Saihriem language

Saihriem
Faihriem, Sairiam, Sairiem, Sairhem, Saihriam, Syriem, Sairang
Saihriem/Syriem/Sairang
Native to	India
Region	Cachar District of Assam
Ethnicity	Faihriem
Native speakers	500–700 (2011)
Language family	Sino-Tibetan (Tibeto-Burman) Kuki-Chin Central Saihriem
Language codes
ISO 639-3	None (mis)
Glottolog	syri1242

The Saihriem (Faihriem, Syriem) language is spoken by a mixture of the Saihriem/Faihriem people- a sub tribe of Hmar group of tribes of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo and other ethnically closely related people such as the Aimol, Kuki, Vaiphei, in four neighbouring villages (Noxatilla, Bagbahar, Balisor, Nagathol & Saihriemkhuo villages) around Dwarbond in Bojalenga Block of Cachar District, Assam.

It is critically endangered, with the people who still speak the language numbering a few hundreds only. It was recorded wrongly as Sairang in the Census of India, 1901 and there were mere 71 speakers of the language at that time. It belongs to the Kuki-Chin branch of the Tibeto-Burman family of languages.

Basic vocabulary

Saihriem language	English
Engame i hming?	What is your name?
Ke hming chu Lala a eh.	My name is Lala.
Ka lawm ie.	Thank You
I dam naw?	How are you?
Ka dam ie.	I am fine.
Tui	Water
Boruok	Air
Rilei	Soil
Nga	fish
Ar (sa)	chicken(meat)
Vawksa	pork
Sehrâtsa	beef
Kêlsa	mutton
Dailaw	lentils
Zingkar	Morning
Khawlawi	Evening
Sawngkawl	Shirt
Tatuom	pants
Hmarcha	chilli
Samatarai	Orange
Thinghnatui	Tea
Lungsiet taka tui mi pek ta.	Please give me water.
Lungsiet taka bu mi pek ta.	Please give me food (rice).
Lungsiet taka an mi pek ta.	Please give me curry (side dish) vegetable / meat.
Engame ka pek sik che?	What will I give you?
Engam?	What?
Engtika?	When?
Engasik?	Why?
Khawtiengam?	Where?
Engtinam?	How?
Imuttui.	Sleep well. (The equivalent of "Good Night".)
Engtinam Aizawl se ka ti?	How do I go to Aizawl?
Ma hi engza man ame?	What is the price of this?
Dam taka se rawh ou.	Safe journey

Numbers

0	Biel
1	Inkhat
2	Phahni
3	Inthum
4	Inli
5	Ringa
6	Kiruk
7	Sari
8	Kiriet
9	Kuo
10	Sawm
20	Sawmhni
30	Sawmthum
40	Sawmli
50	Sawmnga
60	Sawmruk
70	Somsari
80	Sawmriet
90	Sawmkuo
100	Zakhat
200	Zahni
300	Zathum
400	Zali
500	Zanga
600	Zaruk
700	Zasari
800	Zariet
900	Zakuo
1000	Sângkhat
10000	Sîngkhat
100000	Nuoikhat
1000000	Maktaduoi
10000000	Vaibelsie
100000000	Vaibelsietak
1000000000	Tlukledingawn

Names of weeks

Sl. No.	English	Saihriem
1	Sunday	Pathienni
2	Monday	Thawṭanni
3	Tuesday	Thawleni
4	Wednesday	Nilâini
5	Thursday	Ningani
6	Friday	Zirtawpni
7	Saturday	Inrinni

References

• 1999, Robin D. Tribhuwan, Preeti R. Tribhuwan, Tribal dances of India ( Encyclopaedic profile of Indian tribes, volume 1), page 117: […] 21 clans. They are Biete, Changsan, Chawrai, Darngawn, Faihriem, […] and Zote. The past tradition suggests that each clan had a dialect of its own but nowadays a common dialect used by the Hmar people was developed by Christian missionaries

• 1902, B.C. Allen, B.A., I.C.S., Census of India, 1901. Volume IV. Assam. Part I. Report. Print. Chapter VIII, page 90.

External links

• [1] Saihriem language documentation in the Computational Resource for South Asian Languages (CoRSAL) archive