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Geographically, Manipur may broadly be divided into three main divisions viz., i. Manipur valley (1,961.Sq.Km.);ii. Barak valley (lies at the Western Part of Manipur valley) (277 Sq.Km.) and iii. Hilly region (20,089 Sq.Km.).Their dialectal Variations are found at both the phonological and morphological level.
e.g., Manipur Valley Barak Valley Morphological level: /unəbə/ /phəŋnəbə/ ‘to meet’ /khudeŋ/ /urup/‘tub’ /khonthi cabə/ /wahən cabə/‘to get scold’ /kompak/ /sorai/‘a kind of vessel’ /kannəbə/ /təŋaibə/‘usefulness’ Phonological level: /jum/ /ïum/‘house’ /jamnə/ /ïamnə/‘very/many’ /ju/ /ïu/‘wine’ etc.
Here, the major dialectal variation is found at the phonological level i.e., between voiced and voiceless stops. Valley speakers use both voiced and voiceless stops in different contexts with relevant meanings. However, the hill speakers use only voiceless stops in all the contexts.
e.g., Valley(Meeitei) Speaker Hill Speaker. /kədaidə/ /kətaita/ ‘where to’ /cabiju/ /capiju/ ‘please eat’ /cagənu/ /cakənu/ ‘do not eat’ /mədu/ /mətu/ ‘that’ /mətu/ /mətu/ ‘his wife’ /kərigino/ /kərikino/ ‘why’ /kərino/ /krino/ ‘what is that’ /nəŋbu kənano/ /nəŋpu kənano/ ‘who are you’ etc.
In Manipur society, caste system is not observed, instead social class system/loi is maintained. The loi class is the inferior class of Meetei fold. There are seven social classes /loi communities in Manipuri society. The Loi communities are Awang Sekmai, Andro, Leimram Khunnou, Koutruk, Kwatha, Khurkhul, and Phayeng. There have been found dialectal variations between these two sections i.e., Meeteis and Meetei Lois. However, among the loi communities the variation is less or the same.
e.g., Meitei/Hindu Meitei Lois. /ïəgoio/ /cəkoi/ ‘dance’ /ïat/ /cat/ ‘race’ /ïel/ /cel/ ‘jail’ /əbok or ibok/ /ipok/ə ‘grandmother’ /əsomda/ /əomdə/ ‘towards that side’ /miŋsel/ /muŋsen/ ‘mirror’ /peruk/ /piruk/ ‘hydrocotyle’ /phək/ /phak/ ‘mat’ /təndən/ /tandum/təntum/ ‘glowworm’ /kacin/ /kacən/ ‘corner’ /cakkhum/ /cakphəm/ ‘kitchen’ /puknop/ /puknəp/ ‘belly’ /peki/ /pekle/ ‘collected esp. land or crops’ /kappi/ /kappe/ ‘shoot’
Much variation is not found among the tribal communities.
j) Sex Male speech Female speech /jeŋniŋdre/ /cətlohe nəsəktugə/ ‘the way you speak is not proper’ /loirehe/ /jare jare/ ‘it is o.k.’ /nuŋside/ /nuŋsideko/ ‘not love ’ /pəkte/ /pəkteda/ ‘not suit’ /tummo/ /tummoda/ ‘sleep’ /laŋgənu/ /khit toko/ ‘stop talking’ /cak ihe/ /cak iko/ ‘so charming/attractive’ /ŋaikho/ /ŋaikhoba/ ‘wait’ /tənnu/ /təugənoba/ ‘do not do’ /pamde/ /pamdeko/ ‘do not like’ /lakkənu/ /lakkənuko/ ‘do not come’
Educated speech Uneducated speech /kerosin/ /teresiŋ/dersiŋ/ ‘kerosene’ /kornər/ /kona/ ‘corner’ /əlmira/ /əmbari/ ‘almirah’ /mentəl/ /mithun/ ‘mentle’ /solution/ /saison/ ‘solution (an adhesive)’ /skul/ /iskul/əskul/ ‘school’ /tebəl/ /tebil/ ‘table’ /paip/ /paijep/ ‘pipe’ /maik/ /maijep/ ‘mike’ /glas/ /gilas/ ‘glass’ /kolez/ /kolezə/ ‘college’ etc.
Younger Genertion. Older Generation. /hi/ /wakjəi/ ‘boat’ /mərup/ /itao/ ‘friend’ /məi/ /khambi/ə ‘fire’ /thəban/ /makməi/ ‘date of the month’ /caməs/ /khəiroi/ ‘spoon’ /numidaŋ wairəm/ /jacəŋbə/ə ‘evening’ /numit yuŋbə/ /nuŋthil pobop/ ‘noon’ /həugəpa/ /jahəuba/jakaiba/ ‘to get up’ /kələm/ /khorzəi/ ‘pen’ /cətpa/ /khoŋsanba/ə ‘to go’ etc. /cəjol/ /həpta/ ‘week’ /cəhi/ /kum/ ‘year’ /kəithen/ /khəiden/ ‘market’ /əŋaŋsa/ /inasa/ ‘children’ /khəŋdre/ /bhab tadre/ə ‘ do not know’
Spoken variety/ Common standard variety/ Written Variety. Spoken Variety Common standard variety Written variety. /moio/məhoi/ /məhoi/məkhoi/ /məkhoi/‘they’ /noi/nəhoi/ /nəkhoi/nəhoi/ /nəkhoi/‘you(pl) /ədəi/ /ədudəi/ /ədudədi/‘then’/adə/ /ədudə/ /məphəmdudə/ /məphəmdudə/‘there’ /la ə dra/ /laklədra/ /laklədra/‘is a coming’ /carəra/ /carəbra/ /carəbra/‘is a eating’
/thiboŋïao/ ‘glutter’ /thiboŋlao/ ‘ ,, ’ /kəramïao/ ‘crazy to food’ /maŋgolïao/ ‘idle fellow’ /səktathi/ ‘ugly fellow’ /nəpthithaŋ/ə ‘dirty fellow’ /jathithaŋ/ ‘dirty mouth’ /səndəŋ/ ‘stupid/foolish’ /theko/ ə ‘beat A’ /ipai kharaobi/ ‘bulemia’ /cum manba/ ‘lean and thin fellow’ /cəraŋ manbi/ə ‘over smart girl’ /jakhi cəroŋ/ ‘noisy fellow’ /cənam nəmba/ ‘deserved to beat’
/hidak/əə ‘wine’ /ïəu/ ‘wine’ /məikhu/ ‘cigarette’ /isiŋ məca/ ‘fish’ /məuba/ ‘not appetite’ /ai si cakpə/ ‘one sided( person)’ /khaiïinba/ ‘trying to make people fool’ /tahəuba/ ‘to get down’ /yalləsi/ ‘let’s walk’ /məniŋ hənba/ ‘repeat the action’ /məi taba/ ‘superb’ /setpa/ ‘to beat’ /kepa ləiba/ ‘capable person’ etc.
/ïura/ ‘pair’ /nammə/ ‘single’ /mətha/ ‘bundle’ /məpun/ ‘bundle’ /məjom/ ‘bundle/packet’ /phhi/ ‘a bundle of betel leaf’ /meruk/ ‘a small basket(a measuring unit)’ /laitəŋ/ ‘a basket of quarter size (a measuring unit)’ /likhai/ ‘a basket of half size (a measuring unit)’ /səŋbai/ ‘a basket of full size (a measuring unit)’ /selha/ ‘a unit of hundred’ /luk/ ‘ a unit of measurement esp.fish/pod’ /phela/ ‘beam balance’ /coi/ ‘a unit measurement of lump sum quantity (about 1.6 kg.) ‘ /khudoŋ/ ‘a unit of measurement of lump sum quantity’ /məhun/ ‘cost price’
/wajen/ ‘judgement’ /wajensəŋ/ ‘court’ /miphamipun/ə ‘arrest’ /cəirak/ ‘punishment’ /lanpha/ə ‘capturer’ /bondi/ ‘prisoner’ /cəirap/ə ‘highest civil court’ /kucup/kucu/ ‘a civil court’ /cətləm lutin/ ‘meetei customary law’ /garot/ ‘highest criminal court’ /paca/ ‘women court’ /loi thaba/ ‘exile’ /jathəŋ/ ‘order’ /jotlhiŋ phəlaŋ cənba/ ‘ to put in chain’ /ce janbə/ ‘notice to public’ /wakhoisen/ ‘payment of a nominal amount’ /wakoŋba/ ‘to pay compensation’ /dərbar/ ‘meeting hall’ /uttər/ ‘royal waiting room’ /kutcu/ ‘court’
/əna laijeŋsəŋ/ ‘hospital’ /lai jeŋba/ ‘treatment’ /guli/ ‘tablet’ /maiba/maibi/ə ‘local physician’ /molom/ə ‘ointment’ /puk suba/ ‘abdominal message’ /məri suba/ ‘ ,,’ /humaŋ ŋanba/ ‘sun bath’ /cəniŋ tiŋba/ ‘hip bath’ /higa jəiba/ə ‘fomentation’ /həkcaŋ noibə/ ‘body message’ /kok cikpa/ ‘headache’ /kok ŋaoba/ ‘giddiness’ /ipai kharaobi/ə ‘bulemia’ /lok laihəu/ ‘cold fever’ /lok khullai/ ‘cough and cold’ /iton phaiba/ ‘dysentery’ /pukcətpa/ ‘diarrohea’ /lai thokpa/ ‘small pox’ /laikup thokpa/ ‘chicken pox’ /hakətcəba/ ‘itching’ /phugri/ ‘boil/scabies’ /uriŋ/ə ‘pimple/acne’ /əpomba/ə ‘boil’ /puk jekpa/ə ‘pain in the abdomen’ /əŋəuba pəkpa/ə ‘white patch’ /hidak/ ‘medicine’ /hidak kappə/ə ‘injection’ /ənaba/ ‘ill’ /lai jəI/ ‘blood pressure’ /laijoŋ/ ‘diagnosis’
/məhəi loisəŋ/ ‘school/college/universities’ /oïa/ ‘teacher’ /oïa məkok/ ‘head master/mistress’ /cakəri/ə ‘clerk’ /satra/ ‘student’ /lairik/ ‘book’ /ce/ ‘paper’ /khorïəi/ kələm/ ‘pen’ /muk/ ‘ink’ /mukphu/ ‘inkpot’ /pərikha/ ‘examination’ /pabə/ ‘to read’ /təmba/ ‘to learn’ /takpə/ ‘to teach’ /idə/ ‘to write’ /məjek/ ‘letter’ /əuraibə/ ‘reading/practice’ /khutI/ ‘handwriting’ /ce jaŋbə/ ‘checking answer paper’ /parikha haidokpa/ ‘declare examination result’ /caŋjeŋ/ ‘test’
/niŋthəu/ə ‘king’ /ləimə/ə ‘queen’ /laplenka/ə ‘room for the elders of the family’ /maicəu/ə ‘scholar’ /maibə/ə ‘priest’ /maibi/ə ‘priestess’ /luciŋba/ə ‘leader’ /thəuburel/ə ‘president’ /phəmnaibə/ ‘officer’ /thəuraŋ/ ‘plan’ /sil laŋba/ə ‘management’ /sin/ə ‘duty’ /phəmbal/ men/ə ‘throne’ /panna/ə ‘group’ /sairuk tinnəba/ə ‘belong to the same clan’ /silup/ ‘village level socio-economic organization’ /kəirup/ ‘organization dealing with capturing tiger’ /ləirup/ ‘organization deals with earth work’ /lallup/ ‘a military institution’ /phəmdəu/ ‘equivalent post to cabinet’ /ŋəmkhəi/ ‘boundary’ /ləiŋak loisəŋ/ ‘administrative office’ /lanïiŋ purel/ senapati/ ‘army general’ /lanmi/ ‘soldier’ /lanmi tengol/ ‘troop’ /lup/ ‘organization’ /əhən lup/ ‘organization of elders’ /nəharup/ ‘organization of youths’ /niŋol lakpə/ ‘in charge of unmarried women’ /pakhəŋ lakpə/ ‘in charge of unmarried men’ /loisəŋ/ ‘department/office’ /məŋəl səŋ/ ‘office of the muslim’ /əmaibə əmaibi loisəŋ/ ‘department of royal scholars/shaman’ /warep/ ‘decision’ /brahma sabha/ ‘religious court’ /khullakpa/ə ‘village chief’ /luplakpə/ ‘second village chief’ /khunïahənba/ ‘oldest villager for religious consultant’ /jupalbə/ jublbə/ ‘manger of checking country liqour’ /nəharakpə/ə ‘controller of young lads’ /toloihənïəbə/ ‘leader of army & expert in archery’ /toloihidaŋ/ ‘assistant to the leader of the army’ /ləumi lakpə/ ‘farm manager’ /cəphu hənïəbə/ ‘officer to look after the production of pots/pitchers’
/lai ikəuba/ə ‘calling god/goddess from the water’ /jakairol/ə ‘song sang to wake the god/goddess up’ /irat thəuniba/ə ‘prayer/worship’ /lai khurumba/ə ‘prayer’ /səroi khaŋba/ ‘a kind prayer for evil spirits’ /lainiŋ laison/ ‘ritual’ /ipan thaba/ ‘swasti puja (birth ceremony’ /jam seŋba/ ‘purification ritual’ /jum maŋba/ ‘polluted period’ /usop/ ‘religious feast’ /sorat/ ‘shradha ( death ceremony)’ /əsti cəndən/ / ‘asti sanchay (death ceremony)’ /məŋani ləihun/ ‘do’ /lugun thaŋba/ ‘wearing of sacred thread ceremony’ /gira thaŋba/ ‘the process of offering food for the departed soul till shradha’ /luhoŋba/ ‘marriage’ /ləukhətpa /lai tin thaba/ ‘do’ /kəina kətpa/ ‘do’ /cəban thaba/ ‘to offer something as a food of the god/goddess causing disturbance’ /kətpa/ ‘to offer’ /jelhiŋ thaba/ ‘sacrificing of bird esp. fawl/pegion’ /usin sinba/ ‘sacrificing a living creature in the name of a person facing trouble’ /khəïom lakpa/ ‘to offer something to the evil spirit to ward them off’ /laimaŋ/ ‘in front of the temple/ god/goddess’ /laimiŋ ləuba/ ‘adolescent ceremony’ /laisəŋ/ ‘temple’ /laibau/ ‘message of god/goddess’ /lai həraoba/ ‘festival of god /goddess’ /həiruk kətpa/ ‘to offer fruits and sweets to the god/goddess’
/thaŋ khenïoŋlon/ ‘treatise on weapon’ /ləŋkhel/ ‘regional geography’ /ləibak ŋaklon/ə ‘science of administration’ /nuŋlon thəmbal/ ‘use of stone’ /səhitja/ ‘literature’ /wari/ ‘story’ /wareŋ/ ‘prose/essay’ /səireŋ/ ‘poem’ /natək/drəma/ ‘play’ /lila/ ‘play’ /phuŋga wari/ ‘folk tale’ /khunuŋ isəi/ ‘folk song’ /khuləŋ isəI/ ‘do’ /khoŋïom pərba/ ‘do’ /isəI/ ‘song’ /cephoŋ/ ‘magazine’ /əjiba/ ‘author’ /phoŋba/ ‘publication’ /kəbi/ ‘poet’ /məhəi məsiŋ təmba/ ‘education’ /məhə həiba/ ‘learned person’
Almost all the Manipuri Scientific vocabularies are loan / borrowed from the respective languages and original Manipuri Vocabulary is very limited.
e.g., /cainərol/ ‘war craft’ /thəwanmicaklon/ ‘astronomy’ /ciŋkhəirol/ ‘mineralogy’ /uron/ ‘forestry’ /maibəron/ ‘medicine’ /ləmkhəllon/ ‘agriculture’ /noŋkhroŋ/ ‘climatology’ /ləicillon/ ‘meteorology’ /hirol/ ‘navy’ /kaŋlon/ ‘science’ /kantruk / ‘gun powder’ /rocket kappə/ ‘missile’ /pambina nuŋsa məŋaldəmacinïak suŋbə/ ‘photosynthesis’ /əkoibəda motsinba/ ‘environmental pollution’ /məhik/ ‘germ’ /məhəusagi khəl/ ‘ecological balance’ /bhugol/ ‘geography’ /məi/bijli/ ‘electricity’ /teliskop/ ‘telescope’ /maikroskop/ ‘microscope’ /bektərija/ə ‘bacteria’ /bhairəs/ ‘virus’ /telibiïən/ ‘television’ /khut sa həiba/ ‘technology’ /mecin/ ‘machine’ /inïin/ ‘engine’ /pəŋkha əwuŋbi/ ‘fan’ /kəmputər/ ‘computer’ /eroplen/ ‘aero plane’ etc.
Copyright CIIL-India Mysore