A brief history of A, AW, B, CH
By Royal Thuamzapau Hangzo
Paite Language :
Spoken by some 50,000 people is listed by UNESCO as vulnerable to extinction . Alphabets of the Paite was first propounded by Pu T. Vialphung in 1903. But it was not circulated nor came in to use.
The Paite speaking people in the past never recognized nor used the nomenclature of Paite among themselves. Reference was always made according to the villages and the dialects used therein like the Tedim, Lousau, Bukpi, Dapzar, Ngennung, Vaalpau, Tuichiap, Lamzang, etc. In fact, Rev. D. Jones authored a Paite primer around the year 1910, that is almost the same time he brought out a Lushai primer, ‘Zirtir Bu’. Since the term Paite was not recognized or popularly used at that time by the Paite people in Guite area of Manipur, the book was withdrawn and it never saw the light of the day .
There was hardly any book to read in Paite language. Bible, Hymnals, and any book available were books written in Lushai or Duhlian language. During that time there was a primer, “Tedim Primer in Kamhau Dialect”, prepared by Rev. Joshep Herbert Cope in about the year 1910. But this primer was just a translation of English in to Paite, viz., “ I ate with spoon” as “Sikkeu tawh ka ne” and, “Red Sea” as “San Tuipi” .
The birth of “Sintung Bu”: