Daai (also known as Daai Chin), which borders the Mün and Ütbü language groups, is a Southern Kuki-Chin of Myanmar. It is spoken in 142 villages in Kanpetlet, Matupi, Mindat, and Paletwa townships in Chin State, Burma (Ethnologue). A writing system for the Daai language was created in 1976 by U Kheng Sho and Ms. Halga So Hartmann. However, it is stated that this writing system is not intended for all Daai people.
Mutual intelligibility among Nghngilo (Yang), Daai Yindu, and Mkui groups is high, but is lower among other groups. Daai has greater than 90% lexical similarity with Daai Yindu, Yang, Mkui, Duk, and Msang, 81%–88% with Ngxang (Paletwa township) and Kheng, 80% with Shiip (Matupi township), 91%–94% with Gah/Ng-Gha (part of Mün), and 81%–87% with Mün.
Dialects Ethnologue lists the following dialects of daai Chin.
Ngxang Nghngilo (Yang) Ma-Tu Shiip Duk-Msang Kheng Mkuui Ngjääng Yet
Phonology
Consonants Daai has twenty-four consonant phonemes. Bilabial Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal Nasals Plosives Fricatives Lateral Fricatives Approximants
Vowels Daai has seven vowel phonemes, each with a phonemic length contrast. Front Central Back High Mid Low
Grammar Daai Chin is an isolating or analytic language. There is no inflectional morphology at the word level; case, number, and tense are marked by clitics.
Examples Daai Chin English mthan night mpyong mouth kpyak to destroy pha to arrive Nghngaai-ktheih hmin lokti. The mango fruits became ripe. Mat jah mata i:ma am ngleh-ei ni. They did not visit each other's houses.
References
Naing Kheng. 2017. A phonological description of the Mkuui variety of Daai Chin . Master's Thesis. Helga So-Hartmann. 2009. A Descriptive Grammar of Daai Chin. The Regents University of California.