Karbi is a member of the Kuki-Chin-Naga branch of the Sino-Tibetan language family. It is spoken in Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh in northern India by about 420,000 people. It is also known as Mikir or Arleng, and is thought by some linguists to belong to the Kukish branch of Tibeto-Burman languages.
Karbi is usually written with the Latin alphabet, and sometimes with the Assamese alphabet. The first texts in Karbi, published by American missionaries, appeared in the early 20th century. They included a newspaper, dictionaries and religious texts. Two daily newspapers in Karbi, Thekar and The Arleng Daily, are published in Diphu in Assam.
The Karbi people have a rich oral tradition which includes long stories such as the Mosera, which tells of the history of the Karbi.
A new alphabet for Karbi, the Arleng / Karbi Alphabet, was created by Sarthe Teron Milik in the 1990s.
Download alphabet charts for Karbi (Excel)
Monit hijan angbong kibi kethe kangtui kangdai pu ave. Arnam monit aphan kamathathek ajakong kipi. Lasi ning isivet pen dorapsi kachinghon chijinso pen donang ji.
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)
A recording of this text by Ripu Rahang
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)
Information about Karbi | Numbers | Tower of Babel | Alternative scripts for Karbi: Arleng / Karbi alphabet | Karbi Mekʼlek | Arleng Mekʼlek
Information about the Karbi language and people
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karbi_language
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karbi
http://www.ethnologue.com/language/MJW
https://karbi.wordpress.com/
https://openspeaks.com/languages/karbi/
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6t95236f
Bawm, Biete, Chiru, Falam, Hakha, Karbi, Kom, Mizo, Mongsen Ao, Paite, Tedim, Thadou, Zeme, Zotung, Zou
Atong, Bengali, Bishnupriya Manipuri, Bodo, Bhumij, Chittagonian, Garo, Hajong, Karbi, Kharia, Khasi, Koch, Koda, Kokborok, Kurmali, Malto, Manipuri, Mundari, Noakhailla, Rangpuri, Sadri, Santali, Sylheti, Toto, Tanchangya
Languages written with the Latin alphabet
Page last modified: 06.06.24
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