Khuo, Khuo, Khuo

By Pu L.Keivom*, Inpui Columnist

Words fascinate me. They always have. For me, browsing in a dictionary is like being turned loose in a bank.

-Eddie Cantor

March 3, 2011, Delhi. Khuontevîkin ka tho a. Verandaa kan par khawihai chu tui pe dingin kotkhar ka hong a, ruo a lo sùr hmer hmer a. Eini trong chun ‘khuo’ a sie a lo ni zing a. Sienkhom kan khawsakna khuo Delhi khuo ruok chu, ruo a sur ti naw chuh, a pangngai zing a na, iengkhom a se nawh. Chu bakah, Delhi tlanga khawsahai ta ding chun raw sur hi ‘khawsiet’ ni loin malsawmna, boruok bal inthieltu, lum hnot zâmtu le a hnuoia tui intling, nasa taka an hìp phai tah chu hung sung bit nawktu, tui chawitu thra le lawmum a nih.

Chu chun ‘khuo’ ti trongkam umzie hi a mi’n ngaituotir a. “Ka khuo a sik” titu le “Ka khuo a sawt” titu khuo chu ieng khuo am ning a ta? Khuo chu ieng leia pakhat sika pakhat a sawt thei tlat? Khaw lum, khaw dei, khaw innim, khaw inàng, khaw inthieng, khaw dul/ngui, khaw thràl, khaw thim, khaw var, khawfingchat ei tia ‘khaw’ tia ei lam po po hi ‘khuo’ tia vowel ‘uo’ lam kop harsa chu olsam lema ei lam theina dinga ei kei marna (declension) a ni a, a thu kawk tieng chun sik le sa inlumlet dan le boruok inthlak danglam dan ei hrilna a ni tlangpui.

Ei zuk sui inthûk deuh chun, ‘khuo’ ti thu mal hi taksa khawvel le thlarau thilah ei hmang trangkai hle a, a thrang lo chun ei khawsa thei naw a ni tak. Chuonga ei hmangna tum tumhai chu a bat batin a tawi thei angin hang hril vak ei tih.

Sakhaw tieng hrilna

Thilsiem le a Siemtu indawrna le inlaichinna thu hrilna trongkam ei ser suok chu ‘Sakhuo’ ti a nih. Chu chu mihriem nina awiawtu ‘Sä’ (Being) le ‘Khuo’ inkopa inthoka thu mal an hung ser suok a nih. Ei pi le puhai khan hnuoi le van le iengkim siemtu umin an ring a, ama chu an biek a, hming hrang hrangin an ko a, chuonghai laia a hming pakhat chu Khawzing (Khuo+Zing) a nih. Hi thu, chipchier lema ka suina chu May 29, 2001 khan ‘Khawzing’ ti thupuia hmangin artikul ka ziek a, Delhi Thurawn le chanchinbu hrang hrangah an hung insuo niin ka hriet.

Chun, ‘Pathien’ tia ko pawl an um bok a, chu chu Pa, Mi Thienghlim tina ni awm tak a nih. A threnin ‘Vana Pa’ an tih. ‘Khuonu’ chu Saptronga ‘Mother Nature’ an ti hin a kawk hnai tak el awm. Khuonu chu van sanga um ni dingin an ring a, chuleiin ‘Chungkhuonu’ an ti bok. Chu khuo, chung tienga um dinga an ring, Khuonu umna chu ‘Chungkhuo’ an tih. Ei hlaa, “Chungkhuo run rem mawi tak a um” ti hi tu lai tronga van ram an tina a nih. ‘Van ram’ ei ti hih kristien ei ni hnunga trong thar ei hung ser tah pei chu a nih. A hmain ei nei ngai nawh. Hremhmun khom ei nei ngai bok nawh.

Khuonu chu mi ngilnei, vangneina intlun theitu nia an ring bok leiin ‘Khuovàng’ (Khuo+Vàng) tiin an ko. Saptrongin inlet inla chuh, ‘God of Luck’ ti ning a tih. Kristien sakhuo a hung lut hnunga Baibul inlet an tran khan ‘God’ ti inletna ding hin ‘Khuovang’ am ‘Pathien’ ti lem hmang ding thuah dit dan nasa takin a hung inkal a, a tawpah ‘Pathien’ ti hmang chu an sukthluk tah lem a nih. ‘Khawzing’ ti hih lo hmang nihai sien chu Pathienin a ninaa a hril (Exodus 3:14), ieng lai khoma um zing, ieng lai khoma Pathien (Khuo) ni zing nina leh hin a’n mil lem el thei. Chun, ‘Khuovang’ ti khom lo hmang inla, vangneina po po chunga vangneina chungchuong, a Naupa leia chatuon hringna mi petu a ni leiin, a fûk khop el. A iengkhom chu ni sien, tu hnam khomin Pathien hming an lo phuok hrim hrim hi a suol a um naw a, Pathien nina kawi khat bek hriltu a ni vong.

Huoi, thlarau thra lo, mi sukna thei, mihriem ta dinga thil thra lo hri le hrai intlun theitu umin an ring a, suklawm tumin a kuomah an inthawi hlak. Khuoa um huoi, hri phurtu le inlengtirtu nia an hriet chu ‘khawhri’ (khuo+hri) an ti a, rama huoi um chu ‘ramhuoi’ an tih. Iemani chena inthoka ‘hritlâng’ tia ei hung hril, khawtlanga hri inlêng, influenza amanih common cold hi kan naupang lai khan chu ‘khawbùr’ (khuo+bùr) ti a ni hlak. Tu hin chu an hmang khom ka hriet ta nawh.

Chun, huoi dang pakhat, mi thruoi hmang hlaktu umin an ring a, a hmingah ‘Khawchom’ (Khuo+Chom) an tih. Khawchom chun mu-in âr a lak anga mi laa vuong hmangpui hlak ni dinga an ring leiin, chuong anga mi inhmanghai chu “khaw-mu-chawi’ amanih “Khawchom lâk” an tih. ‘Khuoimu chawi’ tia lam pawl khom an um bok. Khuoimuin thil a lâk a, a vuongpui leh an tekhi lei a nih. Khuoimu hi khuoi ni loin tho lien chi le sephum inkara mi ni lem sien a hoi khop el. A taksa a zo hnè naw a, a vuong hrât naw a, a dam sawt naw bok. Mizo Trong Dictionary siemtu Remkunga chun khuoimu hi raw châng ver kaw a, a sunga bu nei hlak niin a hril. Tuktulung, pengpelepa hung inchang ang deua raw ngè, tho-khuoia hung inchang khom a ni el thei. Fùr lai hin sawt naw te a hung inlang a, a ram nawk vak hlak. Meiteihai hlaa hin khuoimu hi a’n lâr hle a, eini hlaa ruok chu Paulsiemlien hlaa ‘Awnthing sang lera khuoimu ang khan” ti chuong, thilhring amanih par a hrilna lem ti hriet thei lo kha, khuoimu inlangna ka zuk hriet suok thei um sun chu a nih.

Ramhuoi/khawhri chi khat, thlarau suol, mi sungah lut a, phing sukna a, fak ding sä ngèn hlaka an ngai a um a, a hmingah ‘khawhring’ (khuo+hring) an tih. Mi a suknathai chu ‘khawhring sê’ an ti a, a sètu chu ‘khawhring nei’ an tih. A hnot suokna dinga thiempuin inthawina ang deuh a thaw hlak chu ‘intrai, trai, intrei, trei’ an tih. Hi taka inthok hin kristien ei hung ni hnunga Pathien kuoma lawmthu hril le thil hni hih ‘trongtrai’ ei hung ti a, chu chu trong hmanga thil hni amanih Pathien biek tina a nih. Ei trong mal tin hi ei nunphung tar langtu darthlalang a nih.

Hieng huoi chi hrang hranghai hi hmun tinah um dingin an ring el bakah fak le dawn an thaw chàng khom lo inhnara chil lem khuot khuot dingin an ring a, an sem ve naw chun lungsena mi soisak le suknat ching hlak angah an ngai bok. Hi lei hin bu an fak ding tawm, an beng hmain an fak dingin mal iemani zat an thè suok a, chu chu ‘khuo-tlai’ an ti a, khuoin a lo tlaipui ve dinga an thaw a nih.

Chun, ei pi le puhai khan kum tinin an khuo chita naute pieng po po Pathien amanih Khuonu kuoma inhlànna an nei a, chu chu ‘Khawduop’ (khuo+duop) an tih. Hi ni hin khuong le dâr leh an inri bùng búng leiin nautein an tri a, an trap chèl chûl hlak a. Khawduop nia trap ve lo naute chu pasalthra le nu huoisen la hung ni ngei dingin an ring hlak.

Khawsakna hmunhma hrilna

‘Khuo’ chu inbêngbelna dinga hmun an sàt le relh, umna ding in bawl a, a hona an um khawmna a nih. Khaw sattu chu dannaranin lalah a um hlak. A khuoa chêng, a khaw tuikhur tlàna dawnhai chu a ‘khuo-le-tui’ (citizen), a mi le sahai an nih. Chuleiin, lam lakah mi an intuokpui a, an hriet ngai an ni naw chun, “Khaw lai khuo am in na?” ti nêkin “Tu khuo am in na?” tiin an indon lem hlak. Chu lal kha lal, chu pa kha pa khaw mihai an ni thu hrilin an khaw lal hming an sàm hlak. Hi thil hin ei trong fe dan a fen pei leiin “Ieng am i hming?” ti nekin “Tu am i hming?” tiin, ei ngirhmun a’n thlak danglam hnung chen khomin indik lo takin ei la hmang zui tah pei a nih. Hi lei hi ni mei a tih, Lusei tronga Baibul an inletin, Davida trongkam (2 Samuel 7:18) “What is my family?” (Ka sunghai iem an ni a?” ti nareng khah, “Who is my family?” ti angin, “Ka sunghai tu am an na?” tiin an lo inlet a, a ngiel a nganin ei lo kawpi sawng a, ei hlaa chen a luong lut a, mani sunghai khom hre lo, invêt bilingah ei insie tah vong a nih.

Mihriem chengna ‘khuo’ a inthok chun trong mal hrang hrang a hung pieng a. Khaw huol vel hnai chu khawhnawm (khuo+hnawm) ei ti a; khaw sunga lampui le hmun ruok chu ‘khawlai’ ei ta, chu taka invak amanih, mi ina lèng chuh ‘khawlaileng’ ei tih. A khaw pum aiawa inrelbawlna thila trongkam ei hmang chu ‘khawtlang or khawsung thil’ (general or public affairs), a sûnga chêng mipui (public) chu ‘vantlang’ ei ti a, khuo an satna tlâng khan a chengtuhai ai ei inawtir a nih. Khuoa chêng, fak le dawn zonga um chu khawsak (khuo+sak) relbawl ei ti a, chuonga ei umna chu ei ‘khawsakna’, ei um dan chu ei ‘khawsak dan’ a ni tah pei a nih. Khaw tin chu vêng iemani zata thre a ni hlak a, ei khawsakpui mihriemhai chu ei ‘khuo le venghai’ an nih.

Lal pakhat hnuoi le a rama khaw dang um chu ‘khawper’ (khuo+per) ei ti a, chu chu Saptronga ‘Colony’ an ti ang hih a nih. Neitu nina an huolna dingin per an zep amanih inkui hlak a, chuong anga neitu miin an huol tah hnung chu tu khomin inchu buoi thieng loa an ngai a nih. Chuleiin, ‘khawper’ chu a ram neitu le huoltu lalin neitu nina a huolna le inchùna khuo a ni a, khawpera lal chu a thu hnuoia um a nih.

Khuo le inzoma thu mal pakhat, thu thupa hrilna trongkam hung pieng chu hang zep sà hrâm ei tih. Khaw huol veltu ram chu ‘hnawm’ ei ti a, khawhnawm ti trongkam hi a hung suok a. Chuong ang peiin, lo amanih huon, ram ei del kuok kawl vela ram kha ‘hnawm’ ei ti pei a. Zun le êk ei thak ding pha leh khawhnawmah ei fe hlak a, chu chu thu thupa hrilin ‘inhnawm’ ei ti a, chu taka inthoka thu mal thar ser peiin ‘hnawm suok’ (call of nature) ti dâm hi a hung pieng a nih. A trobul chu ‘khuo’ a nih.

Siksa, boruok le khawmuol hriltu

‘Khuo’ hi sik le sa le boruok um dan po po rêltu le thununtu, Mother Nature hrilna trongkam a ni bok. Boruok ngirhmun ei hrilnaah khaw innìm, khaw siet, khaw inthieng, khaw thrat ei ti a, chu po po chu boruok ngirhmun hrilna a nih. ‘Khawmuol inhoi’ thu ei hril chun ei umna khuoa muol khah ni loin, boruok inhoi thu ei hrilna a nih. ‘Khawmuol hre lo” ei hril ruok chun thil pahnih, pakhat chu taksa le lungril ngaituona chawlol le nikhuo hre loa um (state of unconciousness) tina a ni a; pahnina chu, thil chinchang, um dan ding le ningkhong hre lo, mi chut, iengkhom engto le dawn nei loa intâl mei mei, inphalamna chang khom hre lo (uncouch, uncultured, uncivilized, insouciant, stupid) hrilna a nih. Khawmuol dang chu tuiin a chim naw hnuoi inlangna po hi a nih. Khawmuol kaikuong (ainuvet, scorpion), khawmuol satel, khawmuol ai le a dang dang hi tuiah cheng loa khawmuola khawsa an nih.

Hun le boruok inthlak-khaw thral, khaw hul, khaw ro, khaw lum, khawkheng, khaw mei (romei), khaw hnawng, khaw diek, khaw fur (fur khuo), khaw dei- ei hrilnaa ‘khuo’ hi season amanih weather, sik le sa hrilna, hun bi inthlak hrilna a nih. Hieng thil hrilnaa ‘khuo’ ei hmangin a kawk tak chu boruok a nih. ‘Khaw thengthaw’ ei ti dam hi khaw thlirna inhoi, dîptu, hlietu le dàltu um lo, khuo hla tak hmu theina a nih. Chun, ‘khaw thlèng inhoi’ ei ti chun ram par thra ei hrilna a nih. ‘Khaw inhnuk’ thu ei hril chun sun hun a bo mek a, zanin a hung nang tah ding thu ei hril a nih. Emmau khaw lampuia tu am a nih ti hre loa tho nawk Isu intlonpuitu Kleopa le a ruolpa chun, “Kan kuomah riek el ta la, khuo khom an hnu ta a, nisa khom a tla ding an ta hi” (Luka 24:29) tiin Isu chu an khuoa cham dingin an thlo a nih. “ Zan khuoin i khuo a sik bok, kan khuo a sawt bok, kan hma-khuo ngai la, khuo a lo inhnu tah diei bok leh, kan khuo-ah la châm el rawh” ti dam hi sentence pakhata ‘khuo’ paruk, umzie danglam nei vong luong khawm a ni leiin Hmar trong hre ngai lohai lu chu sukhâi naw thei naw nih.

Mihriem le a sungril hriltu

Ei hang sui chet chet chun, ‘Khuo’ ti hi mihriem sungrila tlaksamna le kawrongna um hrilna trongkam khom a lo nih. “Ka khuo a sawt” ka ti chun ka sungrila khan ruokna, hluo bit el thei lo a um a, ngài ka nei a, ka mal a, ka kim naw a nih. Nun hlui ngaia ka khuo a sawt vong vong chun ka thil ngai khan ka lungril a la hluo si a, sienkhom hmu nawk le chang nawk thei a ni si naw leiin ka thlä a dang a châr a, a beidong a, ka lung a’n vai a, a’n leng vong vong a, ka khuo a sawt a nih. Chu ‘khuo’ tak chu a bula ei hril, Saptronga ‘Being’ an ti, ka nina tak khaikhawmtu, ka ‘Thlä’ amanih ‘Sä’ ngei kha niin a’n lang nawk tlat a nih. Inril taka ei sui nawk pei chun, Pathien angpuia mihriem siem a nina leh hin an intringmit tlat niin a’n lang. Hieng zawnga phoka thil sui ku hi a nih filawsawfi (philosophy) an ti vet chuh.

Mosie sulhnung zuiin, a rikawt maksan biin, Eden tieng zuk kir vak inla. Edena khan suol a lut hma daiin khawsawtnain hmun a lo khuor hmasa lem a nih. Kop kima a siem sâ le thilhring tinrenghai chu hlim takin an leng diel diel a, mihriem hmasa tak Adam chu koppui ding nei loin a cha ruou a, a ngha vung vung a, a ruok a, a mal a, a kim naw a, pieng lo ngaiin a khuo a sawt a nih. Chuleiin, a koppui ding Evi a siempek hlol a nih ti Genesis bung hninaah ziekin a um. Evi thrang lo chun Adam chu suonmong kumkhuo ding a nih. Adamin a hang hmu khan lawm taluoin a chiri hrim a nih. Kum 930 zet a dam sung khan a khawsawt thu hrim ei hriet zui ta nawh. Hieng lai thu chaina hi July 8, 2005 khan thusep “Evi thrang lo chun’ ti ka ziek a, hi kum sunga Best Article of the Year 2005-ah Sawrtui Magazine chun puongin chawimawina tonlairang an tontir nghe nghe niin ka hriet. Adam khawsawt khan a nghong sei khop el.

Tlang kawmna

Ei trong zie hi Saptrong chun ‘monosyllabic’ le ‘phonetic’ inkop a nih an tih. Monosyllabic umzie chu thu mal tin kawk le umze nei trong tina a nih. Chuong ang ni ve lo, thu mal pahnih pathum inkopa thu mal pakhat insiem trong chu ‘polysyllabic’ an tih. Phonetic umzie chu thu mal pakhat khom ei lam rìk dan le a thu le inzoma ei hmang dan dungzuiin umzie le kawk tum tum a nei tìna a nih. ‘Khuo’ ti thu mal khat ei thlang suok, ei hmangna le ei hmang dan zira kawk le umzie tum tum nei, a hmaa ei hril tah po po kha entirna thra tak a nih.

Chun, ‘khuo’ thu mala inthokin thu mal hrang hrang le tronglamkei (idioms & phrase) a za ruola tiem kho a hung insiem a, chuonghai chu hi artikula hin a hmawr khom ei phor thra hman naw a nih. Ei hriet dinga ka dit chu, ei thu buon inthlungna, a thu mal zungpui (rootword) ‘khuo’ hi lam khat (monosyllabic) a ni a, chu le inbel khawma thu mal dang dang hung insiem chu monosyllabic ni tah loin polysyllabic a hung ni ta a, zierang hrang damten a hung put a, sienkhom a zepui tak ruok chu a la put zing. Monosyllabic language ei tihai po po hi polysyllabic language tieng panin an inzin vong a, an inzem tuo a, zierang thar putin an hung inthrang lien a, zierang bul nghet nei le chel nghet nghet an dingchang a, zierang nghet nei lo chu chimralin an um pei a nih. Chu chu khawvel fe dan phung, chimrala um tah, um mek le la hung um ding tu hnam khomin an hraw seng le an la hraw pei ding chu a nih. Dam khaw-suok nuomhai chun Hebrai trong hmanghai dam khawsuokna thuruk hi bi chieng a, anni hih enton taka hmang thra hlêng a tih.

(*Pu Keivom is a retired Indian foreign diplomat and author of ZOram Khawvel series. This article is dated March 5, 2011 Delhi)