The Saihriem (Faihriem, Syriem) language is spoken by a mixture of the Saihriem/Faihriem people- a sub tribe of Hmar group of tribes of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo and other ethnically closely related people such as the Aimol, Kuki, Vaiphei, in four neighbouring villages (Noxatilla, Bagbahar, Balisor, Nagathol & Saihriemkhuo villages) around Dwarbond in Bojalenga Block of Cachar District, Assam.

It is critically endangered, with the people who still speak the language numbering a few hundreds only. It was recorded wrongly as Sairang in the Census of India, 1901 and there were mere 71 speakers of the language at that time. It belongs to the Kuki-Chin branch of the Tibeto-Burman family of languages.

Basic vocabulary Saihriem language English Engame i hming? What is your name? Ke hming chu Lala a eh. My name is Lala. Ka lawm ie. Thank You I dam naw? How are you? Ka dam ie. I am fine. Tui Water Boruok Air Rilei Soil Nga fish Ar (sa) chicken(meat) Vawksa pork Sehrâtsa beef Kêlsa mutton Dailaw lentils Zingkar Morning Khawlawi Evening Sawngkawl Shirt Tatuom pants Hmarcha chilliSamatarai Orange Thinghnatui Tea Lungsiet taka tui mi pek ta. Please give me water. Lungsiet taka bu mi pek ta. Please give me food (rice). Lungsiet taka an mi pek ta. Please give me curry (side dish) vegetable / meat. Engame ka pek sik che? What will I give you? Engam? What? Engtika? When? Engasik? Why? Khawtiengam? Where? Engtinam? How? Imuttui. Sleep well. (The equivalent of "Good Night".) Engtinam Aizawl se ka ti? How do I go to Aizawl? Ma hi engza man ame? What is the price of this? Dam taka se rawh ou. Safe journey

Numbers

0 Biel 1 Inkhat 2 Phahni 3 Inthum 4 Inli 5 Ringa 6 Kiruk 7 Sari 8 Kiriet 9 Kuo 10 Sawm 20 Sawmhni 30 Sawmthum 40 Sawmli 50 Sawmnga 60 Sawmruk 70 Somsari 80 Sawmriet 90 Sawmkuo 100 Zakhat 200 Zahni 300 Zathum 400 Zali 500 Zanga 600 Zaruk 700 Zasari 800 Zariet 900 Zakuo 1000 Sângkhat 10000 Sîngkhat 100000 Nuoikhat 1000000 Maktaduoi 10000000 Vaibelsie 100000000 Vaibelsietak 1000000000 Tlukledingawn

Names of weeks Sl. No. English Saihriem 1 Sunday Pathienni 2 Monday Thawṭanni 3 Tuesday Thawleni 4 Wednesday Nilâini 5 Thursday Ningani 6 Friday Zirtawpni 7 Saturday Inrinni

References

1999, Robin D. Tribhuwan, Preeti R. Tribhuwan, Tribal dances of India ( Encyclopaedic profile of Indian tribes, volume 1), page 117: [...] 21 clans. They are Biete, Changsan, Chawrai, Darngawn, Faihriem, [...] and Zote. The past tradition suggests that each clan had a dialect of its own but nowadays a common dialect used by the Hmar people was developed by Christian missionaries 1902, B.C. Allen, B.A., I.C.S., Census of India, 1901. Volume IV. Assam. Part I. Report. Print. Chapter VIII, page 90.

External links Saihriem language documentation in the Computational Resource for South Asian Languages (CoRSAL) archive