Daai language
Kuki-Chin language of Myanmar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Daai (also known as Daai Chin), which borders the Mün and Ütbü language groups, is a Kuki-Chin of Myanmar. It is spoken in 142 villages in Kanpetlet, Matupi, Mindat, and Paletwa townships in Chin State, Burma (Ethnologue). A written script for Daai was created in 1976 by U Khine Sho and Ms. Halga So Hart Manno.[2]
Mutual intelligibility among Nghngilo (Yang), Daai Yindu, and Mkui groups is high, but is lower among other groups.[3] Daai has greater than 90% lexical similarity with Daai Yindu, Yang, Mkui, Duk, and Msang, 81%–88% with Ngxang (Paletwa township) and Kheng, 80% with Shiip (Matupi township), 91%–94% with Gah/Ng-Gha (part of Mün), and 81%–87% with Mün.[3]
Dialects
Ethnologue lists the following dialects of daai Chin.
- Ngxang
- Nghngilo (Yang)
- Ma-Tu
- Shiip
- Duk-Msang
- Kheng
- Mkuui
- Yet
Phonology
Consonants
Daai has twenty-four consonant phonemes.
Vowels
Daai has seven vowel phonemes, each with a phonemic length contrast.
Grammar
Daai Chin is an isolating or analytic language. There is no inflectional morphology at the word level; case, number, and tense are marked by clitics.
Examples
| Daai Chin | English |
|---|---|
| mthan | night |
| mpyong | mouth |
| kpyak | to destroy |
| pha | to arrive |
| Nghngaai-ktheih hmin lokti. | The mango fruits became ripe. |
| Mat jah mata i:ma am ngleh-ei ni. | They did not visit each other's houses. |
