Thiek language
| Ṭhiek | |
|---|---|
| Thiek, Thriek, Thiak | |
| Ṭhiek Ṭawng | |
| Native to | India |
| Region | Dima Hasao district, Assam |
| Ethnicity | Ṭhiek, a subgroup of the Hmar people |
Native speakers | c. 3,100 (2016) |
| Language codes | |
| ISO 639-3 | – |
| Glottolog | thie1234 |
The Ṭhiek (also Thiek or Thriek or Thiak) language is spoken primarily by the Ṭhiek people, a subgroup of the Hmar people, in the Dima Hasao district of Assam, particularly in villages such as Boro Muolkoi, Retzawl, Huonveng (Haflong), Huonveng (Harangajao) and neighbouring settlements. Smaller communities of speakers are also found in Cachar district of Assam, Manipur and Meghalaya.[1] [2]
Ṭhiek is an endangered Hmaric language with approximately 3,126 speakers recorded in a 2016 publication. Although the language continues to be transmitted within some villages, the increasing use of Standard Hmar (Khawsak Ṭawng), Mizo, Assamese and English has contributed to its gradual decline among younger generations.[3]
Ṭhiek belongs to the Kuki–Chin branch of the Tibeto–Burman language family and forms part of the Hmaric subgroup, together with Hmar (Khawsak), Saihriem (Faihriem), Leiri and Duhlian varieties.[4]
Documentation
[edit]The Thiek language has been documented through field recordings, elicitation sessions, narratives, conversations, and photographs collected by linguist Marina L. Infimate in 2023-25. These materials are preserved in the Thiek Language Resource hosted by the UNT Digital Library and are also available through the Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR).[1][2]
A collaborative documentation of Saihriem and Thiek: Two South-Central languages of the Cachar cluster was also undertaken under the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme in partnership with Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.[3]
| Athu | Amaw (Amo) | Tuolor | Thilsong |
| Buhril | Hekte | Ralsun | Chawnghekte |
| Thluchung (TC) | Kungate | Selate | Tuolte |
| Ṭaite | Hnamte | Kangbur | Khawzawl |
| Lalum | Laldau | Saibung | Vankal |
| Pangote | Pangulte | Khawbuol | Pakhumate |
| Khumthur | Khumsen | Thlihran | Tamte |
| Hmante | Chawnnel | Zate |
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Thiek Language Resource". UNT Digital Library. Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- 1 2 "Thiek language". Endangered Languages Archive (ELAR). Retrieved 15 June 2026.
- 1 2 "A collaborative documentation of Saihriem and Thiek: Two South-Central languages of the Cachar cluster". Culture in Crisis. British Council. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
- ↑ VanBik, Kenneth (2009). Proto-Kuki-Chin: A Reconstructed Ancestor of the Kuki-Chin Languages (PDF). STEDT Monograph. Vol. 8. University of California, Berkeley. ISBN 0-944613-47-0.
- ↑ "Hmar Clans". Retrieved 13 August 2024.