Mara (Mara reih)

Mara is a member of the Kuki-Chin-Naga branch of the Tibeto-Burman language family. It is spoken by about 400,000 people in the northeast of India and in western Myanmar. In India, it is spoken in the Chhimtuipui district in the south of Mizoram State, and it is spoken in Thantlang District in the west of Chin State in Myanmar. The area of Mizoram where Mara is spoken in India is also known as the Mara Autonomous District or East Maraland, and the area of Myanmar where it is spoken is also known as West Maraland.

Mara is also known Mara Chin, Tlosai, Lakher, Mara reih or မရာဘာသာစကား [mərà bàθàzəɡá].

A way to write Mara with the Latin script for created in 1852 by Captain Samuel Richard Tickell (1811-1875), an English solider, artist, linguist and ornithologist. Since then, a number of other ways to write the language have been devised. There is a Mara translation of the Bible.

Mara is an official language of the Mara Autonomous District in Mizoram, India, but has no official status in Myanmar. It is taught in primary and middle schools in India.

Mara alphabet

Download an alphabet chart for Mara (Excel)

Sample text

Ano chata ama hnohta, “Thlah nama chhâ khiahtala he hawhna heta tah muh vy: “Eima Paw, na moh zachhih mawh sy. Na khihnarâh za tlô mawh sy.
Nohchareih eima niepa maniah pie mah y;
eima moleinazy maniah ngiahthai mah y, keimo chhaota maniah a bâhpazy eima ngiahthai tyh; reipasaona liata maniah a chhi khah y,” tahpa ta.

Source: https://www.marabible.com/2020/08/luka-11.html

Translation

And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
The Lord's Prayer - Luke 11: 2-4

Source: https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.11.KJV

Sample videos in and about Mara

Information about Mara | Tower of Babel

Links

Information about Mara
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mara_language
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_theses/3744/
http://olac.ldc.upenn.edu/language/mrh

Kuki-Chin-Naga languages

Bawm, Biete, Chiru, Daai, Falam, Hakha, Karbi, Kom, Mara, Mizo, Mongsen Ao, Paite, Rongmei, Tedim, Thadou, Zeme, Zotung, Zou

Languages written with the Latin alphabet

Page created on 29.12.25. Last modified: 29.12.25

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