Editing Hmar language

{{Short description|Tibeto-Burman language spoken in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}}
{{Infobox language
| name             = Hmar
| nativename       = Hmar Țawng / Khawsak Țawng
| pronunciation    = {{IPA|hmr|hmar (nasal word uses nose to pronounce)|}} {{Clarify|date=June 2024}}
| states           = India
| region           = [[Mizoram]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.data.gov.in/resource/population-mother-tongue-2011-mizoram|title=Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India|date=21 January 2022|website=data.gov.in}}</ref> [[Manipur]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.data.gov.in/resource/population-mother-tongue-2011-manipur|title=Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India|date=21 January 2022|website=data.gov.in}}</ref> [[Assam]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.data.gov.in/resource/population-mother-tongue-2011-assam|title=Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India|date=21 January 2022|website=data.gov.in}}</ref> [[Tripura]], and [[Meghalaya]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.data.gov.in/resource/population-mother-tongue-2011-meghalaya|title=Open Government Data (OGD) Platform India|date=21 January 2022|website=data.gov.in}}</ref>
| ethnicity        = [[Hmar people|Hmar]]
| speakers         = 98,988
| ref              = <ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language_MTs.html|title=Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011|publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India|website=www.censusindia.gov.in|access-date=2018-07-07}}</ref>
| familycolor      = Sino-Tibetan
| minority         = 
| iso3             = hmr
| glotto           = hmar1241
| glottorefname    = Hmar
| altname          = 
| fam1             = [[Sino-Tibetan]]
| fam2             = [[Tibeto-Burman]]
| fam3             = [[Central Tibeto-Burman languages|Central Tibeto-Burman]] (?)
| fam4             = [[Kuki-Chin-Naga languages|Kuki-Chin-Naga]]
| fam5             = [[Kuki-Chin languages|Kuki-Chin]]
| fam6             = [[Central Kuki-Chin languages|Central]]
| fam7             = [[Mizo language|Mizoic]]
| fam8             = [[Hmaric languages|Hmaric]]
}}

The '''Hmar language''' ('''Khawsak Țawng''') belongs to the [[Mizo language]] branch of the [[Sino-Tibetan languages|Sino-Tibetan]] family of languages. The speakers of this language use [[Mizo language]] as their [[second language]] (L2).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Did you know Hmar is vulnerable? |url=http://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/5638 |access-date=2023-07-31 |website=[[Endangered Languages Project|Endangered Languages]] |language=en |quote=... Hmar speakers of Manipur use Manipuri while Assamese and Bengali are used in Assam. Ethnic Hmars living in Mizoram speak Mizo as their first language....}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Lisam |first=Khomdan Singh |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z6d-IyINtk4C&dq=meitei+language+spoken+hmar&pg=PA561 |title=Encyclopaedia Of Manipur (3 Vol.) |publisher= Gyan Publishing House|year=2011 |isbn=978-81-7835-864-2 |pages=561 |language=en |quote=... They speak Hmar language and converse well in Manipuri (Meiteilon) ...}}</ref>

Hmar is a recognised language in the School curriculum of [[Assam]], [[Manipur]] and [[Mizoram]], and also recently recognised as one of the [[Modern Indian Language]] (MIL) at [[Manipur University]]. Board of Secondary Education, Assam has also included Hmar as an MIL in its matriculation syllabus from 2005. Both [[Manipur University]] and [[Assam University]], Silchar has also permitted Khawsak Hmar language to be studied as Modern Indian Language in the Graduation level.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

== Hawrawp (Alphabets) ==
The Hmar alphabets, known as ''Hmar Hawrawp'' has 25 letters: 6 vowels and 19 consonants.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pangamte |first1=L. Ruoivel |title=New Hmar Grammar And Composition |date=2019 |publisher=Hmar Literature Society Manipur |page=1}}</ref> It is a modified version of the Roman script with some diacritic marks to help pronounce the dialect.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |last1=Bapui |first1=VL Tluonga |title=Hmar Tawng Inchukna (A Lexical Study of the Hmar Language & Usages) |date=2012 |publisher=The Assam Institute of Research for Tribals and Scheduled Castes}}</ref> 
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Hmar Hawrawp
|-
| A || Aw || B || Ch || D || E || F || G || Ng || H
|-
| I || J || K || L || M || N || O || P || R || S
|-
| T || Ț || U || V || Z
|}

=== Pronunciation ===
{| class="wikitable"
|+ 
|-
! Alphabets<ref name=":0" /> !! As In
|-
| a ||  "aa" of father
|-
| aw ||  "aww" of  omnipotent or awkward 
|-
| b ||  bee
|-
| ch || chaw
|-
| d || dee
|-
| e || ee
|-
| f || eff
|-
| g || "ek" of acknowledge
|-
| ng || "ang" of angst
|-
| h || eich
|-
| i || eye
|-
| j || jay
|-
| k || kay
|-
| l || el or elle
|-
| m || em
|-
| n || "en" of end
|-
| o || "ou" of ouch
|-
| p || pee
|-
| r || are
|-
| s || ess
|-
| t || tee
|-
| ṭ || tree
|-
| u || ooh
|-
| v || vee
|-
| z || zet
|}

==Geographical distribution==
Khawsak dialect of Hmar is spoken in the following locations

*[[Assam]]: [[Dima Hasao district]], [[Karbi Anglong district]], [[Hailakandi district]], [[Karimganj district]] and [[Cachar district]]
*[[Manipur]]: [[Pherzawl district]], [[Churachandpur district]], [[Jiribam district]] and [[Moreh, India|Moreh]]
*[[Mizoram]]: [[Aizawl district]], [[Champhai district]] and [[Kolasib district]]
*[[Tripura]]: In and around [[Darchawi]] and [[Jampui Hills]]
*[[Meghalaya]]: [[Shillong]] and Khaddum village 
*[[Myanmar]]: [[Tamu District|Tamu]]
*[[Bangladesh]]: [[Bawm people|Bawm]]

Since Hmar speakers are scattered over a vast area in [[Mizoram]], [[Manipur]], [[Meghalaya]], [[Tripura]], [[Chittagong Hill Tracts|Chittagong Hill tracts]], and [[Cachar district]] of [[Assam]] state and Myanmar, there appears to be slight dialectal distinction. In Manipur, Hmar exhibits partial mutual intelligibility with the other Kukish dialects of the area including [[Thadou language|Thadou]], [[Paite language|Paite]], [[Aimol language|Aimol]], [[Vaiphei language|Vaiphei]], [[Simte language|Simte]], [[Kom language (India)|Kom]] and [[Gangte language|Gangte]] languages.<ref name=Singh>{{cite journal|last1=Singh|first1=Chungkham Yashawanta|title=The linguistic situation in Manipur|journal=Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area|date=1995|volume=18|issue=1|pages=129–134|doi=10.32655/LTBA.18.1.09 |url=http://sealang.net/sala/archives/pdf8/singh1995linguistic.pdf|access-date=19 June 2014}}</ref>

==Ṭawngkasuok==  
''Ṭawngkasuok'' (Trong-ka-sook) are adages or old sayings used by the [[Hmar people]] and literally translates to "languages spoken out of the mouth."<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vanlalawmpuia |first1=C |title=Ṭawngkasuok: Traditional Sayings of the Hmar People |journal=Mizoram University Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences |pages=235–242 |volume=10 |issue=1 |url=http://mzuhssjournal.in/images/resources/v10n1/vanlalawmpuia.pdf}}</ref>  

{| class="wikitable"  
! Hmar Saying  
! Contextual Translation  
! Explanation  
|-
| A chângin hmar thing a pâr a, a chângin sim thing a pâr  
| "Sometimes the northern tree blooms, sometimes the southern tree blooms"  
| Everything has its time; patience is key.  
|-
| Ṭawng inbuo le tui inbuo rût thei an nawh  
| "Words and water, once spilled, cannot be taken back."  
| Speak wisely; words have lasting consequences.  
|-
| Lal ngai lo lal a kha  
| "A king who has never been a king rules bitterly."  
| This is a negative remark used to describe someone in power, implying they are unworthy or corrupt despite holding authority. While culturally resonant, its broader applicability may vary.
|-
| Pân lovah tho a fu ngai nawh  
| "A fly will never land on something other than an open wound."  
| This implies that misfortune or trouble often attracts blame or negativity, suggesting that there’s always a cause but with an accusatory undertone. 
|-
| Khûpin lû a khêl thei nawh  
| "The knee can never rise above the head "  
| This is a negative quote implying there are inherent limitations in life, suggesting that no matter how hard one strives, they will never exceed their rightful or designated place. It reflects a fatalistic view, where ambition and effort are constrained by unchangeable boundaries.
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Incubator|code=hmr}}
* VIRTHL-Ushering Change: News & Info House of the Hmars [http://www.virthli.in/ ''Visit Site'' ]
*Hmar Rûnpui : Hmar Social Networking [https://web.archive.org/web/20120226143103/http://www.hmarrunpui.com/ ''Visit Site'']
*Manipur Online [https://web.archive.org/web/20060424100356/http://www.manipuronline.com/Features/June2002/hmar11_2.htm ''The Unresolved Issues of the Hmar'']
*[http://hmar.in/ ''Hmar.in'']
*[http://hmarram.com/ ''Hmarram.com'']
*Sinlung News [http://sinlung.com Sinlung]
*[https://huggingface.co/hmar-lang Hmar Language Dataset Project] 

{{Sino-Tibetan languages}}
{{Kuki-Chin–Naga languages}}
{{Languages of Northeast India}}

[[Category:Kuki-Chin languages]]
[[Category:Languages of Assam]]
[[Category:Languages of Manipur]]
[[Category:Languages of Mizoram]]
[[Category:Endangered languages of India]]
[[Category:Languages of Tripura]]
[[Category:Hmar]]


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