About Chin Languages

Chin Languages are part of the Tibeto-Burman language family. They belong to the South Central sub-branch of Tibeto-Burman. This sub-branch used to be called Kuki-Chin, but that name is falling out of use for a variety of reasons. There are many Chin languages, including Hakha Lai (also known as Hakha Chin or Laiholh), Zophei, Lutuv (aka Lautu) Chin, Falam Chin, Matu, and many more. Most of these languages are spoken in Northwest Burma/Myanmar, and across the border in parts of India and Bangladesh. Among the Chin languages, there is plenty of variation in speech sounds, words, and many other features. In fact, there is so much variation across the Chin languages that the South Central Tibeto-Burman branch has itself been classified into Central, Peripheral, and Maraic branches. Many languages in this family are under-researched.

While the Chin languages’ origins are in South(east) Asia/ASEAN, there are a substantial number of speakers who are part of diaspora communities in the United States and in other countries around the world. One such community is in Indianapolis, Indiana, which is home to over 20,000 speakers of Chin languages. Much of the work done as part of the Chin Languages Research Project has been done alongside members of the Chin community of Indianapolis.

Many of the materials produced as part of this project are in Hakha Lai, one of the many Kuki-Chin languages spoken in Burma/Myanmar and Indianapolis. Hakha Lai is considered a lingua franca of the region since it is spoken in the capital of Chin State, and many speakers of other Kuki-Chin languages speak it as their second language. This means that many members of the community are multilingual.

References

Eberhard, D. M., Simons, G. F., & Fennig C. D. (eds.). (2020). Ethnologue: Languages of the World. Twenty-second edition. Dallas, Texas: SIL International. Online version: http://www.ethnologue.com.