Chakpa language

Chakpa (Meitei exonym: Loi) is an extinct Sino-Tibetan language that was spoken in the Imphal valley of Manipur, India. It belonged to the Luish branch of the Sino-Tibetan family. Chakpa speakers have been shifted to that of Meitei language.^[1] Varieties of the language included Sengmai and Andro.^[2]

Chakpa was spoken in villages such as Andro, Sekmai (Sengmai), Phayeng, and Chairel, all of which are now Meitei-speaking villages.^[1]

Other names

Loi (or Lui; hence "Luish") is a Meithei exonym that includes Chakpa. Although Chakpa are typically considered to be Loi, not all Loi are Chakpa. For example, Kakching and Kwakta are Loi villages that are not Chakpa.^[1]

Documentation

Chakpa is preserved in written manuscripts that are recited by religious scholars during traditional ceremonies, such as those of the Lai Haraoba festival.^[1]

Chakpa word lists can be found in McCulloch (1859)^[3] and Basanta (1998).^[4]

The Chairel variety is documented in a word list by McCulloch (1859).^[3]

References

Further reading