Mao language (India)

{{Short description|Sino-Tibetan language spoken in India}}

{{Contains special characters|Meitei}}

{{Distinguish|Mao languages|Southern Mao language}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}

{{Use Indian English|date=July 2019}}

{{Infobox language

| name = Mao

| nativename = Sopvoma, Emela, Mao' La

| image = "Mao" written in Meitei script.jpg

| imagecaption = Mao written in Meitei script

| states = India

| region = Nagaland, Manipur

| ethnicity = Mao Naga, Poumai Naga

| speakers = 240,205

| date = 2011 census

| ref = {{Cite web|url=http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Census/Language_MTs.html|title=Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues – 2011|publisher=Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India|website=censusindia.gov.in|access-date=2018-07-07}}

| familycolor = Sino-Tibetan

| fam2 = Angami–Pochuri

| lc1 = nbi

| ld1 = Mao

| lc2 = pmx

| ld2 = Poumai

| glotto = naga1397

| glottorefname = Naga Maoic

| dia1 = Paomata

| fam1 = Sino-Tibetian

| minority = India

| pronunciation = mau

}}

{{Naga people}}

Mao, also known as Sopvoma, is a Sino-Tibetan language of the Angami–Pochuri linguistic sub-branch.{{Cite web |title=Mao (Naga) language and alphabet |url=https://omniglot.com/writing/mao.htm |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=omniglot.com}} It is spoken primarily in Senapati district, northwestern Manipur and in Nagaland, India. It is similar to Angami.{{Cite web |title=Mao (Naga) language and alphabet |url=https://omniglot.com/writing/mao.htm |access-date=2023-04-15 |website=omniglot.com}}

The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.{{Cite web |title=Meitei {{!}} Ethnologue |url=https://www.ethnologue.com/language/mni/ |access-date=2023-05-03 |website=Ethnologue |language=en}}