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Meitei grammar

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Meetei Mayek
This article contains the Meitei alphabet. Without proper rendering support, you may see errors in display.
Semantic reduplication in Classical Meitei language word for "Tiger" - combination of words originated from Ningthouja & Khuman linguistic varieties

Meitei grammar (Meitei: Meetei Lonmit), sometimes also known as Manipuri grammar (Meitei: Manipuri Lonmeet),[1][2] is the whole system and structure of Meitei language (also known as Manipuri), consisting of syntax and morphology (including inflections) and also phonology and semantics.[3][4]

The Meitei language clearly has characteristics of the Tibeto-Burman language group. These features include three types of velar nasal sounds, many words that sound the same, changes in the meaning of verbs, repeating or expanding words, final particles, a focus on aspect (how an action is happening) instead of tense (when it happens), no gender marking, a verb-final sentence structure, and a system where verbs are formed by adding many suffixes and fewer prefixes.[5]

Nouns

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Case

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The declension of nouns is very simple.[6] The terminations are-

Cases Meitei suffices Examples Description[6]
Nominative case Na mi-na a man (mi alone is often used).
Genitive case Gi mi-gi of a man.
Dative case Da mi-da (also mingonda*) to a man.
Accusative case Bu mi-bu a man.
Ablative case Dagi mi-dagi (also mingondagi*) from a man.
Locative case Da maphamda in a place

Number

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The plural in the case of human beings is formed by adding "sing" (or "shing") to the word and declining in the same manner as in the singular, as :-

  • Mising - men.
  • Misinggi - of men, etc.

There is no plural form for animals and other things. "Kheibik" and "pumnamak", all, or "yamna", many, are used to indicate plurality.[6]

Gender

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Gender, in the case of animals, is indicated by the addition of "laba" for the masculine and "amom" for the feminine, as :--

In the case of human beings, gender is indicated by the addition of "nipa" (or "nupa") and "nupi" (or "nipi"), but only when the same word is used for both male and female, as:-

Pronouns

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The personal pronouns are :

  • "ai"/"ei" or "eihak" - I,
  • "nang" or "nahak" - thou/you,
  • "ma" or "mahak" - he/she/it.[7]

The form ending in "hak" is honorific. The plural is formed by adding "khoi" to the singular non-honorific form. Pronouns are declined in the same way, as "mi", a man.[7]

Singular

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Case[7] First person pronouns Second person pronouns Third person pronouns
Nominative case Aina nangna mâna
Genitive case Aigi nanggi magi
Dative case Aingonda nangonda mângonda
Accusative case Aibu nangbu mâbu.
Ablative case Aigondagi nangondagi mangondagi.

Plural

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Case[7] First person pronouns Second person pronouns Third person pronouns
Nominative case Aikhoi nakhoi mâkhoi.
Genitive case Aikhoigi nakhoigi mâkhoigi.

Demonstrative pronouns

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The demonstrative pronouns are

  • Asi, or masi - this.
  • Adu, or madu - that.

"Asi" is also used in the same sense as "adu".[7]

Interrogative pronouns

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The interrogative pronouns are

  • Kana or kanano - who?
  • Kadai - what?[7]

Relative pronouns

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Relative pronouns are not used. A verbal participle with "asi" or "adu" is used in the place of relative pronouns, as:

The man who came yesterday leaves to-day = "ngarang lakpa mi adu ngasi chatkani."[7]

Adjectives

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All adjectives end in "ba", and an initial a may always be prefixed without altering the meaning, as:-

  • Good - aphaba, or phaba.
  • Large - achauba, or chauba.[6]

Adjectives can be declined like verbs, as :-

It was very good "masi yamna phare," where "phaba" has been changed into "phare" to give the word a past meaning. "Ba" is changed into "bi" in the feminine. Adjectives have no plural form.[6]

Verbs

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The conjugation of the Meitei verb is very complete. According to Arthur John Primrose (1888), no language has such a variety of tense forms to express present, past, or future action as found in Meitei language. Most of the varieties have distinct meanings of their own. Every verb has also a negative and interrogative form conjugated in all tenses except the interrogative future like the simple verb. The Meitei linguistic system divides the verb into present, past, and future tenses. They also have an imperative tense form under the present tense forms they classify what in English grammar is called the perfect tense. There are no less than eight different present tense forms with corresponding forms for the past and future tenses.[8]

There is no difference in the terminations of a tense, singular or plural, for the first, second, and third persons except in the imperative, which is irregular.[8]

The subjunctive mood is expressed by a participle ending in "labadi" or "rabadi". The "labadi" is used when the verb root ends in a consonant, "rabadi" when the root ends in vowel.[8]

The rule for the interchange of "l" and "r" is also observed in other tenses, "r" is always used after a vowel, "l" after a consonant.[8]

Participles

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The present participle ends in "duna" as:-

  • Touduna - doing.[9]

The past participle ends in "khiduna" or "luduna", as:-

  • Chatkhiduna - having gone.
  • Touruduna - having done.[9]

The future participle ends in "laga" or "raga" as "chatlaga," "touraga."[9]

The participle ending in "lingaida" or "ringaida" means at the time of doing a thing, as "when I was going there I saw him" = "aina asida chatlingaida maboo aina uram-mi."[9]

The participle in "kadabagi" or "nanaba" is used to express a purpose, as, "you make preparations to go" = "nang chatna-naba thourang tou."[9]

Participle in "ringaida" or "lingaida" - at the time of doing a thing.[9]

  • At the time of doing - tou-ringaida
  • At the time of going - chat-lingaida.[9]

Participle in "gadabagi" (kadabagi) or "nanaba" - in order to do a thing.[9]

  • I am arranging to do it - ei tou-gadabagi thourang touri
  • I am arranging to go - ei chat-kadabagi (chat-nanaba) thourang touri.[9]

Participle in "rabadi" or "labadi" - if I do a thing.[9]

  • If you do it - tou-rabadi
  • I shall go - eina chat-kani
  • If I go - eina chat-labadi
  • I will tell him - eina mangonda haigani

Participle in "banina" or "panina" - because.[9]

  • Because I did it he is pleased - eina toura-banina ma nungaire.
  • Because I went he was angry - eina chat-panina ma saore.

Participle in "gadaba" - must do a thing.[9]

Verbal noun in "bani" or "pani".[9]

  • The man who does - tou-bani.
  • The man who goes - chat-pani.
  • The man who did - tou-khrabani.
  • The man who went - chat-kadabani
  • The man who shall do - tou-gadabani.
  • The man who shall go - chat-kadabani.[9]

These verbal nouns can be used in the different tense forms, but the three forms given above are in general use, the other forms are rarely used.[9]

In sentences such as the following: "the work which is being done is good," "the work which has been done is good," the passive tense forms are expressed by participle forms preceding the noun to which they are related, as,[9]

  • the work which is being done is good - "touriba thabak adu fei;"
  • "the work which has been done is good" - "toukhriba thabak adu fei."[9]

After words like "kari" (what), "karam" (why), and other interrogative adverbs, a form is used ending in "page" or "bage", for example,[9]

  • "what are you doing?" - "nang kari touriage?"
  • "How did you go?" - "nang karam chat-lubage?"[9]

Negative and Interrogative forms

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Each of the eight forms for the present and past tenses have corresponding negative and interrogative forms. There is only one future negative and interrogative form. It is unnecessary to give all the different negative and interrogative forms for the present and past tenses as only two or three forms are in general use. The conjugation of the verbs "touba" and "chatpa" in their negative and interrogative forms is given below:[10]

Negative Conjugation

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Present tense (to do)[10] Present tense (to go)[10]
Touroi, toude chat-loi.
Touramde chat-lammoi.
Past tense (to do) Past tense (to go)
Toudre, tourudre chatte, chatlam-dre
Touramdre chat-ludre.
Future tense (to do) Future tense (to go)
Touraroi chat-laroi

Interrogative Conjugation

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Present tense (to do)[10] Present tense (to go)[10]
Toubra, toura-bra chatlibra, chat-pra
chatloidra, chat-tabra Toudabra, toudrabra
Past tense (to do) Past tense (to go)
Tourabra, tou-rambra chatlurabra, chat-lambra.
Tourudabra, touramdra chatludra, chatlamdra.
Future tense (to do) Future tense (to go)
Tougera, Tougadra chat-kera, chat-kadra

Adverbs

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English adverbs[11] Meitei equivalents[11]
Again

Alike

Already

Also

Amuk.

Amattâni.

Houjik.

Adusung.

Always

Apart

Backwards

Below

Before

Behind

Daily

Downwards

Early

Elsewhere

Hence

Here

Hitherto

How

Immediately

Like

Little

Monthly

Much

Namely

Never

Nearly

No

Now

Often

Once

Out

Opposite

Only

Perhaps

Probably

Quickly

Since

Soon

Sometimes

Mahousâ (leikhûk).

Tôpna (tôngngânna).

Tungdâ.

Makhada.

Mamângdâ (hânna).

Matungdâ.

Numit khuding.

Kumthabada.

Nganna.

Mapham amada.

Asômdagi.

Asida.

Houjik phâoba.

Karamna.

Houjik mak.

Mannana.

Khajikta.

Thakudingda.

Yamna.

Adumak.

Khaknattabâ.

Kharanangairê.

Natte (mai).

Houjik.

Hanna hanna.

Amarak.

Mapân.

Mâiyôk nana.

Makta.

Karigumba.

Wôiba mâllê.

Thûnâ.

Asidaraktagî.

Kharleiraga.

Karikarigumbada.

Somewhere

Then

There

Thus

Together

Unless

Until

Upwards

Very

When?

Well

Whence

Whence?

Where?

Where

Why?

Yes

Yearly

Karigumba mapham-da.

Mâduda.

Madarakta.

Maram asidaraktagî.

Lôinana.

Nattarabadi.

Adupkimakhai.

Mathak lõmda.

Yamna.

Kadaungei.

Phai.

Adudagi.

Kadaidagi?

Kadai?

Aduda?

Kari?

Hôi.

Chahi khuding.

Prepositions

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English prepositions[11][12] Meitei equivalents[11][12]
According to

Above

After

Among

At

Before

Behind

Below

Beside

Between

For

From

In, Into

Of

On

Out

Matunginna.

Mathakta.

Matungda.

Marakta.

Da (affix).

Mamangda.

Matungda.

Makhada.

Manakta.

Marakta.

Damak.

Dagi (affix).

Manungda.

Gi (affix).

Thakta.

Mapândâ

To

Till

With

Without

Youba.

Phâoba.

Lôinana.

Nattana.

Conjunctions

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English conjunctions[12] Meitei equivalents[12]
Although

And

As

so

Because

But

Else

For

However

If

Likewise

Or

Wherefore

Yet

Tinnaba hâiba.

Haibabu.

Amasung.

Adum adumnâ.

Karamnâ.

Tauigumbasung.

Nattarabadi.

Karamna, maramna.

Adumakpu.

Adumna, badi.

Su, adumna (suffix).

Wairabasung.

Aduna.

Tauigumbasung.

See also

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Bibliography

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References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Meitei grammar.
  1. ^ Naren, Akoijamba (1993). Sup Chillab Meetei Lonmeet Amasung Lonchat Prathap.
  2. ^ Minaketan (1974). Anganggee Meitei Lonmit.
  3. ^ Ms, Ningomba (1997). Manipuri Grammar.
  4. ^ Sharma, Nand Lal. Manipuri Grammar Ed. 1st.
  5. ^ "Manipuri language | Manipuri language | Meitei, India, Tibeto-Burman | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2025-03-24. Manipuri clearly has the genetic features of the Tibeto-Burman group. These include three positional occurrences of the velar nasals, widespread stem homophony, semantic bleaching of verbs, duplication or elaboration, final particles, the predominance of aspect rather than tense, a lack of gender marking verb-final word order, and agglutinative verb morphology, with extensive suffixation and more limited prefixation.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Primrose, Arthur John. A Manipuri Grammar, Vocabulary, and Phrase Book: To which are Added Some Manipuri Proverbs and Specimens of Manipuri Correspondence. India: Assam Secretariat Press, 1888. p. 2, 3
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Primrose, Arthur John. A Manipuri Grammar, Vocabulary, and Phrase Book: To which are Added Some Manipuri Proverbs and Specimens of Manipuri Correspondence. India: Assam Secretariat Press, 1888. p. 4
  8. ^ a b c d Primrose, Arthur John. A Manipuri Grammar, Vocabulary, and Phrase Book: To which are Added Some Manipuri Proverbs and Specimens of Manipuri Correspondence. India: Assam Secretariat Press, 1888. p. 5
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Primrose, Arthur John. A Manipuri Grammar, Vocabulary, and Phrase Book: To which are Added Some Manipuri Proverbs and Specimens of Manipuri Correspondence. India: Assam Secretariat Press, 1888. p. 9
  10. ^ a b c d e Primrose, Arthur John. A Manipuri Grammar, Vocabulary, and Phrase Book: To which are Added Some Manipuri Proverbs and Specimens of Manipuri Correspondence. India: Assam Secretariat Press, 1888. p. 10
  11. ^ a b c d Primrose, Arthur John. A Manipuri Grammar, Vocabulary, and Phrase Book: To which are Added Some Manipuri Proverbs and Specimens of Manipuri Correspondence. India: Assam Secretariat Press, 1888. p. 35, 36, 37
  12. ^ a b c d Primrose, Arthur John. A Manipuri Grammar, Vocabulary, and Phrase Book: To which are Added Some Manipuri Proverbs and Specimens of Manipuri Correspondence. India: Assam Secretariat Press, 1888. p. 38
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