ten + 1-more" ꯇꯔꯥꯃꯥꯊꯣꯏ
12 taraa-ni-thoi "ten + 2-more" ꯇꯔꯥꯅꯤꯊꯣꯏ
13 taraa-húm-doi "ten + 3-more" ꯇꯔꯥꯍꯨꯝꯗꯣꯏ
14 taraa-mari "ten +4" ꯇꯔꯥꯃꯔꯤ
15 taraa-mangaa "ten +5" ꯇꯔꯥꯃꯉꯥ
16 taraa-taruk "ten +6" ꯇꯔꯥꯇꯔꯨꯛ
17 taraa-taret "ten +7" ꯇꯔꯥꯇꯔꯦꯠ
18 taraa-nipaan "ten +8" ꯇꯔꯥꯅꯤꯄꯥꯟ
19 taraa-maapan "ten +9" ꯇꯔꯥꯃꯥꯄꯟ
20 kun ~ kul "score" ꯀꯨꯟ ~ ꯀꯨꯜ
30 *kun-taraa > kun-thraa "score ten" ꯀꯨꯟꯊ꯭ꯔꯥ
40 ni-phú "two score" ꯅꯤꯐꯨ
50 yaang-khéi "half hundred" ꯌꯥꯡꯈꯩ
60 hum-phú "three score" ꯍꯨꯝꯐꯨ
70 hum-phú-taraa "three score ten" ꯍꯨꯝꯐꯨꯇꯔꯥ
80 mari-phú "four score" ꯃꯔꯤꯐꯨ
90 mari-phú-taraa "four score ten" ꯃꯔꯤꯐꯨꯇꯔꯥ
100 chaama "one hundred" ꯆꯥꯃ
200 cha-ni "two hundreds" ꯆꯥꯅꯤ
300 cha-hum "three hundreds" ꯆꯥꯍꯨꯝ
400 cha-mri "four hundreds" ꯆꯥꯃ꯭ꯔꯤ
500 cha-mangaa "five hundreds" ꯆꯥꯃꯉꯥ
1,000 lisíng ama "one thousand" ꯂꯤꯁꯤꯡ
10,000 lisīng-taraa "ten thousands" ꯂꯤꯁꯤꯡꯇꯔꯥ
1,00,000 licha "one hundred-thousand" ꯂꯤꯆꯥ
10,00,000 licha-taraa "ten hundred-thousands" ꯂꯤꯆꯥꯇꯔꯥ
1,00,00,000 leepun "one ten-million" ꯂꯤꯄꯨꯟ
10,00,00,000 leepun-taraa "ten ten-millions" ꯂꯤꯄꯨꯟꯇꯔꯥ
1,00,00,00,000 leepot "one billion" ꯂꯤꯄꯣꯠ
10,00,00,00,000 leepot-taraa "ten billions" ꯂꯤꯄꯣꯠꯇꯔꯥ
1,00,00,00,00,000 leekei "one hundred-billion" ꯂꯤꯀꯩ
10,00,00,00,00,000 leekei-taraa "ten hundred-billions" ꯂꯤꯀꯩꯇꯔꯥ
1,00,00,00,00,00,000 pu-ama "one ten-trillion" ꯄꯨ ꯑꯃꯥ

Literature

The Numit Kappa, a Classical Meitei 1st century epic based on Meitei mythology and religion.

The Khamba Thoibi Sheireng, a poem of 39,000 verses composed by Hijam Anganghal Singh and first published in 1940 (Meitei: ꯈꯝꯕ ꯊꯣꯏꯕꯤ ꯁꯩꯔꯦꯡ, romanized: Poem on Khamba Thoibi)[91] is regarded as the national epic of the Manipuris.[92][93] It is a classical Meitei language epic poem based on the ancient romantic adventure tale of Khamba and Thoibi of Moirang. It is regarded as the greatest of all Meitei epic poems.[94][95][96]

The Meitei classical language movement seeks to gain recognition for Meitei as one of the Classical Languages of India.[97][98][99]

Annual events

Various annual events are organised to promote, protect and develop Meitei language, in the sovereign states of India and Bangladesh in particular as well as in other parts of the world in general.

Software

In 2021, Rudali Huidrom, a Manipuri researcher of the EBMT/NLP laboratory, Waseda University, Japan, created a text corpus named "EM Corpus" (shortened form of "Emalon Manipuri Corpus"). It is the first comparable text to text corpus built for Meitei language (mni) and English language (eng) pair from sentences. The writing system used for Meitei language in this corpus is Bengali script. It was crawled and collected from thesangaiexpress.com – the news website of "The Sangai Express", a daily newspaper of Manipur from August 2020 to 2021. In version 1, she created the monolingual data, having 1,034,715 Meitei language sentences and 846,796 English language sentences. In version 2, she created the monolingual data, having 1,880,035 Meitei language sentences and 1,450,053 English language sentences.[108][109]

EM-ALBERT is the first ALBERT model available for Meitei language. EM-FT is also FastText word embedding available for Meitei language. These resources were created by Rudali Huidrom and are now available at free of cost at the European Language Resources Association catalogue (ELRA catalogue) under CC-BY-NC-4.0 licence.[108][109]

A screen shot of Google Translate translating a sentence from English language into Meitei language

On 11 May 2022, Google Translate added Meitei-language (under the name "Meiteilon (Manipuri)") during its addition of 24 new languages to the translation tool. The writing system used for Meitei language in this tool is Meitei script.[110][111][112]

Sample text

The following is a sample text in Modern Meitei of the Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (by the United Nations):[113][a]

ꯃꯤꯑꯣꯏꯕ ꯈꯨꯗꯤꯡꯃꯛ ꯄꯣꯛꯄ ꯃꯇꯝꯗ ꯅꯤꯡꯇꯝꯃꯤ, ꯑꯃꯗꯤ ꯏꯖꯖꯠ ꯑꯃꯁꯨꯡ ꯍꯛ ꯃꯥꯟꯅꯅ ꯂꯧꯖꯩ ꯫ ꯃꯈꯣꯏ ꯄꯨꯝꯅꯃꯛ ꯋꯥꯈꯜ ꯂꯧꯁꯤꯡ ꯁꯦꯡꯏ, ꯑꯐ ꯐꯠꯇ ꯈꯪꯏ, ꯑꯗꯨꯅ ꯑꯃꯅ ꯑꯃꯒ ꯂꯣꯏꯅꯕ ꯃꯇꯝꯗ ꯃꯆꯤꯟ ꯃꯅꯥꯎꯒꯨꯝꯅ ꯂꯣꯏꯅꯒꯗꯕꯅꯤ ꯫ (in Meitei script)

মিওইবা খুদিংমক পোকপা মতমদা নিংতম্মী, অমদি ইজ্জৎ অমসুং হক মান্ননা লৌজৈ । মখোই পুম্নমক ৱাখল লৌশিং শেঙই, অফ ফত্তা খঙই, অদুনা অমনা অমগা লোইনবদা মচীন মনাওগুম্না লোইনগদবনি । (in Bengali script)

Mioiba khudingmak pokpa matamda ningtammi amadi ijjat amasung hak mānnana leijei, makhoi pumnamak wākhal loushing shengi, apha phatta khangi, aduna amana amaga loinabada machin manāogumna loinagadabani. (Roman transliteration)

míːójbə kʰud̯íŋmək pókpə mət̯ə̀md̯ə níːŋt̯ə̀mmi, əməd̯i iːdʒət əməʃùng hə́k màːnənə lɐ̀jdʒɐ̀j. məkʰój púmnəmək wakʰə̀l lə̀wʃiŋ ʃèŋi, əpʱə̀ pʱə́ːt̯ə kʰə́ŋi, əd̯unə əmənə əməgə lòjnəbəd̯ə mət͡ʃìn mənáwgùmnə lójnəgəd̯əbəni' (IPA transliteration).

English: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ The Meitei-language translation of the passage of the Article 1 has two foreign words present, "ꯏꯖꯖꯠ" ("iːdʒət") and "ꯍꯛ" ("hə́k"), meaning "dignity" and "rights" respectively, as given in the source website. The original Meitei-language terms for "dignity" and "rights" are "ꯏꯀꯥꯏ ꯈꯨꯝꯅꯕ" ("í.kai kʰum.nə.bə") and "ꯐꯪꯐꯝ ꯊꯣꯛꯄ" ("pʰəŋ.pʰəm tʰok.pə") respectively.

References

  1. ^ Chelliah, Shobhana Lakshmi; Ray, Sohini (23 June 2000). "Discovering Tibeto-Burman Linguistic History Through Pre 20th Century Meithei Manuscripts". UNT Digital Library. University of North Texas (UNT). University of North Texas Libraries. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Manipuri at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
    Old Manipuri at Ethnologue (25th ed., 2022) Closed access icon
  3. ^ a b c d e "Meitei | Ethnologue". Ethnologue. Archived from the original on 24 July 2019. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Meithei". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 14 October 2022. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  5. ^ a b c "Manipuri language". Britannica. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  6. ^ "Language – India, States and Union Territories" (PDF). Census of India 2011. Office of the Registrar General. pp. 13–14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 November 2018. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  7. ^ Sunil, Oinam (14 July 2015). "Manipuris in Mandalay see ray of hope in Modi". The Times of India.
  8. ^ R, Aishwaryaa (6 June 2019). "What census data reveals about use of Indian languages". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
  9. ^ Moseley, C., ed. (2010). Atlas of the world's languages in danger (3rd ed). Paris: UNESCO Publishing. pp. 44–45 and elsewhere.
  10. ^ Singh, Dr Th Suresh (2 June 2014). The Endless Kabaw Valley: British Created Visious Cycle of Manipur, Burma and India. Quills Ink Publishing. p. 23. ISBN 978-93-84318-00-0.
  11. ^ Sanajaoba, Naorem (1988). Manipur, Past and Present: The Heritage and Ordeals of a Civilization. Mittal Publications. p. 10. ISBN 978-81-7099-853-2.
  12. ^ Miri, Mrinal (2003). Linguistic Situation in North-East India. Concept Publishing Company. p. 77. ISBN 978-81-8069-026-6.
  13. ^ Singh, Chungkham Yashwanta (2000). Manipuri Grammar. Rajesh Publications. pp. 2, 202. ISBN 978-81-85891-33-0.
  14. ^ Ayyappappanikkar (1997). Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections. Sahitya Akademi. p. 333. ISBN 978-81-260-0365-5.
  15. ^ "Aspects of Manipuri language and its literary traditions By Ahanthem Homen". e-pao.net. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Meitei | Ethnologue Free". Ethnologue (Free All). Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  17. ^ a b "Manipuri language | Manipuri language | Meitei, India, Tibeto-Burman | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  18. ^ "A History of Manipuri Language – Indian Institute of Advanced Study". iias.ac.in. Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Glottolog 4.8 – Manipuri". glottolog.org. Retrieved 18 November 2023.
  20. ^ a b c "A History of Manipuri Language – Indian Institute of Advanced Study". iias.ac.in. Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Ministry of Education (MoE), Government of India. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  21. ^ Chatterji, Suniti Kumar (1951). Kirata-jana-krti. Kolkata: The Asiatic Society, Digital Library of India; Internet Archive. pp. 157, 158. ... The beginnings of this Old Manipuri literature (as in the case of Newari) may go back to 1500 years, or even 2000 years, from now. ...
  22. ^ Ayyappappanikkar (1997). Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections. Sahitya Akademi. pp. 326–329. ISBN 978-81-260-0365-5.
  23. ^ Wouters, Jelle J. P.; Subba, Tanka B. (30 September 2022). The Routledge Companion to Northeast India. Taylor & Francis. p. 473. ISBN 978-1-000-63699-4.
  24. ^ Singh, Khelchandra Ningthoukhongjam. "Poireiton Khunthokpa". History Of Old Manipuri Literature (in English and Manipuri). Manipur University Library, Imphal. India: Digital Library of India. pp. 121, 122.
  25. ^ "Vijñānanidhi: National Mission of Manuscripts". Yumpu. Manuscript Treasures of India, Ministry of Culture, Government of India. pp. 88, 89. Retrieved 29 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  26. ^ Singh, Khelchandra Ningthoukhongjam. "Khencho". History Of Old Manipuri Literature (in Manipuri). Manipur University Library; North Eastern States Libraries. India: Digital Library of India; Internet Archive. pp. 97, 98.
  27. ^ Singh, Ch Manihar (1996). "The Early Period (Ritual Songs)". A History of Manipuri Literature (in English and Manipuri). India: Sahitya Akademi. pp. 14, 15. ISBN 978-81-260-0086-9.
  28. ^ Devi, Yumlembam Gopi (16 June 2019). Glimpses of Manipuri Culture. LP. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-359-72919-7.
  29. ^ Devi, Dr Yumlembam Gopi (16 June 2019). Glimpses of Manipuri Culture. Lulu.com. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-359-72919-7.
  30. ^ Sanajaoba, Naorem (1993). Manipur: Treatise & Documents. Mittal Publications. p. 2. ISBN 978-81-7099-399-5.
  31. ^ Sanajaoba, Naorem (1991). Law and Society: Strategy for Public Choice, 2001. Mittal Publications. p. 304. ISBN 978-81-7099-271-4.
  32. ^ Singh, Ch Manihar (1996). A History of Manipuri Literature. India: Sahitya Akademi. p. 135. ISBN 978-81-260-0086-9.
  33. ^ a b c "Census Tables". Census of India. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  34. ^ Mishra, Awadesh (1 January 1999). "The Manipuris in the Barak Valley: A Case Study of Language Maintenance'". Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area.
  35. ^ "What Languages do People Speak in Bangladesh?". worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved 10 February 2024.
  36. ^ "Textile Bdesh Myanmar 3". www.e-pao.net. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  37. ^ "Manipuri in Myanmar 1". e-pao.net. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  38. ^ a b c d e f g h i Chelliah (1997: 2)
  39. ^ Sharma, H. Surmangol (2006). "Learners' Manipuri-English dictionary. Meitei". dsal.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  40. ^ Chelliah (2015: 89)
  41. ^ Gangte, Priyadarshini M. "Evolution of Meetei state- Emergence of Nongda Lairen Pakhangba". The People's Chronicle. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
  42. ^ Thoudam, P. C. (2006). Demographic and Ethnographic Information: Problems in the analysis of Manipuri language. Central Institute of Indian Language.
  43. ^ Haokip, P. (April 2011). "The Languages of Manipur: A Case Study of the Kuki-Chin Languages". Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area. 34 (1): 86–118.
  44. ^ "Meitei | Ethnologue". Ethnologue. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  45. ^ Ningoma, M. S. (1996). Manipur Dialects. Sealang Projects.
  46. ^ Devi, L. Manimala. 2002. A comparative study of Imphal, Andro, Koutruk and Kakching dialects of Meiteiron. (Doctoral dissertation, Canchipur: Manipur University; 273pp.)
  47. ^ "Manipuri language and alphabets". omniglot.com.
  48. ^ Sanajaoba, Naorem (1988). Manipur, Past and Present: The Heritage and Ordeals of a Civilization. Mittal Publications. p. 290. ISBN 978-81-7099-853-2.
  49. ^ Chishti, S. M. A. W. (2005). Political Development in Manipur, 1919–1949. GPH. p. 282. ISBN 978-81-7835-424-8.
  50. ^ "English Releases". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  51. ^ Thomas, C. Joshua; Gopalakrishnan, Ramamoorthy; Singh, R. K. Ranjan (2001). Constraints in Development of Manipur. Regency Publications [for Policy Alternatives for the North-East and Conflict Elimination Awareness]. pp. 54–55. ISBN 978-81-87498-30-8.
  52. ^ "Manipuri language in 8th Schedule By Jeet Akoijam". e-pao.net. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  53. ^ "Assam recognises Manipuri as associate official language in four districts". Hindustan Times. 24 February 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  54. ^ "Manipuri as associate official language in Assam Sanajaoba approaches Sonowal". www.thesangaiexpress.com.
  55. ^ "Manipuri language should be one of Assam's associate official languages: AAMSU". Imphal Free Press.
  56. ^ Laithangbam, Iboyaima (27 September 2020). "Assam to look into demand to include Manipuri in list of associate languages". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X.
  57. ^ "Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh lauds SSC for deciding to conduct the Multi-Tasking (Non-Technical) Staff examination 2022 in 13 regional languages in addition to Hindi and English for the first time". www.pib.gov.in. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  58. ^ "Manipuri among 13 regional languages approved for CAPF exam". Imphal Free Press. Retrieved 19 April 2023.
  59. ^ Press, Imphal Free. "PIB website has news in regional languages now – KanglaOnline". Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  60. ^ "CBSE | Academics Unit : Curriculum/Syllabus". cbseacademic.nic.in. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  61. ^ Devi, S. (May 2013). "Is Manipuri an Endangered Language?" (PDF). Language in India. 13 (5): 520–533.
  62. ^ Bareh, Hamlet (2001). Encyclopaedia of North-East India. Mittal Publications. p. 80. ISBN 978-81-7099-790-0.
  63. ^ NEWS, NE NOW (21 August 2023). "Manipur: Meitei language to be introduced in IGNOU syllabus, says union minister". NORTHEAST NOW. Retrieved 18 February 2024.
  64. ^ a b Laithangbam, Iboyaima (27 September 2020). "Assam to look into demand to include Manipuri in list of associate languages". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  65. ^ "Assam HSLC Exam Routine 2023 Revised: SEBA To Conduct All Class 10 Language Papers Including English On April 1". India.com. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 18 March 2023. In addition to Assamese, the other MIL subjects are Bengali, Bodo, Hindi, Manipuri, Hmar, Nepali, Mizo, Khasi, Garo, Karbi and Urdu.
  66. ^ "AHSEC complete syllabus for HS 2nd year". ahsec.assam.gov.in.
  67. ^ "Manipuri Department". Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  68. ^ "5 literary bodies bat for Manipuri language in Assam". www.thesangaiexpress.com. Retrieved 18 March 2023. Moreover, Manipuri in MA and PhD courses are offered at Assam University, Silchar.
  69. ^ "AAMSU demands Associate Official Language status to Manipuri language". www.time8.in. Several universities, notably Assam University and Silchar University, provide Manipuri language courses.
  70. ^ "MANIPURI | DIRECTORATE OF KOKBOROK & OTHER MINORITY LANGUAGES". kokborokoml.tripura.gov.in. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  71. ^ "Tripura University proposes introduction of diploma courses in Japanese, Korean, Nepali and Manipuri languages". India Today NE (in Hindi). 23 December 2021. Retrieved 18 March 2023.
  72. ^ Post, Mark W.; Burling, Robbins (2017) [First published 2003]. "The Tibeto-Burman Languages of Northeastern India". In Thurgood, Graham; LaPolla, Randy J. (eds.). The Sino-Tibetan Languages (2nd ed.). Routledge. pp. 23, 232–233. ISBN 978-1-138-78332-4.
  73. ^ a b LaPolla, Randy J. (2000). "Book review: A grammar of Meitei, by S. L. Chelliah". Lingua. 110 (4). Elsevier: 299–304. doi:10.1016/s0024-3841(99)00037-6.
  74. ^ Chelliah, S. L. (1997). Meitei Phonology. Mouton de Gruyter. pp. 17–21.
  75. ^ Chelliah (1997)
  76. ^ Khuman, Yanglem Loijing Khomba; Devi, Salam Dickeeta; Singh, Ch. Ponykumar; Devi, H. Mamata; Singh, N. Ajith (1 December 2022). "A benchmark dataset for printed Meitei/Meetei script character recognition". Data in Brief. 45: 108585. Bibcode:2022DIB....4508585K. doi:10.1016/j.dib.2022.108585. ISSN 2352-3409. PMC 9679442. PMID 36426059.
  77. ^ Noni, Arambam; Sanatomba, Kangujam (16 October 2015). Colonialism and Resistance: Society and State in Manipur. Routledge. pp. 223, 235, 237. ISBN 978-1-317-27066-9.
  78. ^ "মণিপুরদা লোলয়ান চঙলকপা অমদি মীতৈ ইয়েক্না থোঙজিন্দা ৱারৌজনা লেপ্লরবদা !" (PDF). hueiyenlanpao.com (in Manipuri).
  79. ^ "Lost and revived: The story of Meitei script". The Indian Express. 11 December 2022. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  80. ^ Datta, Amaresh (1987). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature. Sahitya Akademi. p. 142. ISBN 978-81-260-1803-1.
  81. ^ Laithangbam, Iboyaima (23 September 2017). "Banished Manipuri script stages a comeback". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  82. ^ "GAZETTE TITLE: The Manipur Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2021". manipurgovtpress.nic.in. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  83. ^ "Manipur HSLC Date Sheet 2023: BSEM Class 10 time table released, exam begins March 16". The Times of India. 25 January 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  84. ^ SNS (10 January 2019). "Manipur Board Class 12 (HSC) and Class 10 (HSLC) Timetable 2019 available online at manipureducation.gov.in | Check now". The Statesman. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
  85. ^ "MEELAL lauds BSEM order : 04th feb24 ~ E-Pao! Headlines". e-pao.net. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
  86. ^ "The Birth of Jesus Manipuri Roman Mayek CB" (PDF). bibleforchildren.org.
  87. ^ "নাওরিয়া ফুলো : ঋষি অমা - এলাংম দীনমনী" (PDF). hueiyenlanpao.com (in Manipuri). India.
  88. ^ Singh, Wahengbam Ibohal. The History Of Manipur. Internet Archive. India: Digital Library of India. p. 501.
  89. ^ a b Singh, S. Indrakumar (November 2013). "Agreements in Manipuri" (PDF). Language in India. 13 (11): 216–231.
  90. ^ a b Devi, M. Bidyarani (May 2014). "Compound Verbs in Manipuri" (PDF). Language in India. 14 (5): 66–70.
  91. ^ George, K. M. (1992). Modern Indian Literature, an Anthology: Surveys and poems. India: Sahitya Akademi. p. 29. ISBN 978-81-7201-324-0.
  92. ^ George, K. M. (1992). Modern Indian Literature, an Anthology: Surveys and poems. India: Sahitya Akademi. p. 258. ISBN 978-81-7201-324-0. H. Anganghal Singh's Khamba Thoibi Sheireng (Poem on Khamba Thoibi, 1940) is a national epic of the Manipuris based on the story of Khamba and Thoibi of Moirang. The poet composes the whole epic in the Pena Saisak style of folk ballads sung by minstrels or bards popular in Manipur.
  93. ^ Datta, Amaresh (1988). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Devraj to Jyoti. India: Sahitya Akademi. p. 1186. ISBN 978-81-260-1194-0.
  94. ^ Datta, Amaresh (1988). Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature: Devraj to Jyoti. India: Sahitya Akademi. p. 1573. ISBN 978-81-260-1194-0. His best work, Khamba Thoibi sheireng, in 39,000 lines on the story of 'Khamba and Thoibi' was started in 1939 and the composition was completed in 1940.
  95. ^ Das, Sisir Kumar (2005). A History of Indian Literature: 1911–1956, struggle for freedom : triumph and tragedy. Sahitya Akademi. p. 190. ISBN 978-81-7201-798-9. His epic Singel Indu was published in 1938 which was followed by his magnum opus Khamba Thoibi Sheireng (1940), a poem of 39000 lines, considered to be the 'national' epic of the Manipuris, written in the Pena Saisak style of folk ballads.
  96. ^ AKASHVANI: Vol. XL. No. 35 ( 31 AUGUST, 1975 ). New Delhi: All India Radio (AIR). 31 August 1975. p. 1582.
  97. ^ "Government must take concrete step for recognition of Manipuri as classical language". Imphal Free Press.
  98. ^ IANS (20 August 2016). "Classic language status for Manipuri demanded". Business Standard India.
  99. ^ "Manipur Govt Begins Efforts for Inclusion of Manipuri Among 'Classical' Languages". India Today NE (in Hindi). 21 August 2019.
  100. ^ Singh, Th Suresh (2 June 2014). The Endless Kabaw Valley: British Created Visious Cycle of Manipur, Burma and India. Quills Ink Publishing. pp. 24~25. ISBN 978-93-84318-00-0.
  101. ^ Coleman, Daniel; Glanville, Erin Goheen; Hasan, Wafaa; Kramer-Hamstra, Agnes (26 April 2012). Countering Displacements: The Creativity and Resilience of Indigenous and Refugee-ed Peoples. University of Alberta. p. 131. ISBN 978-0-88864-592-0.
  102. ^ "St Joseph University, Nagaland observes Manipuri Poetry Day 2022". Imphal Free Press. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  103. ^ "Manipuri Poetry Day 2021 celebrated : 22nd oct21 ~ E-Pao! Headlines". e-pao.net. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  104. ^ Ajit, Sh. "Manipuri in Kolkata observes "Manipuri Poetry Day" – Imphal Times". www.imphaltimes.com. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  105. ^ "Manipuri Poetry Day 2021 celebrated". www.thesangaiexpress.com. Retrieved 9 March 2023.
  106. ^ Paul, Jibon (14 May 2022). "কমলগঞ্জে মণিপুরি ভাষা ও সংস্কৃতি উৎসব". দৈনিক জালালাবাদ | Daily Jalalabad. Retrieved 11 March 2023.
  107. ^ "কমলগঞ্জে মনিপুরী ভাষা উৎসব উদযাপিত". www.bangla-times.com. Retrieved 12 March 2023.
  108. ^ a b "Machine translation of English-Manipuri made possible : 13th oct21 ~ E-Pao! Headlines". e-pao.net. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  109. ^ a b "Ema-lon Manipuri Corpus (including word embedding and language model) – ELRA Catalogue". catalog.elra.info. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  110. ^ "Assamese, Meiteilon (Manipuri) and Mizo language has been added to Google translate, moment of pride for Northeastern India! – NE India Broadcast". 12 May 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  111. ^ "Google Translate adds support for Assamese, Mizo and Manipuri languages – Eastern Mirror". easternmirrornagaland.com. 11 May 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  112. ^ "Google Translate gets support for 24 new languages including Assamese, Mizo and Manipuri". TIME8. 12 May 2022. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
  113. ^ "Manipuri language and alphabets". omniglot.com. Retrieved 12 August 2022.

Further reading

  • 1. A Short History of Kangleipak (Manipur) Part-I, by Chingtamlen, 2005
  • 2. A Short History of Kangleipak (Manipur) Part-II, by Chingtamlen, 2007
  • 3. A Short History of Kangleipak (Manipur) Part-III, by Chingtamlen, 2008
  • 4. The Meetei and the Bishnupriya, by Chingtamlen, 2008

Culture

  • Brara, N. Vijaylakshmi. (1998). Politics, society, and cosmology in India's North East. Delphi: Oxford University Press.
  • Budha, W. (1992). Indigenous games of the Meiteis. Manipur: Wangkeimayum Publications.
  • Kshetrimayum, Otojit. (2014). Ritual, Politics and Power in North East India: Contexualising the Lai Haraoba of Manipur. Delhi: Ruby Press & Co.
  • Singh, M. Kirti. (1988). Religion and culture of Manipur. Delhi: Manas Publications.
  • Singh, M. Kirti. (1993). Folk culture of Manipur. Delhi: Manas Publications.
  • Singh, Saikhom Gopal. (2014). The Meeteis of Manipur: A Study in Human Geography. Delhi: Ruby Press & Co.

Language

  • Bhat, D. N. S.; & Ningomba, S. (1997). Manipuri grammar. Munich: Lincom Europa.
  • Chelliah, Shobhana L. (1990). Experiencer subjects in Manipuri. In V. M. Manindra & K. P. Mohanan (Eds.), Experiencer subjects in South Asian languages (pp. 195–211). Stanford: The Center for the Study of Language and Information.
  • Chelliah, Shobhana L. (1992). Tone in Manipuri. In K. L. Adams & T. J. Hudak (Eds.), Papers from the first annual meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society 1991 (pp. 65–85). Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University.
  • Chelliah, Shobhana L. (1992). Bracketing paradoxes in Manipuri. In M. Aronoff (Ed.), Morphology now (pp. 33–47). Albany: State University of New York Press.
  • Chelliah, Shobhana L. (1994). Morphological change and fast speech phenomena in the Manipuri verb. In K. L. Adams & T. J. Hudak (Eds.), Papers from the second annual meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society 1992 (pp. 121–134). Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University.
  • Chelliah, Shobhana L. (1997). A grammar of Meitei. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. ISBN 0-19-564331-3.
  • Chelliah, Shobhana L. (2002). Early Meitei manuscripts. In C. I. Beckwith (Ed.), Medieval Tibeto-Burman languages: PIATS 2000: Tibetan studies: Proceedings of the ninth seminar of the International Association of Tibetan Studies, Leiden 2000 (pp. 59–71). Leiden, Netherlands: Brill.
  • Chelliah, Shobhana L. (2002). A glossary of 39 basic words in archaic and modern Meitei. In C. I. Beckwith (Ed.), Medieval Tibeto-Burman languages: PIATS 2000: Tibetan studies: Proceedings of the ninth seminar of the International Association of Tibetan Studies, Leiden 2000 (pp. 189–190). Leiden, Netherlands: Brill.
  • Chelliah, Shobhana L. (2004). "Polysemy through metonymy: The case of Meitei pi 'grandmother'". Studies in Language. 28 (2): 363–386. doi:10.1075/sl.28.2.04che.
  • Chelliah, Shobhana L. (2015). "Is Manipur a linguistic area?". Journal of South Asian Languages and Linguistics. 2 (1): 87–109. doi:10.1515/jsall-2015-0004. S2CID 130962163.
  • Singh, Ningthoukhongjam Khelchandra. (1964). Manipuri to Manipuri & English dictionary.