Thadou language
Thadou or Thado Chin/Thadou Kuki is a Sino-Tibetan language of the Northern Kuki-Chin-Mizo sub-branch. It is spoken by the Thadou people in Northeast India (specifically in Manipur and Assam). The speakers of this language use Meitei language as their second language (L2) according to the Ethnologue.
| Thadou-Kuki | |
|---|---|
| Thado, Thaadou, Thado-Pao | |
| Thadou | |
| Native to | India |
| Region | Manipur |
| Ethnicity | Thadou people and Kuki people |
Native speakers | 600,000 (2011–2017) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | tcz |
| Glottolog | thad1238 |
| ELP | Thado Chin |
The language is known by many names, including Thado, Thado-Pao, Thado-Ubiphei, Thādo, Thaadou Kuki, or just Kuki or Chin.
There are several dialects of this language: Hangshing, Khongsai, Kipgen, Saimar, Langiung, Sairang, Thangngeo, Haokip, Sitlhou, Singson (Shingsol). The Saimar dialect was reported in the Indian press in 2012 to be spoken by only four people in one village in the state of Tripura. The variety spoken in Manipur has partial mutual intelligibility with the other Mizo-Kuki-Chin languages varieties of the area including Paite, Hmar, Vaiphei, Simte, Kom and Gangte languages.