Page Type: languageMeitei | Ethnologue

MNI ISO 639-3

Meitei

মৈতৈলোন্‎ (Meiteilon) Autonym

A language of India

ISO 639
mni
Alternate Names
Kathe, Kathi, Manipuri, Meetei, Meeteilon, Meitei Manipuri, Meiteilon, Meiteiron, Meithe, Meithei, Menipuri, Mitei, Mithe, Ponna
Autonym
মৈতৈলোন্‎ (Meiteilon)
Population
1,760,000 in India (2011 census). Total users in all countries: 1,775,000.
Location:
Assam state: Cachar and Dima Hasao; Mainly Manipur state; Nagaland state: Dimapur, Kohima, Peren, Phek; Mizoram state: Aizwal and Kolasibi; possibly some in nearby states.
Language Status
2 (Provincial). Statutory provincial language in Manipur State (1992, Constitution, Amendment 71).
Classification
Sino-Tibetan, Tibeto-Burman, Sal, Kuki-Chin-Naga
Dialects
Meitei, Loi (Chakpa), Pang-gal (Manipuri Muslim, Pang-gan). Intelligibility of Meitei in Bangladesh is difficult. Those in Bangladesh may understand India Meitei better than vice versa possibly due to more language change in Bangladesh over the years. India Meitei is more standard. Intelligibility between dialects in Bangladesh definitely sufficient to understand complex and abstract discourse. Lexical similarity: 80%–86% between dialects in Bangladesh, 65%–70% between Bangladesh and India varieties.
Typology
SOV; postpositions; articles before noun heads; 25 consonants and 6 vowels; tonal (2 tones).
Language Use
Also use Hindi [hin]. Used as L2 by Aimol [aim], Anal [anm], Chiru [cdf], Chothe Naga [nct], Gangte [gnb], Hmar [hmr], Inpui Naga [nkf], Kharam Naga [kfw], Koireng [nkd], Kom [kmm], Lamkang [lmk], Mao Naga [nbi], Maram Naga [nma], Monsang Naga [nmh], Moyon Naga [nmo], Purum [pub], Tarao Naga [tro], Thado Chin [tcz], Thangal Naga [nki].
Language Development
Literacy rate in L1: 73% (2005 BI). Literacy rate in L2: 69% for Manipur (2001 census). Taught in primary schools. Literature. Radio. Videos. Dictionary. Grammar. Bible: 1984–2019.
Language Resources
OLAC resources in and about Meitei
Writing
Bengali (Bangla) script [Beng]. Braille script [Brai]. Meitei Mayek script [Mtei].
Other Comments
Mainly rural. 7 clans (Mangang (Ningthouja), Luwang. Khuman (Khumal), Moirang, Angom, Khaba-nganba, and Sarang-leisangthem). Hindu, Christian, Muslim, traditional religion.

Also Spoken in

Language Name
Meitei
User Population
15,000 in Bangladesh (2003). 300 monolinguals.
Location
Sylhet division: Moulvi Bazar district, Kamalganj subdistrict; Sylhet city.
Dialects
Hindu Meitei, Pangan (Pangal).
Language Status
5 (Dispersed)
Other Comments
Preferred name is Meitei Manipuri. Outsiders don’t distinguish between Meitei and Bishnupriya, calling both of them Manipuri. Meitei is a well-developed language with much literature in India, but little is available in Bangladesh. Hindu, Muslim.
View other languages of Bangladesh

Map

Location: Assam state: Cachar and Dima Hasao; Mainly Manipur state; Nagaland state: Dimapur, Kohima, Peren, Phek; Mizoram state: Aizwal and Kolasibi; possibly some in nearby states.