Mara Cha Thaokeina - Origin of Mara Written Language

Mara reih he charopa ta eima hneituana he debate pathai kawpa ta reira tyhpa cha ta. Rev. Vako - Eli Paw ta atahma he athao tuana dah a vaw roh. Vaw reih cheingei hra ma y.

Mara Cha Thaokeina - Origin of Mara Written Language

by Rev. Vako (Elipaw)

Pathaona

Mara châ a vaw thaona or a vaw puana kyh lâ chhah ta ropa châbu ei hnei hluh kaw leipa chhaota ei hmopa nata theipa rakha liata a duapa ta Mara châ thaokeina thatih he ei vaw roh. Mara châ vaw puana kyh he roh chyupa châ ta, a ly â chhih kaw. Anodeikua, pahnopasia awpa â byuh lymâ chypa ta ei pahno. He kyh nata a zaopata research ataotuhpa ahyzy tlymâ vaw roh via laih heih aw ei ta, cha tita, ado viapa a hmeihseih viapa eima pahno laih awpa a châ. Tahma ta ei rohpa he hmo theipa source-zy liata a duapa ta ropa a châ. Mara châ vaw thaokeina kyh he N.E Parry ta ano pahnona rakha liata a duapata a palâsa (N.E Parry, The Lakhers : 1932, pp. 510-512).

Parry ropa tawhta Mara châ thaokeina eima hmopa cha ary lâ hawhta reipasia tua ei suh u.

1. Aduana Sâkhana (first hypothesis)

Captain S. R Tickell and Captain Lewin taopa ta apyna

“The first record of the language was made by Capt. S.R Tickell, who in 1852 drew up a short vocabulary,” Parry ta a tah. Parry hmâpa source cha, Capt. S.R Tickell châbu, “Notes on the Heuma or Shendoos: A Tribe inhabiting the Hills North of Arracan” a châ. He heta a palâsapa cha Tickell he 1800 rachhôh liata âtahma Rakhine State (Arakan hills) zydua liata hmo yzi a pahnopa a cha nata â ngia. Ano heta (Shandoos) tlymâ Heimas (tahmâ Heima) zy châta châ a tao awpa ta â ngia. Cha cha Parry ta “Tickell na Mara Châ a tao” tahpa ta a ropa a châ. He he nata a lyupa Parry ta a hma hropa source cha Captain Lewin ropa “The hill tracts of Chittagong and the dwellers therein,” tahpa châbu châ ta, Parry ta he hawhta a reih. “Lewin also drew up a list of common Shendu words.” Bangladesh râh Chittagong kiapâh liata a ypazy kyh areina liata Shendoos-zy kyh pahlaopa ta a reina a châ. Chavâta eima pahno theipa sâkha cha Burma râhlâ tawhta pahnopa(Shendu) zy reih ta a châ aw.

Reipasiana:

He mo panopenawh reipa “Mara Châ” he tahma hmâ haipa Mara Châ a cha nata pangiasâ a chhih vei.. Marapa vyuhpa ta “Shendo” tahpa hawhrawh ama hmâpa vâta a châ. Chavâta he panopenawh reipa he Mara Châ taona he (kheihawhpa sulâ a chhai hra ei sala) tahma eima hneipa nata azaona y vei tah theipa a châ.

2. Aduana Sanona (second hypothesis)

Rev. F. W Savidge taopa ta apyna

“India râh Lungleh bia liata a ypa Baptist misawnari ta Mara châ he a tao” tahpa a châ. He he N. E Parry chhaota he hawhta roh ta, “It was not, however till 1908 that a grammar and dictionary of the language was published by the Rev. F.W. Savidge, a missionary working at Lungleh.” He he “ado tlai,” tahpa ta Samaw.com liata chhao Mara Grammar châbu-paky palâsa hawpa a châ hra. Cha F.W Savidge ropa Mara Châ alphabet-zy cha he Parry ta ary lâ hawh heta a roh.

A Aw D F I L Ng P T V

Â B E H J M O R U Z zy he a cha.

A Ch E (chô khupa) I K N Ô S U (chô khupa)

Savidge taopa Mara Châ

Consonant-zy,

B, Ch, D, F, H, J, K, L, M, N, Ng, P, R, S, T, V, Z zy a châ (17 Consonants)

Vowel-zy:

a, â, a, aw, e, e=chô pakhupa, i, i=chô pakhupa, o, ô, u, u = chô pakhupa, zy châ ta, (12 vowels) a y. Consonant nata vowel zydua pahlyhpa ta Mara hawhrawh zydua 29 a pha. Parry chhopasiana hawh khiahta cha, “ng” he kheihawhpa liata tlymâ ao pachhana liata a hmâh. Pakhona ta,

1. Setongpa=A bull mithun

2. Mitongpa=a billy goat

Reipasiana:

Rev. Savidge he Tickell tlymâ nata Lewin tlymâ taopa Shendu châ tawhta a la pachhuah awpata a ngia vei. Ano eihpa tlai ta a taopa a châ nata â ngia. A chhâpa cha he panopenawh he Arakan lâ tawhta tlymâ, Sittagong lâ tawhta Shendoos kyh a reihpazy châ ei ta, Rev. Savidge he Mawrâh kiapâh liata a ypa, Lakher tahpata pahnopazy châ taotuhpa a châ. Anodeikua, ano taopa Mara châ he a khinarah pakawh n’awpa a hnei kaw leipa vâta ano taopa cheingeih he hmâpa châ vei tah theipa a châ. Ano ta Mara châ ta a tao hropa châbuzy a yleipa vâta a châ.

3. Aduana Sathohna (third hypothesis)

Lorrain taopa a cha tahpa ta apyna

Parry ta he hawhta a reih heih: “Mr. Lorrain has, I believe, compiled a Lakher Grammar and Dictionary, but has not as yet published it; he has drawn up an alphabet of his own which he has used in all the books he has published” a tah. Lorrain ano tlai ta a ropa Five Years In Unknown Jurgle tahpa châbu page 367 liata, “Lakher language—which was without sign or character of any kind—reduced to writing” a tah hra. Parry ta a palâsapa Lorrain Alphabet zy cha:

A B E K N Ô S V Yu

Aw Ch H L Ng F T Z

Y D I M O R U Ao

Chavâta, consonant-zy:

B, Ch, D, H, K, L, M, N, Ng, F, R, S, T, V, Z, zy a châ (15 consonants)

Vowel-zy: (a, aw, y, i, o, ô, u, ao, yu) zy châ ta, a zydua 9 a pha. Chavâta Lorrain taopa Mara châ hawhrawh zydua cha (24) a châ. Lorrain taopa Mara châ hawhta reina ta:

1. Seitopa: a bull mithun, (Setongpa = Savidge)

2. Mitopa: a billy goat (Mitongpa = Savidge)

Reipasiana:

Rev. Arthur Lorrain ta a taopa Mara châ alphabet he ano ta a papuapa châbu zydua liata nata Biehrai nata hlabu zy liata chhao hmâpa a châ. “Mara Grammar nata Mara Dictionary chhao a papua hra” tahpa ta Parry ta a reih. Âtano hmâ haipa Mara châ cha Lorrain taopa tlai he a châ.

Pachhana

Parry he Marapa châta a ly tlâh awpa chyhsâ a châ. Ano ta a palâsapa Tickell nata Lewin zy ta Shendoos châ ama taopa chhao he alâ leipata historical fact sâkha hawhta apy awpa a châ. Ama taopa Shendu châ eima hmo leipa tacha kheihawhpa hema ama tao tahpa pahno theipa cha vei. Aduana châta châ vei. Rev. Savidge he Mara châ tao tlai ta, Grammar chhao a papua haw. Parry chhao Savidge taopa Mara hawhrawh he ano châbu liata a hmah lymâ hra. Savidge taopa Mara châ he ano Savidge Grammar châbu, Dictionary nata Parry châbu zy lia deita hmo theipa a châ. Lorrain chhao ano eihpa Mara alphabet zy tao hra ta, Parry reipa hawhta Biehrai nata hlabu, a mission chakaona liata chhao ano taopa Mara châ ta a roh lymâ. Âtanoh taihta ano taopa Mara châ he hma lymâpa Mara châ a châ.

A chô liata palâsapa hawhta Mara châ he mo pakha deita taopa châ vei tahpa cha â sia haw. He hawhta Mara châ maniah ataopatuhpazy hnohta alyna bie eima hla. Keimo nata keimo ta eima châ achu via lymâ ta, roh thai ta, khâsia ta, palaiseihsa ta, a pachu pachhuah lymâ awpa he Marapa ahy rai ta eima tao byuhpa a châ.