Meitei script · Lablypedia

Since Meitei language does not have voiced consonants, there are only fifteen consonant letters used for native words, plus three letters for pure vowels. Nine additional consonants letters are available for writing loan words. There are seven vowel diacritics and a final consonant () diacritic. The names of the twenty-seven letters are based on parts of the human body.

Origin

The origin of the Meitei script remains undetermined. One theory considers it a variety or direct development of the Gupta Brahmi script, while another places it within the Tibetan group of scripts, which ultimately developed from the Gupta Brahmi as well.

Singh in People of India (1992) describes Meitei-Mayak as a variety of Gupta Brahmi. Similarly in Languages and Scripts (1993), Singh and Manoharan state that the old Manipuri script developed from Gupta Brahmi. This view is also found in other linguistic and historical works, which characterize Meitei Mayek as deriving directly from Gupta Brahmi.

Another view places Meitei Mayek within the "Tibetan group of scripts". Singh and Manoharan (1993) classify Meitei Mayek alongside Tibetan, Balti, Hingna, U-Chhen, and U-Med in a Tibetan group based on the Gupta Brahmi-derived Kutilya tradition. They also note that Meitei Mayek underwent modifications to represent the sounds of the Meitei language. This classification is echoed by "Facts about the World's Languages", which includes Meithei Mayek among the Tibetan group of Gupta Brahmi scripts. Other sources are more clear in deriving the Meitei script from the Tibetan group of scripts, rather than just categorizing it as part of this grouping. The "Word: Journal of the Linguistic Circle of New York" (2001) states that Meitei script developed "on the basis of the Tibetan scripts", that themselves originated from Gupta Brahmi. The Encyclopedia of India also names the Limbu, Lepcha, and Meitei scripts as scripts that are based on a version of the Tibetan script. Unicode explicitly states that that Meitei Mayek derived from the Tibetan group of scripts.

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History

Regarding epigraphic records, Meitei script appears in the Yumbanlol (Yumpanlol), composed somewhere between 568 and 658 C.E. It was a group of copper plate inscriptions about an ancient Meitei language literary work.

The Old Manipuri script also appears on coins issued during the reigns of Meitei Kings, Ura Konthouba (c. 568-653 CE) and Ayangba (c. 821-910 CE). These coins are presently preserved in the Mutua Museum in Imphal.

The earliest stone inscription, found in the village of Khoibu, Manipur, is also believed to date to time of Ura Konthouba. This inscription is presently kept in the Manipur State Museum, Imphal.

Another early copper plate Meitei inscription dates to the 8th century CE, inscribed during the reign of King Khongtekcha (c. 721 AD). It was discovered by scholar Yumjao from Phayeng in 1935. It is one of the earliest known examples of Meitei literature.

A stone inscription found at Khoibu in Tengnoupal district, of current Manipur state, contains royal edicts of king Senbi Kiyamba (d. 1508), representing one of the earliest portion of the Chietharol Kumbaba or Royal Chronicle of Manipur. It is one of the primary texts in the Meitei script.

Recent developments

In 1980, a modernized version of the writing system was approved by Manipuri law for use in educational institutions. The modernised version of the Meitei script was encoded in Unicode in 2009.

in 2022, a joint meeting consensus of the Meetei Erol Eyek Loinasillol Apunba Lup, the All Manipur Working Journalists' Union and the Editors' Guild, Manipur agreed that Meitei language newspapers would switch from the Bengali script to the Meitei script from 15 January 2023.

Letters

One of the unique features of this script is the use of body parts in naming the letters. Every letter is named after a human body part in the Meitei language. For example, the first letter "kok" means "head"; the second letter "sam" means "hair"; the third letter "lai" means "forehead", and so on. This association appears in the book Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok Puya, which details how each script originated received its nomenclature and which is widely considered to be the source of the Meitei script. Some letters have a second form (lonsom) that is used at the end of a word and are used to indicate stop consonants.

In the traditional Meitei religion of Sanamahism Meitei letters and numerals are believed to be the creations of the supreme God.

Primary letters

Independent vowels

In Meitei Mayek, vowels are not listed separately before the consonants, unlike in most Brahmic scripts. Instead, they appear within the main sequence of the script.

Independent vowels are used only when a word starts with a vowel, just like in most Indic scripts. Otherwise, vowels appear as diacritics attached to consonants.

Meitei Mayek has seven independent vowel letters, including ⟨ꯑ⟩, which is used as a default vowel carrier:

Examples:

ꯑꯣꯏꯅꯥ (oina) – ‘like ( comparatively ) / left'
ꯑꯣꯖꯥ (oja) - 'teacher'

Since Meitei Mayek preserves independent vowels, it functions similarly to Brahmic scripts in terms of structure, even though the vowel ordering differs from most Indic alphabets.

Vowel diacritics

Syllables are written by adding vowel diacritics (cheitap eeyek) to consonants.

Numerals

Unicode

Meetei Mayek (Meitei script) was added to the Unicode Standard in October, 2009 with the release of version 5.2.

The Unicode block for the Meitei script is U+ABC0 – U+ABFF.

Characters for historical orthographies are part of the Meetei Mayek Extensions block at U+AAE0 – U+AAFF.

Software

Meitei Mayek keyboards and other input methods are available at or supported by:

In popular culture

The Living God: Medicine and The Ancient Meetei Civilization, 2015 documentary film