Lotha language

Lotha
Lotha
Native to	India
Region	Wokha district, Nagaland
Ethnicity	Lotha Naga
Native speakers	179,467 (2001 census)
Language family	Sino-Tibetan Lotha;
Language codes
ISO 639-3	njh
Glottolog	loth1237
ELP	Lotha Naga

The Lotha language is a Sino-Tibetan language spoken by approximately 180,000 people in Wokha district of west-central Nagaland, India. It is centered in the small district of Wokha (capital Wokha). This district has more than 114 villages such as Pangti, Maraju (Merapani), Englan, Baghty (Pakti) and others, where the language is widely spoken and studied.

Names

Alternate names include Chizima, Choimi, Hlota, Kyong, Lhota, Lotha, Lutha, Miklai, Tsindir, and Tsontsii (Ethnologue).

Dialects

Ethnologue lists the following dialects of Lotha.

Live
Tsontsü
Ndreng
Kyong
Kyo
Kyon
Kyou

In the Linguistic Survey of India, linguist George Abraham Grierson analyzed various branches of languages in India and categorized various Naga languages into three groups: Western Naga, Eastern Naga, and Central Naga.^[2] Lotha falls into the Central Naga group, which also includes the languages Ao, Sangtam, and Yimkhiungrü.^[2]

Phonology

Consonants

		Labial	Dental/ Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Plosive	voiceless	p	t		k	ʔ
Plosive	aspirated	pʰ	tʰ		kʰ
Affricate	voiceless	p͡f	t͡s	t͡ʃ
Affricate	vd./aspirated	Error using {{IPA symbol}}: "p͡v" not found in list	t͡sʰ	t͡ʃʰ
Fricative	voiceless	f	s	ʃ		h
Fricative	voiced	v	z	ʒ
Nasal	voiced	m	n	ɲ	ŋ
Nasal	aspirated	mʰ	nʰ	ɲʰ	ŋʰ
Lateral	voiced		l
Lateral	aspirated		lʰ
Trill	voiced		r
Trill	aspirated		rʰ
Approximant	voiced	w		j
Approximant	aspirated			jʰ

/v/ when followed by /o/ can also be heard as [w] in free variation.
The pronunciation of the trills /r, rʰ/ may vary as approximants [ɹ, ɹʰ] or a retroflex fricative [ʐ] among speakers.
/j/ only occurs as phonemically aspirated as /jʰ/ among other dialects.
Plosives /p, k/ can be heard as unreleased [p̚, k̚] in word-final position.

Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i		u
Mid	e	ə	o
Open		a

When /u/ follows a labial consonant or /k, kʰ/, the consonant is then affricated and /u/ is realized as unrounded [ɯ]. The result is then from /ku, kʰu, pu, pʰu/ to [kvɯ, kfɯ, pvɯ, pfɯ].
/i/ may also tend to centralize and lower as [ɨ, ə] in open syllables when following sibilant sounds (/ʃi/ ~ [ʃɨ~ʃə]).
/ə/ may also range in pronunciation to a back sound [ɯ].^[3]
/i, u/ can also be heard shortened as [ɪ, ʊ] within the first syllable.^[4]

Orthography and literature

Lotha is written in the Latin script, introduced by the British and American missionaries in the late 19th century. It is a medium of education up to the post-graduate level in the state of Nagaland. It is also the language in which the church sermons are preached. The Bible has been translated into the Lotha language, adding significantly to its vocabulary, which had an influence of Assamese and Hindi.

Lotha Yi Tsüngon

Various Lotha Naga groups have started observing May 1 as its language day, Lotha Yi Tsüngon. In 2025 simultaneous events were organised by the Kohima Lotha Hoho,^[5] Lotha Hoho Dimapur, and Lotha Academy (Wokha) where an anthology of Lotha prose, Lotha Motsüran Ekhvürhyucho was released.^[6]

References

^ "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
^ ^a ^b Kumar, Braj Bihari (1 January 2005). Naga Identity. Concept Publishing Company. p. 75. ISBN 978-81-8069-192-8.
^ Bruhn, Daniel W. (2014). Proto-Central Naga; Lotha. A Phonological Reconstruction of Proto-Central Naga: University of California, Berkeley. pp. 151–154.
^ Acharya, K. P. (1983). Lotha grammar. Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
^ Morung Express News (4 May 2025). "Lotha Yi Tsüngon observed to promote indigenous language". The Morung Express. Retrieved 5 May 2025.
^ Morung Express News (1 May 2025). "Language roots cultural identity". The Morung Express. Retrieved 5 May 2025.

External links

[1] "Statement 1: Abstract of speakers' strength of languages and mother tongues - 2011". www.censusindia.gov.in. Office of the Registrar General & Census Commissioner, India. Retrieved 7 July 2018.

[:0-2] Kumar, Braj Bihari (1 January 2005). Naga Identity. Concept Publishing Company. p. 75. ISBN 978-81-8069-192-8.

[3] Bruhn, Daniel W. (2014). Proto-Central Naga; Lotha. A Phonological Reconstruction of Proto-Central Naga: University of California, Berkeley. pp. 151–154.

[4] Acharya, K. P. (1983). Lotha grammar. Mysore: Central Institute of Indian Languages.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)

[5] Morung Express News (4 May 2025). "Lotha Yi Tsüngon observed to promote indigenous language". The Morung Express. Retrieved 5 May 2025.

[6] Morung Express News (1 May 2025). "Language roots cultural identity". The Morung Express. Retrieved 5 May 2025.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]