Falam language

{{Infobox language

|name=Falam

|altname=Lai

|nativename=Lai ṭong

|states=Burma, India

|region=West Burma, North East India

|ethnicity=Chin

|speakers={{sigfig|107,000|3}}

|date=1983–2001

|ref = e18

|familycolor=Sino-Tibetan

|fam2=Tibeto-Burman

|fam3=Central Tibeto-Burman (?)

|fam4=Kuki-Chin-Naga

|fam5=Kuki-Chin

|fam6=Central

|fam7=Lai

|dia1=Zanniat

|dia2=Laizo

|dia3=Zahau

|dia4=Tlaisun

|dia5= Khualsim

|dia6=Lente

|dia7=Tapong

|dia8=Sim

|dia9=Torr

|dia10=Chorei

|dia11=Ngawn

|script = Latin

|lc1 = cfm

|ld1 = Falam Chin

|lc2 = cbl

|ld2 = Bualkhaw Chin

|lc3 = cnw

|ld3 = Ngawn Chin

|glotto=fala1243

|glottorefname=Falam Chin

|ELP2=1627

|ELPname2=Chorei

}}

Falam Chin (also known as Lai) is a Kuki-Chin language in Falam Township, Chin State, Myanmar,

Falam Chin is closely related to most Central Chin languages, especially Hakha Chin.{{cite book|last1=King|first1=Deborah|title=VOICE AND VALENCE-ALTERING OPERATIONS IN FALAM CHIN: A ROLE AND REFERENCE GRAMMAR APPROACH|date=2010|publisher=The University of Texas at Arlington|location=Arlington, Texas}} The Falam people are primarily Christian and have translated the Bible into Falam Chin.

Dialects

Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Falam:

Tlaisun (Shunkla, Sunkhla, Taishon, Tashom, Tashon)
Laizo (Laiso, Laizao, Laizo-Shimhrin)
Zahao (Lyen-Lyem, JaHau Yahow, Zahau, Zahau-Shimhrin, Za-How)
Sim

Falam takes its name from a village, founded by the Tlaisun (in English, {{gloss|Tashon}}) tribe, and Tashon was the original language spoken in Falam. Falam grew in population from the surrounding tribes from Sunthla (also {{gloss|Sunkhla}}), Sim and Zahau (also {{gloss|Zahao}}) that created a new language based on these three tribes, very different from the Tlaisun language. This language was later popularly known as Laizo. Laizo was recorded as the first language used in the official radio broadcasting dialect of Chin in Myanmar (Burma). In order to be inclusive in Laizo, the name was later changed to Falam, although its official name is still Laizo.{{cn|date=January 2024}}

Rupini and Koloi are also quite different. The Chorei and Zanniat dialects (collectively known as Baro Halam) may be considered separate languages.{{Cite web |date=2016 |title=Myanmar |url=http://www.ethnologue.com/country/MM/languages |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010180533/http://www.ethnologue.com/country/MM/languages |archive-date=2016-10-10 |website=Ethnologue: Languages of the World}} Tapong has lower intelligibility with other Falam Chin dialects, having 75% lexical similarity with Zanniat. Dialects once misleadingly called Southern Luhupa are actually Northern Kuki-Chin, and evidently Falam.[http://www.linguasphere.info/lcontao/tl_files/pdf/master/OL-SITE%201999-2000%20MASTER%20ONE%20Sectors%207-Zones%2070-74.pdf Linguasphere code 73-DDD-bp]

Ethnologue reported the following speaker populations of Falam dialects in 1983: 9,000 Taisun, 16,000 Zanniat, 7,000 Khualsim, 4,000 Lente, 14,400 Zahau, 18,600 Laizo.{{cn|date=January 2024}}

Phonology

The Falam language has five spoken vowels, but in writing, six are used. Of the five spoken, three of them, /u/, /a/, and /ɔ/ are spoke from the back of the mouth, /i/ is spoken from the top of the mouth, and /e/ is spoken from the middle. /ɔ/ can be pronounced as aw or o.{{cite book |title=Chin Writers' Handbook |date=2011 |publisher=Bibles International |location=Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA}}

Writing system

A written script for Falam (Laizo) was created in 1924 by Rev. Dr. Herbert Cope.{{Cite journal |last=Lian |first=Salai Van Cung |last2=Salem-Gervais |first2=Nicolas |date=November 2020 |title=How Many Chin Languages Should Be Taught in Government Schools? Ongoing developments and structural challenges of language-in-education policy in Chin State |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345667190_How_Many_Chin_Languages_Should_Be_Taught_in_Government_Schools_Ongoing_developments_and_structural_challenges_of_language-in-education_policy_in_Chin_State |journal=Parami Journal of Education |volume=1 |issue=1}} Falam Chin is written using the Latin script, with the exception of the letters Q, Y, J and X. The consonants ṭ (t with dot), ng (Guttural sound), and aw vowel (IPA [{{IPA|ɔː}}] or [{{IPA|ɑː}}]) are frequently used in both Chin literature and speaking.

This is a sample of written Falam Chin:

{{Verse translation|lang=cfm|A hmaisabik ah Pathian in lei le van a seemsuah. Lei cu pianhmang le hmuithlam zianghman a rak nei lo.|In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep water.|attr1={{cite web|title=Chin (Falam) Language|url=http://www.language-museum.com/encyclopedia/c/chin-falam.php|website=LM Languages}}}}

Falam language

Dialects

Phonology

Writing system

References

Further reading