Overview
Liangmai language or Lianglad is one of the Naga languages spoken by the Liangmai Naga in Nagaland and Manipur. It is close to the other nearby languages: Maram, Poumai, Thangal (Khoirao), Rongmei, and Zeme. Together with the Zeme and Rongmei, the three are collectively known as the Zeliangrong. Liangmai has also been known as Kwoireng. Amongst the Zeliangrong, Liangmai has been called chara lad /tsəra lat/, the "language of god." Zeliangrong folklore says that all three descended from a common ancestor and that their original language was closest to Liangmai. This story is supported by the rituals, songs, and chants of the non-Christian Rongmei who used a language that is similar to Liangmai. Since their conversion to Christianity, this language is spoken only by Liangmai natives and Heraka worshippers.