Local Names : Mizoram

Mizo and Mara Names

Mizo

Asian Elephant	Sai
Asiatic Black Bear	Savawm
Assamese Macaque	Zawng
Binturong	Zamphu
Capped Langur	Ngau
Chinese Pangolin	Saphu
Clouded Leopard	Kelral
Common Leopard	Keite
Common Otter	Sahram
Dhole	Chinghnia
Gaur	Ramsial
Golden Cat	Keisen
Grey Mongoose	Sarivaithun
Himalayan Brown Goral	Sathar
Himalayan Striped Squirrel	Hleimualrang
Hoary-bellied Squirrel	Hleipui meipar
Hog Badger	Phivawk
Hoolock Gibbon	Hauhuk
Indian Wild Pig	Sanghal
Jackal	Sihal
Jungle Cat	Sauak
Large-toothed Ferret Badger	Sahmaitha
Leopard Cat	Sangar
Malayan Giant Squirrel	Awrrang
Malayan Sun Bear	Samang
Munjtac	Sakhi
Pallas's Squirrel	Hleikapsen
Phayres Leaf Monkey	Dawr
Porcupine	Sakuh
Red Giant Flying Squirrel	Biang
Rhesus Macaque	Zawng
Royal Bengal Tiger	Keipui
Sambar	Sazuk
Serow	Saza
Small Indian Civet	Tlumpui

This is from Mizoram and Its Wildlife by Pu Zonunmawia and Pu Pradhan

Arunachal has had a long history of very unsteady political forces, and both geography and politics isolate and fracture the communities there. Their inner social organization does not allow sharing of languages either, which gives rise to many languages. It is similar in Nagaland, where communities are not willing to share their mother tongues, and so a language, Nagamese, has to be concocted for functional reasons. Nagamese is the pan-Nagaland language, but no one from Nagaland will say that it’s their mother tongue. Like English in India—because all Indians will not agree on sharing any one Indian language as the national language. The answer to the Arunachal question is the same as the answer to the question: “Why does India have so many languages?”Ganesh Devy 'Each language is a unique world view'- Rudraneil Sengupta

Mara

Asian Elephant	Masia
Asiatic Black Bear	Chave
Common Leopard	Keichhang
Gaur	Chawlia
Himalayan Brown Goral	Sawthaw
Indian Porcupine	Sawku
Indian Wild Pig	Ngiacha
Malayan Sun Bear	Veti-khawpa
Munjtac	Sakhi
Rhino	Kawra
Royal Bengal Tiger	Keipei
Sambar	Sasu
Serow	Sawzaw

This is from N E Parry’s Seminal work on the region MARAS

A language gives a unique world view and no two languages have the same world view. By world view I mean how one looks at time, space and man’s relationship with oneself, society, nature and God.Ganesh Devy 'India becoming graveyard of languages' - Maulik Pathak

Mara

Asian Elephant	Ma-sia
Asiatic Black Bear	Vy-ro, Cha-vy
Capped Langur	a-tu-zy-dao
Chinese Pangolin	Sa-phu
Common Leopard	Kei-chho, Kei-ta
Common Palm Civet	Sa-to
Dhole	Cha-ngi
Porcupine	Saw-ku, Sa-da
Himalayan Palm Civet	a-lei sa-to
Hog Badger	Pi-vao
Hoolock Gibbon	Vei-tu
Indian Wild Pig	Ngia-cha
Large Indian Civet	Hmei tai kha
Malayan Sun Bear	Vy-ti-khao-pa
Marbled Cat	Sa-haw
Phayres Leaf Monkey	Pa-la
Red Giant Flying Squirrel	A-bai
Royal Bengal Tiger	Cha-kei
Serow	Saw-zaw
Slow Loris	Ru-lei-pa
Small Indian Civet	Lo-bu-pa

This is from R A Lorrain’s Five Years in Unknown Forests and Mara Dictionary.

PLSI  - Mizo and Mara
Many thanks to Dr. Devy for encouraging to put this in place.
Mizoram days are when I got interested in local names and reading Lorrain and Parry played a role in this. I pondered on the role they could play in conservation education. During days of my trips to Nagaland I put in place a piece titled – What’s in a name?