by Laiu Fachhai
The other day, I came across a web page where some Northern brothers of mine were making fun of the name (possibly the sound of the word) of a village in Maraland called Tongkalong. I had lived in Tongkalong as a Bialtu Pastor. I like the village and the people. And above all, it is my beloved Mara village. So I felt I was a bit hurt.
It seems that the sound of the word, Tongkalong, is a rather funny or terrifying one in the ears of the Mizo (Duhlian) speaking people, thanks to the Mizonization of its Mara name, Tôkalô. This brings us to the whole question of the Mizonization (read Mizo transliteration) of the names of Mara towns, villages, mountains, hills, rivers, valleys, lakes, etc. Let us examine a few examples.
Towns/village names:
Tôkalô in Mara (meaning a place where the sound of thunder is frequently heard) is transliterated Tongkalong in Mizo.
Palâ in Mara (meaning?) is transliterated Lawngban in Mizo.
Kaochao in Mara (meaning a river that makes gorge) is transliterated Kawlchaw in Mizo.
Lôbô in Mara (meaning a place where a memorial stone was erected) is transliterated Lungbun in Mizo.
Mawhro in Mara (meaning a place where bamboos are always alive, that is, they do not flower and die) is transliterated Mawhre in Mizo.
Satly in Mara (meaning?) is called Chakhang in Mizo (transliterated from the Châkhei hill near Satly village. Satly village is not commonly called Châkhei by the Mara people).
Zyhno in Mara (?) is transliterated Zawngling in Mizo.
Lakes and rivers:
Palâ (Tipo) in Mara (Palâ Lake) is transliterated Palak (Dil) in Mizo.
Tisôpi (River Tisôpi) is tranlilerated Tuisumpui in Mizo.
From the above few illustrations, we could see that many of the Mizo (Duhlian) transliterations of Mara names result in the loss of its Mara meaning. One wonders, if the Mara language were used as the lingua franca of the Mizoram State and so Lunglei is called Lôlei; Aizawl, Aizaw; Serchhip, Siachhi, etc, would the Mizo (Duhlian) speaking people tolerate? No, they shouldn’t. Names in native languages should never be changed. Aizawl should rightfully be called Aizawl, not Aijal.
The Mara Thyutlia Py (Mara Youth Organization) and the Mara Student Organization in more than one occasions, if I remember correctly, had passed resolutions to petition the Mizoram Government to change all the Mara names from its Mizo (Duhlian) transliterated ones to its original Mara names. The Mara Autonomous District Council too had the same in its agenda. Meanwhile, Tongkalong remains Tongkalong and this beloved village name of us continues to “entertain” some of our Northern brothers and sisters.
In the same way the name “Aijal” was changed back to its Mizo original name “Aizawl,” would it not be good if Mizo (Duhlian) transliterated Mara names too could also be changed back to their original Mara names?
Source: Zawlbuk.net
Some notes:
1. The writer, Dr. Laiu Fachhai, is an ordained Pastor and Reverend of Evangelical Church of Maraland (India). He had served in Africa for the 14/15 years as a missionary before his new assignment brought him and his family to Shillong, Meghalaya, India recently.
2. Satly village was often transliterated as Satlawng in Mizo. But the villagers themselves prefer to use Chakhei - their previous settlement very close to Satly (Sa- animals, tly-visit). Currently, it is transliterated as Chakhang. These days younger generations do not use Satly/Fatlau anymore. The reason Why they chose ‘Chakhei’ is recorded in ‘Chakhei Centenary Magazine.’
3. Mawhro - Maw comes from bamboo which is known as raMAW in Mara. Hro - greenish. A place where bamboo is always green and did not cause the deathly Mawta/Mautam phenomenon due to the flowering of bamboos. When Chapi/Chapui established the new village between Zyhno/Zawngling and Chapi, they named Mawhro - the correct translation in Mizo will be MauHring.
http://samaw.com/tongkalong-a-victim-of-the-mizonication-duhlianization-of-mara-names/955
The other day, I came across a web page where some Northern brothers of mine were making fun of the name (possibly the sound of the word) of a village in Maraland called Tongkalong. I had lived in Tongkalong as a Bialtu Pastor. I like the village and the people. And above all, it is my beloved Mara village. So I felt I was a bit hurt.
It seems that the sound of the word, Tongkalong, is a rather funny or terrifying one in the ears of the Mizo (Duhlian) speaking people, thanks to the Mizonization of its Mara name, Tôkalô. This brings us to the whole question of the Mizonization (read Mizo transliteration) of the names of Mara towns, villages, mountains, hills, rivers, valleys, lakes, etc. Let us examine a few examples.
Towns/village names:
Tôkalô in Mara (meaning a place where the sound of thunder is frequently heard) is transliterated Tongkalong in Mizo.
Palâ in Mara (meaning?) is transliterated Lawngban in Mizo.
Kaochao in Mara (meaning a river that makes gorge) is transliterated Kawlchaw in Mizo.
Lôbô in Mara (meaning a place where a memorial stone was erected) is transliterated Lungbun in Mizo.
Mawhro in Mara (meaning a place where bamboos are always alive, that is, they do not flower and die) is transliterated Mawhre in Mizo.
Satly in Mara (meaning?) is called Chakhang in Mizo (transliterated from the Châkhei hill near Satly village. Satly village is not commonly called Châkhei by the Mara people).
Zyhno in Mara (?) is transliterated Zawngling in Mizo.
Lakes and rivers:
Palâ (Tipo) in Mara (Palâ Lake) is transliterated Palak (Dil) in Mizo.
Tisôpi (River Tisôpi) is tranlilerated Tuisumpui in Mizo.
From the above few illustrations, we could see that many of the Mizo (Duhlian) transliterations of Mara names result in the loss of its Mara meaning. One wonders, if the Mara language were used as the lingua franca of the Mizoram State and so Lunglei is called Lôlei; Aizawl, Aizaw; Serchhip, Siachhi, etc, would the Mizo (Duhlian) speaking people tolerate? No, they shouldn’t. Names in native languages should never be changed. Aizawl should rightfully be called Aizawl, not Aijal.
The Mara Thyutlia Py (Mara Youth Organization) and the Mara Student Organization in more than one occasions, if I remember correctly, had passed resolutions to petition the Mizoram Government to change all the Mara names from its Mizo (Duhlian) transliterated ones to its original Mara names. The Mara Autonomous District Council too had the same in its agenda. Meanwhile, Tongkalong remains Tongkalong and this beloved village name of us continues to “entertain” some of our Northern brothers and sisters.
In the same way the name “Aijal” was changed back to its Mizo original name “Aizawl,” would it not be good if Mizo (Duhlian) transliterated Mara names too could also be changed back to their original Mara names?
Source: Zawlbuk.net
Some notes:
1. The writer, Dr. Laiu Fachhai, is an ordained Pastor and Reverend of Evangelical Church of Maraland (India). He had served in Africa for the 14/15 years as a missionary before his new assignment brought him and his family to Shillong, Meghalaya, India recently.
2. Satly village was often transliterated as Satlawng in Mizo. But the villagers themselves prefer to use Chakhei - their previous settlement very close to Satly (Sa- animals, tly-visit). Currently, it is transliterated as Chakhang. These days younger generations do not use Satly/Fatlau anymore. The reason Why they chose ‘Chakhei’ is recorded in ‘Chakhei Centenary Magazine.’
3. Mawhro - Maw comes from bamboo which is known as raMAW in Mara. Hro - greenish. A place where bamboo is always green and did not cause the deathly Mawta/Mautam phenomenon due to the flowering of bamboos. When Chapi/Chapui established the new village between Zyhno/Zawngling and Chapi, they named Mawhro - the correct translation in Mizo will be MauHring.
http://samaw.com/tongkalong-a-victim-of-the-mizonication-duhlianization-of-mara-names/955
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