14 Chapter 10

Chapter–10
Comparison with
Neighbouring Languages
10.0 The mother tongue Zou as the data show bears remarkable similarities
with Thadou, Vaiphei, Gangte, Paite, Simte, (recognized as Scheduled
Languages of Manipur State) and Neisial (one of the unrecognized languages
of Manipur State) which are spoken in the Churachandpur areas specially. It
was influenced by Manipuri language. Below are presented a brief
comparation of the speech data of Zou with the other languages as discussed
above (in the introduction part related to language identity, affiliation, and
classification) in the areas of their similarity:
10.1 Verbal Morphology:

1.1. In the following examples the similarity is based on the verbal morphology
where the verb is operated on the basis of certain suffixes with which it occurs.
On this basis a verb in these languages can be defined as a stem capable of
taking tense / aspect markers. In these languages, verb is not marked for
gender and number. Consider the following examples in support of this
finding.
a. Neisial : ama pa ziahin-a a-hu i
he mas here-loc 3pm-come
Thadou : ama pa hilai ah a hung e.
he mas here loc 3pm-come
Vaiphei : ama pa dziahin ahu hi
he mas here 3pm come
Gangte : ama pa ziatak hin a huhi
he mas here loc 3pm come
Paite : amah pa hiah- a a hopai hi
Simte : ama pa himun ah a hu hi
Zou : əma-pa tanah ə-hipəi hi
he mas here 3pm-come
English : “He comes here.”
221
b. Verb is also not marked for person, yet is very similar as in the following:
1. In singular:
Neihsial : ken an ka-nei
Thadou : kei in an ka-ne
Vaiphei : ken an ka-nei
Gangte : ken an ka-nei
Paite : ken ann ka-nehi
Simte : ken busi ka-ne hi
Zou : ken ann ka-ne hi
I rice pm-eat
English : “I eat rice.”
2. In plural:
Neihsial : kei-hon an ka-neu
Thadou : kei-hon bu ka-neu ve
Vaiphei : keu-un an ka-neu
Gangte : kei-hon an ka-neu
Paite : kou ann ka-ne
Simte : kom bu ka-ne hi
Zou : kou-in ann ka-ne uhi
we/I-Pl.mkr rice pm-eat
English : “We eat rice.”
1.2. On the varieties of verbs like simple and compound the similarities are
shown here. A simple verb has a single root with / without a suffix:
a. Simple verb:
Neihsial : kin ka ne
Thadou : ken ka ne
Vaiphei : kin ka ne
Gangte : kin ka ne
Paite : kin ka ne
Simte : kin ka ne
Zou : kin ka ne
I pm-eat
English : “I eat.”
222
Compound verb: Compound verb consists of more than one root and may
include one more suffixes. Here the suffix serves as the causative markers.
Neihsial : neh sah

Thadou : neh sah
Vaiphei : neh sah
Gangte : neh sah
Paite : neh sah
Simete : neh sah
Zou : neh sah
eat cause
English : “Cause to eat.”
Neihsial : sim sah

Thadou : sim sah
Vaiphei : sim sah
Gangte : sim sah
Paite : sim sah
Simte : sim sah
Zou : sim sah
read cause
English : “Cause to read.”
1.3. Similarities on the verbal stems regarding their morphological and

syntactic functions in areas of intransitive, transitive, and causative are shown
below:
a. Intransitive:
1. Neihsial : kei ka-ci di ahi
Thadou : kei ka-ci di ahi
Vaiphei : kei ka-ci di ahi
Gangte : kei ka-ci di ahi
Paite : kei ka-ciah di ahi
Simte : kei ka-ciah di ahi
Zou : kei ka-ciah di ahi
I pm-go shall aspt.mkr
English : “I shall go.”
223
2. Neishial : kei ka-nui di ahi
Thadou : kei ka-nui di ah
Vaiphei : kei ka-nui di ah
Gangte : ken nui addi kei*
Paite : kei ka-nui di ahizou
Simte : kei ka-nui di ahizou
Zou : kei ka-nui di ahizou
I pm-laugh shall asp.mkr
English : “I shall laugh.”
(* the order of the word is different)
2. Number system: Similarities in numbering systems are given below:

Numerals:
Neisial Thadou Vaiphei Gangte Paite Simte Zou English
xat xat paxat xat xat xat khat “one”
nih ni pani nih nih nih nih “two”
thum thum pathum thum thum thum h
t um “three”
li li pali li li li li “four”
ŋa ŋa paŋa ŋa ŋa ŋa ŋa “five”
gup gup pagup gup gup gup gup “six”
sagih sagi pasagi sagih sagih sagih sagi “seven”
giat giat pagiat giat iat giat giet “eight”
kua ko pakua kua kua kuo kuo “nine”
sawm sum pasom sawm sawm sawm sawm “ten”
somnih somni sawni sawmnih sawmnih sawmnih sawmni “twenty”
sawma sama sawma sawma sawma sawma sawma “fifty”
zaxat jaxat jaxat zaxat zaxat zaxat zakhat “hundred”
sa sa sa sa sa sa sa “thousand”
Similar formation of numerals from eleven to nineteen by compounding is as

Neisial Thadou Vaiphei Zou English
som-le-khatxat som-le-khatxat som-le-khatxat som-le-khat “eleven”
som-le-ni som-le-ni som-le-ni som-le-ni “tweleve”
som-le-thum som-le-thum som-le-thum som-le-thum “thirteen”
som-le-li som-le-li som-le-li som-le-li “fourteen”
som-le-ko som-le-kua som-le-kua som-le-kuo “nineteen”
224
Ordinals: These are formed by the addition of ordinal markers like na as
Neisial Thadou Vaiphei Zou English

miaxatna mixatna mipaxatna mikhatna “first man”
numeiaxatna numeixatna numeixatna numeikhatna “first woman”
uiaxatna uixatna uipaxatna uikhatna “first dog”
h
lek axatna lexaxatna lexapaxatna h h
lek ak atna “first book”
Gender: Attributives pu “male” and nu “femal” or pu and pi are also similar as
Neisial Thadou Vaiphei Gangte Paite Simte Zou English

loi loi loi loi loi loi loi fried
loipa loipa loipa loipa loipa loipa loipa m-friend
loinu loinu loinu loinu loinu loinu loinu f-friend
ca ca ca ca ca ca ca son/daughter
capa capa capa capa capa capa capa m-child
canu canu canu canu canu canu canu f-child
Finally, on the basis of the structural and lexical similarities of Zou

with its neighbouring languages as discussed earlier, the mother tongue Zou
may be classifiable under Kuki-Chin nearer to New Kuki group of Non-/r/
class and more nearer to Vaiphei and Gangte.
225

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Chapter–10

10.1 Verbal Morphology:

Neihsial : neh sah

Neihsial : sim sah

1.3. Similarities on the verbal stems regarding their morphological and

2. Number system: Similarities in numbering systems are given below:

Similar formation of numerals from eleven to nineteen by compounding is as

Neisial Thadou Vaiphei Zou English

Gender: Attributives pu “male” and nu “femal” or pu and pi are also similar as

Neisial Thadou Vaiphei Gangte Paite Simte Zou English

Finally, on the basis of the structural and lexical similarities of Zou

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