Lai languages

The Lai languages are those Kukish languages spoken by the Lai people. They include Laiholh (Hakha-Chin) spoken around the Haka (Hakha/Halkha) capital of Chin State in Burma (Myanmar) and in the Lawngtlai district of Mizoram, India. In Bangladesh, a related language is spoken by the Bawm people. Known locally as Hakha Holh, it is probably the most spoken language in Chin State. Another branch of Lai Kukish includes Falam Lai (Laizo, Zahau and Sim), better known as Laitong. Other Lai languages are Senthang, and the Zokhua dialect of Hakha spoken in Zokhua village.

Lai languages are used in Hakha, Falam, Matupi and Thantlang townships of Chin State. However, the Lai language spoken in Falam township is called Laizo (Hlawnceu), Zahau and Sim dialect and is a little different from the version spoken in Hakha Lai because the Hakha dialect is not a tonal language. However, 87% of its usage in Laizo dialect itself and Falam Lai or Laizo are the same. Therefore, it is intelligible between Falam Lai and Hakha Lai. Laizo language is very close to its sibling Mizo language, chiefly used in Mizoram state India. Due to its closeness to the Mizo language, Laizo language vocabularies have been seen quite common in Mizo language. It is probably due to history that some of Mizo have been living in the west part of Chin State before they migrated to the current Mizoram. History also said that the Mizo language is derived from the Zahau (Lai) language.

According to Thomas Han Tai, British soldier Lieutenant R. Steward Hudson developed the first writing system of Chin dialects in 1857 AD.

Lai language is written with the Roman alphabet. D.J.C. MacNabb, B.Sc., political officer in Haka, wrote the first Lai language writing handbook, "The Handbook of Haka or Baungshe Dialect of Chin Language," printed by Superintendent, Government Printing Press, Rangoon, in 1891. In 1894 Surgeon Major A.G.E Newland (IMS) redeveloped the Lai writing system and published a book called "A Practical Hand Book of the Lais as spoken by the Hakas and other allied tribes of the Chin Hills (Commonly the Baungshe dialect)," printed by the Superintendent, Government Printing, Burma, 1897. Later, the first Chin Hill missionaries Rev. Arthur E. Carson and Laura Carson arrived in Haka on 15 March 1899. With the arrival of Rev. Dr. Tilbe in 1900 in Haka, he and Rev. Arthur Carson researched the Lai writing system developed by Major A.G.E Newland. Still, the latest version of the Lai writing system was far from being perfection.

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