Khuman dialect
| Khuman | |
|---|---|
| Khumal, Khumanlon, Khumanlol, Khumallon, Khumallol | |
| ꯈꯨꯃꯟ | |
Classical Meetei Mayek transliteration of "Khuman" | |
| Created by | Khumans |
| Ethnicity | Khuman (Meitei people) |
| Extinct | merged into general Meitei language |
| Purpose | |
| Meetei Mayek | |
| Official status | |
Official language in | Khuman kingdom |
| Development body | Khuman dynasty |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
In linguistics, Khuman (ꯈꯨꯃꯟ) or Khumal (ꯈꯨꯃꯜ) refers to a historical dialectal variety of the Meitei language (also known as Manipuri language) associated with the Khuman dynasty and its Khuman clan, one of the seven principal Yek Salai clans of the traditional Meitei confederacy. Historically influential in the Khuman kingdom, the Khuman dialect has contributed a distinct lexical layer to Meitei, with words of Khuman origin frequently attested in classical Meitei manuscripts and early literary sources. These features have drawn sustained attention from linguists, particularly within Tibeto-Burman studies, where Khuman data are examined for insights into the historical development, internal variation, and clan-based stratification of the Meitei language.[1][2][3]
The independent Khuman political identity came to an end during the reign of Lamyai Kaikhinba (c. 1330–1400 CE), the last king of the Khuman dynasty. With the assimilation of the Khuman kingdom into the broader Meitei confederacy under the leadership of the Ningthouja dynasty, Khuman ceased to exist as a separate polity.[4][5][6][7] This political integration played a significant role in shaping the linguistic landscape of early Meitei society, facilitating the incorporation of Khuman linguistic features into the developing Meitei language and its classical literary tradition.[1][2][3]
Vocabularies
| Khuman words | Latin transliterations | Equivalents in another variant/dialect of Meitei language | Latin transliterations | English translation | Note(s)[1][8][9] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ꯇꯔꯪ | tarang | ꯂꯥꯏꯖ | laija | water | it is often collectively said as tarang laija, in which laija is originated from Moirang (linguistics) speech, as a part of semantic reduplication in Meitei vocabulary |
| ꯅꯦꯝꯕꯤ | nembi | ꯁꯤꯡꯅꯥꯡ | singnang | grass | it is often collectively said as nembi singnang, in which singnang is originated from Ningthouja speech, as a part of semantic reduplication in Meitei vocabulary |
| ꯀꯩ | kei | ꯄꯥꯝꯕ | pamba | tiger | it is often collectively said as pamba kei, where pamba is originated from Ningthouja speech, as a part of semantic reduplication in Meitei vocabulary |
| ꯇꯧꯇꯦꯛ | toutek | ꯅꯧ | nou | oar | it is often collectively said as toutek nou, where nou is originated from Ningthouja speech, as a part of semantic reduplication in Meitei vocabulary |
Literary sources
- Khelchandra Singh, Ningthoukhongjam (1980). Khuman Kangleirol (in Manipuri). India: Digital Library of India; Internet Archive.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - Kullachandra Sharma, B (1998). Khuman Ningthouron Lambuba (in Manipuri). India: Digital Library of India; Internet Archive.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - Ibobi, Laikhuram (1998). Khuman Kangleiron Amasung Laikhuram Shageigee Meihouron (in Manipuri). India: Digital Library of India; Internet Archive.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - Kullachandra, B. (1989-03-15). Khumal Ningthourol Lambuba (in Manipuri). India: Digital Library of India; Internet Archive.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
See also
- Khuman Kangleirol
- Moirang Kangleirol
- Khuman Apokpa
- List of Khuman and Luwang common ancestral monarchs
- Mangang Luwang Khuman
- List of Khuman kings
- List of Khuman queens
- Khuman royal necklace incident
- Khuman Khamba
References
- ^ a b c Yashwanta Singh, Chungkham. Manipuri Grammar. India: Rajesh Publications, 2000.
- ^ a b Ayyappappanikkar (1997). Medieval Indian Literature: Surveys and selections. Sahitya Akademi. p. 333. ISBN 978-81-260-0365-5.
- ^ a b "Aspects of Manipuri language and its literary traditions By Ahanthem Homen". e-pao.net. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
- ^ Khelchandra Singh, Ningthoukhongjam (1980). Khuman Kangleirol (in Manipuri). India: Digital Library of India; Internet Archive.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Kullachandra Sharma, B (1998). Khuman Ningthouron Lambuba (in Manipuri). India: Digital Library of India; Internet Archive.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Ibobi, Laikhuram (1998). Khuman Kangleiron Amasung Laikhuram Shageigee Meihouron (in Manipuri). India: Digital Library of India; Internet Archive.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Kullachandra, B. (1989-03-15). Khumal Ningthourol Lambuba (in Manipuri). India: Digital Library of India; Internet Archive.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Sinha, Khelchandra (1978). Ariba Manipuri Lonegay (in Manipuri). Birchandra State Central Library, Agartala. India: Manipur Test Kala Akademy; Digital Library of India; Internet Archive.
- ^ Asigumba (1978). Ariba Manipuri Longei (in Manipuri). Manipur University Library. Manipur State Kala Academi, Imphal; Digital Library of India; Internet Archive.