Hakha (Laiholh)

Hakha is a member of the Kuki-Chin branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family. It is spoken by about 170,000 people mainly in Chin State in western Myanmar, particularly in the towns of Hakha, Thatlang and Matupi. There are also speakers of Hakha in the states of Mizoram and Assam in the northeast of India, in the southeast of Bangladesh, and in other countries such as Canada, the USA and Australia.

Hakha is also known as Hakha Chin, Hakha Lai, Haka, Lai Pawi, Lai Hawlh or Laiholh. Dialects include Shonshe, Zokhua and Klangklang. Hakha is used as a lingua franca in Chin State in Myanmar, and is closely related to Falam (Chin).

A way to write Hakha with the Latin alphabet was devised by missionaries in the early 20th century. It is used in Myanmar. The Pau Cin Hau script is also used to some extent. In India and Bangladesh it is written with the Devanagari and Bengali scripts.

Hakha alphabet and pronunciation

Hakha alphabet and pronunciation

Download a Hakha alphabet chart (Excel)

Notes

H is pronounced [ʔ] at the of syllables.

Corrections provided by Michael Peter Füstumum

Sample text

Mi vialte hna cu zalong te, ai tluk te le upat tihzah awktlak le thiltilhawhnak tinvo a ngei in a chuak mi kan si dih. Minung cu a chia a tha thleidang khomi ruahnak le theihthiamnak ziaza tha a ngeimi kan si caah pakhat le pakhat dawtnak he i pehtlaihnak le i hawikawmhnak ngeih ding kan si.

Translation

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.
(Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

Sample video in Hakha

Information about Hakha | Numbers | Tower of Babel

Links

Information about Hakha
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hakha_Chin_language
https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Чинский_язык
https://celt.indiana.edu/portal/Hakha Lai/index.html
https://www.endangeredlanguages.com/lang/5637
https://bilinguistics.com/languages/chin-speech-and-language-development/
http://olac.ldc.upenn.edu/language/cnh
http://desmotsetdeslangues.eklablog.com/hakha-chin-a114289272

Hakha dictionary
https://chin-dictionary.com/

Kuki–Chin–Naga languages

Biete, Falam, Hakha, Karbi, Kom, Mizo, Mongsen Ao, Paite, Tedim, Zotung, Zou

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created: 22.11.23. Last modified: 27.11.23

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