Assam Higher Secondary Skill Subject Advance Manipuri key terms

The indigenous script of the Meitei/Manipuri language, revived in the twentieth century after Bengali script became dominant. It writes consonants, independent vowels and several final consonant signs.

The set of final consonant letters in Meitei Mayek, used only at the end of a syllable. They are distinct from the full consonant letters and number about eight in modern usage.

The traditional Manipuri alphabet song listing the letters in order, used to teach and memorise Meitei Mayek. Reciting it is a standard classroom exercise in script instruction.

The vowel signs of Meitei Mayek that attach to a consonant to change its vowel, as opposed to independent vowel letters. Their correct placement is a common orthographic test item.

The Assamese-Bengali alphabet adapted for writing Manipuri from the eighteenth century onward and still used in many publications. Candidates must be able to convert between it and Meitei Mayek.

A medieval Manipuri text attributed to King Loiyumba, describing administrative and social regulations of the kingdom. It is treated as one of the earliest prose documents of the language.

Traditional Manipuri manuscripts written on handmade paper in archaic Meitei script, preserved by scholars and priests. They cover history, ritual, genealogy and law, and are primary sources for literary history.

The royal chronicle of Manipur, recording kings, events and dates from early times to the twentieth century. It is a key source for dating authors and literary periods.

A ritual-cosmological Puya text describing the creation of the world and the origin of the seven clans. It is often cited in discussions of early Manipuri religious and literary thought.

A stock character type in Manipuri folk performance, typically a strong, boastful but somewhat comic wrestler figure. The role appears in Lai Haraoba and related ritual theatre.

A major Manipuri ritual festival honouring the ancestral deities, featuring dance, music, chanting and ritual drama. Its songs and narratives are a foundational source of Manipuri oral literature.

A traditional Manipuri form of narrative song performance, sung by a lead singer with a chorus. Its repertoire includes love tales and mythological stories and it influenced later theatre.

A devotional dance-drama genre of Manipur depicting the love play of Radha and Krishna, performed in a circular mandap. It developed under royal patronage and shaped modern Manipuri theatre.

A Manipuri devotional performance genre combining song, drumming and dance in praise of deities, often performed by male troupes. It is closely associated with Vaishnava religious life.

Collective Manipuri devotional music and dance performed around the drum and cymbals, central to Vaishnava worship. It is recognised internationally as a living heritage practice.

A popular open-air theatre form in Manipur, adapted from Bengali models, using song, dialogue and stylised acting. It became a vehicle for social themes in the twentieth century.

Manipuri courtyard theatre performed on a raised platform with the audience on all sides, often using cross-gender casting. It is used for comedy and social reform messages.

The female impersonator role in Shumang Leela, historically played by men and now often by women. The role is a recognised specialisation with its own acting conventions.

The male impersonator role in Shumang Leela, performed by a woman. Together with Nupi Shabi it defines the cross-gender convention of this theatre form.

The legendary Manipuri lovers whose story, the Khamba-Thoibi epic, is a central narrative of the language. It appears in folk song, prose retelling, poetry and drama.

The cycle of legends centred on Moirang, including the Khamba-Thoibi story, transmitted orally and later written down. It supplies much of the material of Manipuri narrative literature.

A twentieth-century Manipuri writer known for fiction and essays addressing social change. His work is often studied for its treatment of modernity in Manipuri prose.

A major Manipuri writer of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, author of novels, short stories and screenplays. Her novel Boro Saheb Ongbi Sanatombi is a landmark of Manipuri fiction.

A historical novel by M. K. Binodini Devi portraying a Manipuri princess in the colonial period. It is frequently prescribed and studied as a milestone of Manipuri fiction.

The long prose narrative form in Manipuri, emerging in the twentieth century under the influence of Bengali and English fiction. Its themes move from history and romance to social realism.

A compact prose fiction genre that developed strongly in twentieth-century Manipuri periodicals. It is a common prescribed text type, valued for social observation and economy of style.

An early twentieth-century Manipuri poet and prose writer regarded as a pioneer of modern Manipuri literature. He promoted the use of the mother tongue and wrote patriotic and reflective verse.

A twentieth-century Manipuri poet and novelist whose romantic and patriotic verse shaped modern Manipuri poetry. He is also remembered for early prose fiction.

Verse composed in the Manipuri language, ranging from oral ritual song and folk ballad to modern free verse. Metre, refrain and imagery drawn from nature and devotion are recurring features.

A traditional Manipuri poetic form or refrain-based song composition associated with folk and devotional verse. Its repetitive structure makes it useful for studying rhythm and oral delivery.

The native Manipuri name for the Manipuri language, literally the language of the Meitei people. It is used in formal and literary contexts alongside the official name Manipuri.

A title meaning great god, applied to major deities in traditional Meitei religion and used in ritual texts. Knowledge of such terms helps in reading early religious literature.

The sacred grove deities of the Meitei, honoured in local shrines and at the Lai Haraoba festival. References to them recur in folklore, ritual song and modern poetry.

Traditional Manipuri folk tales told by the hearth, often featuring animals, spirits and moral lessons. They are a standard source for questions on oral narrative and children's literature.

A Manipuri word meaning new, used in literary criticism to describe modern or reformist trends in writing. It contrasts with traditional and classical categories in period surveys.

A Manipuri ordinal meaning second, used in titles of sequels and in periodisation labels in literary histories. Candidates should recognise it in bibliographic references.

The principle that a translated Manipuri text should convey the same meaning and function as the source, not word-for-word form. It is tested through passage translation and error correction.

Writing Manipuri words in another script, such as Roman or Bengali, by matching letters rather than meaning. It differs from translation and is commonly examined in script-conversion tasks.

Rendering fixed expressions of one language with a natural equivalent in the target language rather than a literal rendering. Manipuri proverbs often require this approach in composition tasks.

A short traditional saying expressing shared wisdom, common in Manipuri oral speech and used in essays and stories. Recognising and explaining proverbs is a frequent language exercise.