Mara language

Mara
Mara
Mara (Tlosaih)
Pronunciation	[m̥ara]
Native to	Mizoram, India; Burma
Ethnicity	Mara people
Native speakers	(ca. 400,000 cited 1994–2011)[1]
Language family	Sino-Tibetan Kuki-Chin Maraic Mara; ; ;
Dialects	Tlosaih Siaha(lingua franca); Tlosaih Saikao; Tlosaih Tokalo; Tlosaih Kiasie;
Writing system	Latin
Language codes
ISO 639-3	mrh
Glottolog	mara1382
ELP	Mara Chin

Mara is a Kuki-Chin language spoken by Mara people, mostly the Tlosaih tribe living in 30 villages of Chhimtuipui district, southern Mizoram, India and the adjacent villages in Burma.

The Mara (Tlosaih) languages belong to the Kuki-Chin branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. The speakers of the languages are also known as Mara (Tlosais).

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

Demographics

Population: 56,574 in Saiha district, Mizoram, India (2011), 37,000 in Burma (2007).
Region: Saiha District, Mizoram (India), Indo-Burma Border
Alternate names: Lakher, Mara, Maram, Mira, Zao, Shendu, Khawngsai, Khyeng.
Languages: Tlôsaih, Sizo (Chapi/Saby/Ngiaphia), Hlaipao (Vahapi, Heima and Lelai), Lyvaw (Nohro & Notlia), Lochei ochebi, Zophei (Ahnai/Vytu, Bawipa and Asah/Leita), Senthang (Khuapi/Saith a), Lautu (Awhsa/Kahno) & Saté
Tribes: Zophei, Lautu, Senthang, Tlosai, Hlaipao and Haw Thai

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Dental/ Alveolar	(Alveolo-) palatal	Velar	Glottal
Plosive/ Affricate	voiceless	p	t	tɕ	k	(ʔ)
	aspirated	pʰ	tʰ	tɕʰ	kʰ
	voiced	b	d	dʑ
Fricative	voiceless	f	s			h
Fricative	voiced	v	z
Nasal	plain	m	n		ŋ
Nasal	murmured	mʰ	nʰ
Trill	voiced		r
Trill	voiceless		r̥
Lateral	voiced		l
Lateral	voiceless		l̥
Approximant		w	ɹ̥	j

A glottal stop [ʔ] may occur in onsets as a result of morphological combinations.
/t/ can be dental as [t̪] before /ɑ/ or /i/.
/k/ can also be heard as uvular [q] before /ɑ/ or /i/.
/s, z/ when preceding /i/ can be heard as alveolo-palatal [ɕ, ʑ].
Pre-aspiration can also be heard among nasals as [ʱm, ʱn].[2]

Vowels

	Front		Central	Back
Close	i	y	ɨ	u
Close	i̞			u̞
Mid	e	ø		o
Open				ɑ̝
Open			ɑ

Sounds /o/ and /ɑ̝/ can be heard in free variation as [ɔ, ɐʊ] and [ʌ].[2]

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 (lowercase 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:

zy (zeu)
zydua (zeu-dua)
nawh
sahlao (sha-hlawh)

Today the Mara language has its own alphabet; words inside brackets show author N.E. Parry's transliterations from 1937.

Interrogative words in Mara

What: Khâpa, Khâpa e, Khâpa maw
Where: Khataih lâ, Khataih liata
How: kheihta, kheihawhta, Khatluta, Kheihta maw
How much?: Khazie?
How long?: Khachâ e, Khachâ maw?
When: Khatita, Khatita e, Khâpa nota, nota, tita, nahta, pata Conj. thlaita, khati nota
Why: Khazia, Khazia-e, Khazia maw, Khâpa vâta
Why not: Khazia a châ vei chheih aw
Whose: Kheihawhpa, Kheihawhpa he, Kheihawhpa-e, Kheihawhpa maw, ahy he maw
Which: Kheihawhpa, Kheihawhpa he, Kheihawhpa-e, Kheihawhpa maw, ahy he maw
Friend: Viasa
Male Friend: Viasa Paw
Female Friend: Viasa Nô
Walk/Go: Sie (Phei ta Sie)
Run: Arâ, â râ
Sleep: Amô, Azia, Apazawh, â mô, â zia, â pazawh
See: Mo, hmô
Sit: Â tyuh, atyuh
Stand: Â duah, aduah
Jump: Â pathluah, apathluah
Hit: Â chô, achô
Eat: Nie
Drink: Doh

Pronouns

Singular

1st person: keima, kei - I
2nd person: nâma, na - you
3rd person: ano, a or ama' - he, she, it

Plural

1st person: eima - we
2nd person: nâmo, nâma - you
3rd person: âmo - they

Possessive Pronouns

Singular

Keima, ei - my
Keima eih, kei eih - mine
Nâma, na - thy (you)
Nâma eih, na eih - thine (yours)
Ama, a - him, her, it
Ama eih, a eih - his, hers, its

Plural

Keimo - our
Keimo eih - ours
Nâmo - your
Ahyrai - anyone
Ahy tlyma - someone, a certain one
A tlâhpi - some . . . others
A hropa - another, others
Ama zydua ta - all

References

Mara at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)
Arden, Michelle J. (2010). A phonetic, phonological, and morphosyntactic analysis of the Mara language. San Jose State University.

External links

Maraland: The Home of the Maras on the internet
A grammar and dictionary of the Lakher language, by Fred W. Savidge (1908) (Scanned at Internet Archive)

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[e18-1] Mara at Ethnologue (18th ed., 2015) (subscription required)

[Arden-2] Arden, Michelle J. (2010). A phonetic, phonological, and morphosyntactic analysis of the Mara language. San Jose State University.