Biete

Primary tabs

ISO 639-3

Alternate Names

Baite, Bete, Biate

Population

19,000 (IMA 1997).

Location

Northeast Mizoram, Aizawl district, Darlawn, Ratu, and New Vervek villages; Assam, Cachar Hills; Manipur; Meghalaya, Jaintia hills district.

Language Maps

Language Status

5 (Developing).

Classification

Dialects

None known. Reportedly similar to Hrangkhol [hra], and similar enough to Mizo [lus] and Hmar [hmr] that they can be read with comprehension.

Language Use

Home, village, church. Also use Hindi [hin], Khasi [kha], Mizo [lus], War-Jaintia [aml]. Used as L2 by Sakachep [sch].

Language Development

Literacy rate in L1: 56%. Bible: 2005.

Language Resources

Writing

Latin script [Latn].

Other Comments

A Scheduled Tribe. An ethnic subgroup of the Mizo. Not the same as the Biate dialect of Chin Thado [tcz] (Breton 1997). Christian.