HectorOtoole at 11:12, 19 August 2025

2025-08-19T11:12:39Z

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{{Short description|Sino-Tibetan language spoken in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2022}}
{{multiple|
{{more citations|date=July 2024}}
{{citation style|date=July 2024}}}}

{{Infobox language
| name = Chiru
| altname = Rem
| nativename = {{lang|cdf|Rem}}
| states = [[India]]
| region = [[Manipur]]
| ethnicity = [[Chiru people]]
| speakers = 8,599
| date = 2011
| ref = e18
| familycolor = Sino-Tibetan
| fam2 = [[Tibeto-Burman languages|Tibeto-Burman]]
| fam3 = [[Kuki-Chin–Naga languages|Kuki-Chin–Naga]]
| fam4 = [[Kuki-Chin languages|Kuki-Chin]]
| fam5 = [[Northwestern Kuki-Chin languages|Northwestern]]
| iso3 = cdf
| glotto = chir1283
| glottorefname = Chiru
}}

'''Purum''' is a [[Kuki-Chin languages|Kuki-Chin]] language, belonging to the [[Northwestern Kuki-Chin languages|Northwestern]] or "Old Kuki" subfamily.<ref>
{{citation |last=Peterson |first=David |chapter=On Kuki-Chin subgrouping |editor1=Picus Sizhi Ding |editor2=Jamin Pelkey |title=Sociohistorical linguistics in Southeast Asia: New horizons for Tibeto-Burman studies in honor of David Bradley |pages=191–192 |location=Leiden |publisher=Brill |year=2017 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gwEtDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA191 |ref={{sfnref|Peterson, On Kuki-Chin subgrouping|2017}}}}
</ref>
spoken in [[Manipur]] and [[Assam]]. The Chiru population numbers approximately 8,599. It is an endangered language spoken in only three districts of India: [[Kangpokpi district|Kangpokpi]], [[Noney district|Noney]] districts of Manipur and [[Cachar district|Cachar]] district of Assam. The speakers of this language use [[Meitei language]] as their second language (L2).<ref>{{ethnologue26|mni|Meitei}}</ref>
The Chiru language is neither used in schools nor in radio or mass media. Older people read and write in Meitei language. The younger generation of Chiru speakers prefers the Latin script.

The Chirus are one of the earliest inhabitants of [[Manipur]] and [[Assam]]. [[Cheitharol Kumbaba]], the Royal Chronicle of Manipur mentioned that King Meidingu Chalamba defeated the Chirus in 1554. This proves that the Chirus had settled in Manipur long before this period. It was also mentioned in the Royal Chronicles of Manipur that an incidence of Meitei King's incursion on Nungsai Chiru Village occurred on 22nd day of Wakching (December–January) 1729 during the reign of [[Gharib Nawaz (Manipur)|Maharaja Garibniwaz]] ([[Cheitharol Kumbaba]]: 1989:90). In spite of the considerably long period of their settlement in the two states (Manipur and Assam), the population of Chiru native speakers is shockingly very low. The growth rate of their population was extremely steady. This might be due to high mortality rate and low birth rate in the previous centuries.

The domain of language use for Chiru is very limited. The usage of Chiru by Chiru native speakers is specifically confined only at home domain and within the community among the native speakers. The language proficiency of Chiru native speakers ranges from bilingual to multilingual. The native speakers in [[Manipur]] have high proficiency in [[Meitei language]] ([[Manipuri language]]) and those in [[Assam]] have high proficiency in [[Hmar languages|Hmar]], [[Meitei language]] and [[Sylheti language|Sylheti Bengali]]. Chiru speakers in Manipur generally speak [[Meitei language]], [[Hindi]] or [[English language|English]] while those of Assam speak [[Hmar languages|Hmar]], [[Sylheti language|Sylheti Bengali]], [[Meitei language]] or [[Hindi]] at the time of interaction with non-Chiru speakers. The Chiru native speakers in Manipur usually speak either [[Meitei language]] or [[Hindi]] in the market place, office etc. Moreover, they also speak Paior Thwhen they interact with, and speakers respectively. On the other hand, Chiru speakers of Assam speak [[Sylheti language|Sylheti Bengali]], [[Meitei language]] or [[Hmar languages|Hmar]] in the market places, offices or anywhere outside home domain. It is painful to mention that Chiru of Assam has not been recognized by the government of Assam. They are rather recognized as Hmar. Chiru is neither used in schools nor in radio or mass media. Even the children normally become bilingual at the minimum age of 5 since they acquire the second language in schools.<ref>{{cite conference |last1=Awan |first1=Mechek Sampar |first2=Mary |last2=Kim |year=2018 |title=Nature and Extent of Endangerment in Chiru |conference=6th International Conference on Endangered and Lesser-Known Languages, Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysuru}}</ref>

==Geographical distribution==
Chiru is spoken in the following locations of [[Northeast India]] (''[[Ethnologue]]'').<ref>{{cite journal |last=Awan |first=Mechek Sampar |date=October 2014 |url=http://www.languageinindia.com/oct2014/awanchirufinal.pdf |title=Segmental Phonology of Chiru |journal=Language in India |issn=1930-2940 |volume=14 |issue=10}}</ref>
*[[Manipur]]
**[[Tamenglong district]]: Lamdangmei and Dolang villages
**[[Kangpokpi district]]: Kangchup, Thangzing, Sadu (Thangthilon), Bungte, Nungsai, Dolang Khunou, and Uran villages
**[[Churachandpur district]]: Charoi Khullen village
**[[Thoubal district]]: Waithou Chiru
**[[Bishnupur district]]
*[[Assam]]: Budon Village, [[Cachar district]] (a village near Jiribam)
*[[Nagaland]] (scattered)

==Phonology==
===Consonants===
{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+Consonants{{sfn|Awan|2017|p=70}}
! colspan=2| !! [[Labial consonant|Labial]] !! [[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]] !! [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]] !! [[Velar consonant|Velar]] !! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! rowspan=3|[[Stop consonant|Stop]] !! [[Tenuis consonant|Tenuis]]
| {{IPAlink|p}} || {{IPAlink|t}} || {{IPAlink|c}} || {{IPAlink|k}} || {{IPAlink|ʔ}}
|-
! [[Aspirated consonant|Aspirated]]
| {{IPAlink|pʰ}} || {{IPAlink|tʰ}} || || {{IPAlink|kʰ}} ||
|-
! [[Voiced consonant|Voiced]]
| {{IPAlink|b}} || {{IPAlink|d}} || || ||
|-
! colspan=2|[[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPAlink|m}} || {{IPAlink|n}} || || {{IPAlink|ŋ}} ||
|-
! rowspan=2|[[Fricative consonant|Fricative]] !! [[Voiceless consonant|Voiceless]]
| || {{IPAlink|s}} || || || {{IPAlink|h}}
|-
![[Voiced consonant|Voiced]]
| {{IPAlink|v}} || {{IPAlink|z}} || || ||
|-
! colspan=2|[[Lateral consonant|Lateral]]
| || {{IPAlink|l}} || || ||
|-
! colspan=2|[[Trill consonant|Trill]]
| || {{IPAlink|r}} || || ||
|}

===Vowels===
{|class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+Vowels{{sfn|Awan|2017|p=56}}
! !! [[Front vowel|Front]] !! [[Central vowel|Central]] !! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPAlink|i}} || || {{IPAlink|u}}
|-
! [[Close-mid vowel|Close-mid]]
| {{IPAlink|e}} || || {{IPAlink|o}}
|-
! [[Open-mid vowel|Open-mid]]
| {{IPAlink|ɛ}} || {{IPAlink|ə}} || {{IPAlink|ɔ}}
|-
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
| || {{IPAlink|a}} ||
|}

* {{IPAslink|ə}} does not occur in the final position.{{sfn|Awan|2017|p=60}}
* All other vowels can occur in initial, medial, and final positions.{{sfn|Awan|2017|pp=61-62}}
* Chiru also has six diphthongs: {{IPAslink|ai̯}}, {{IPAslink|ei̯}}, {{IPAslink|ɛi̯}}, {{IPAslink|ɔi̯}}, {{IPAslink|oi̯}}, and {{IPAslink|ui̯}}.{{sfn|Awan|2017|p=57}}
* {{IPAslink|ɛi̯}} and {{IPAslink|oi̯}} do not occur word-initially.{{sfn|Awan|2017|p=69}}

===Tone===
Chiru has two [[register tones]]: low and high.{{sfn|Awan|2017|p=91-92}}

== See also ==
* [[Meitei language]]
* [[Barman language]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{Cite thesis |last=Awan |first=Mechek Sampar |title=Phonology and Morphology of Chiru |degree=PhD |publisher=Assam University |year=2017 |location=Silchar |hdl=10603/369122}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite journal |last=Awan |first=Mechek Sampar |year=2019 |title=Agreement system in Chiru |journal=Himalayan Linguistics |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=78–90 |doi=10.5070/H918143310|doi-access=free }}
* {{Cite journal |last=Haokip |first=Pauthang |year=2011 |title=The languages of Manipur: A case study of the Kuki-Chin languages |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/292351979 |journal=Linguistics of the Tibeto-Burman Area |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=85–118 |doi=10.32655/LTBA.34.1.03 }}
* {{Cite thesis |last=Singh |first=Salam Brojen |title=Chiru Grammar |publisher=Manipur University |year=2007 |location=Canchipur}}
* {{Cite book |last1=Singh |first1=Shailendra Kumar |title=Linguistic Ecology: Manipur |last2=Suantak |first2=Khawlsonkim |publisher=EBH Publishers |year=2011 |isbn=9789380261508 |editor-last=Singh |editor-first=Shailendra Kumar |location=Guwahati |pages=285–292 |chapter=Epilogue |oclc=777343488}}

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

[[Category:Languages of Manipur]]
[[Category:Languages of Nagaland]]

Chiru language - Revision history

HectorOtoole at 11:12, 19 August 2025