Amailon

Amailon (), also known as Amailol (), is a liturgical variety of the Meitei language, spoken by Maibi and Nupa Maibi, ritual practitioners of the Sanamahi tradition in Manipur, Northeast India. It is used exclusively in ceremonial and ritual contexts and has no daily spoken form.Endangered Languages Archive. (n.d.). Amailon: The ritual language of the Nupa Maibi. eldp.access.preservica.com

Amailon is mentioned in the holy and sacred ancient Meitei language manuscript text called the Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok Puya.

 Linguistic context 

Amailon is part of the Meitei language, also known as Meetei, Meithei, or Manipuri, which serves as the dominant language of Manipur and functions as a regional lingua franca. The language is characterized by specialized vocabulary and archaic forms that are used in religious and ritual performance rather than in everyday communication.

Within the Sanamahi tradition, there is a distinction between male and female ritual practitioners. Maiba or Amaiba refers to a male priest, Maibi or Amaibi refers to a female priestess, and Nupa Maibi denotes a male-bodied individual who performs roles typically associated with Maibi. Amailon is specifically associated with these practitioners and forms the medium for ritual chants, songs, and ceremonial texts.

 Ritual use 

Amailon is transmitted orally and is primarily used in high ritual contexts, including sacred dances, chants, and ceremonial performances of Sanamahi worship. The language encodes ritual knowledge, symbolic meanings, and metaphorical expressions that are essential to the practice of Sanamahi rites. Its restricted use means that the survival of Amailon is closely tied to the presence of trained ritual practitioners.


 Endangerment 

Amailon is considered critically endangered. The number of fluent practitioners is extremely small, limited to members of the Nupa Maibi community. Historical disruptions, including the introduction of Vaishnavism in the eighteenth century and the replacement of the traditional Meitei Mayek script with Bengali script, have contributed to the decline of ritual literacy and indigenous practices. Contemporary influences from Hindi, Bengali language, and English, combined with sociopolitical instability and military presence in Manipur, have further affected the transmission of the language.

The oral nature of Amailon and the scarcity of practitioners make the language highly vulnerable. The death of senior priestesses results in the loss of knowledge, as much of the language contains complex metaphorical and symbolic elements that are not documented elsewhere.

 Preservation and documentation 

Documentation of Amailon has focused on recording ritual texts, chants, and performances while collaborating with Nupa Maibi to preserve their cultural and spiritual knowledge. Efforts aim to support both linguistic research and the continuation of Sanamahi ritual practices. The revival of the Meitei Mayek script in schools and the growing interest in indigenous cultural heritage contribute to broader preservation strategies.

The protection of Amailon is also linked to the safeguarding of the social and cultural roles of gender-diverse ritual practitioners. As integral figures within Sanamahi worship, Maibi and Nupa Maibi play central roles in maintaining the religious and cultural identity of their communities. Systematic documentation, combined with intergenerational transmission, is considered essential for the survival of both the language and the associated ritual knowledge.

 Related pages 

 Wakoklon Heelel Thilel Salai Amailon Pukok Puya
 Thougallon
 Ancient Khuman language
 Ancient Moirang language
 Classical Meitei language
 Ancient Meitei language
 Ancient Meitei literature
 Ancient Meitei hymns
 Meitei ritual songs
 Meitei philosophy
 Philosophy of Sanamahism
 Philosophy of Meitei script
 Extraterrestrials in Meitei culture

 References 

Category:Meitei religion
Category:Meitei music
Category:Meitei folklore
Category:Endangered languages
Category:Religious literature
Category:Religious philosophy
Category:Meitei literature