Rongmei (Ruangmei): a short guide
Rongmei (also written Ruangmei, and called Ruanglat by its speakers) is the language of the Rongmei Naga community, spoken across three states and taught in Manipur's schools.
The language
Rongmei is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by the Rongmei Naga community of north-east India. It has also been called Songbu, and it is closely related to Zeme, Liangmai and Inpui.
It is spoken in Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. In Manipur it is the most spoken language in Tamenglong and Noney districts, and the second most spoken in Imphal West and Bishnupur districts.
Under the name Ruangmei it is taught as a first-language paper from class I to X by the Board of Secondary Education, Manipur, and as a Minor Indian Language in classes XI and XII by the Council of Higher Secondary Education, Manipur. Published references include a Kabui (Rongmei) Grammar (P. Ibopishak Singh, 1990) and a Ruangmei–English Dictionary (G. Gangmei, 2012).
Basic words
| English | Rongmei |
|---|---|
| water | dui |
| fire | mai |
| house | kai |
| dog | shi |
| sun | neih |
| moon | bu |
Everyday phrases
Modern Ruangmei spelling uses three letters at the end of a syllable as tone marks rather than sounds: h, c and v. Both sources we used agree that h marks a glottal tone and c a rising tone; they describe v differently (falling in one, low in the other). So thangc in the phrases below is read "thang" with a rising tone.
| English | Rongmei |
|---|---|
| Hello! | Kalum e! |
| How are you? | Nang akumh bam cho? |
| I am fine. | Ai gayna bam de. |
| Thank you | Thuancku the |
| Who are you? | Nang thau cho? |
| Where is the bus-station? | Bus-station tabui thangc cho? |
Sources and further reading
Grammar descriptions on this page are drawn from the reference material listed below and from the community phrase set behind the translator. Where the sources disagree with each other, or a speaker's correction disagrees with both, the speaker's usage is followed.
- Rongmei language: names, relatives, geography, school status and further reading
- Singh, P. Ibopishak (1990), *Kabui (Rongmei) Grammar*: Government of Manipur
- Marrison (1967) word list, via Lexibank: CC BY 4.0
- Gangmei, Rev. G. (2013), *Inter-Language Translation* (English–Ruangmei–Liangmai–Zeme–Hindi): phrases; orthography notes from the same site's Learn Rongmei page