Meitei people
The Meitei people, Meetei,[12] Manipuri people[1] is an ethnic group native to Manipur. They form the largest and dominant ethnic group of Manipur in Northeast India. They speak the Meitei language (officially called Manipuri), one of the 22 official languages of the Indian Republic and the sole official language of Government of Manipur.[1][13] The Meiteis primarily settled in the valley areas in modern-day Manipur, though a sizeable population has settled in the other Indian states of Assam, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.[2][14] There is also a notable presence of Meitei people in the neighbouring countries of Myanmar and Bangladesh.[2][11][15] The Meitei ethnic group represents about 53% of Manipur's population.[16]
"Manipuri people" redirects here. For other uses, see Manipuri people (disambiguation).
Endonyms and exonyms[edit]
The Meitei are known by a number of endonyms, Meitei, Meetei, Meithei (Meitei),[1] and as well as by numerous exonyms, such as Meckley,[17][18] Manipuri, Cassay-Shan, and Kathe (Burmese). [19] The term Manipuri is widely used, but problematic because of its ambiguous scope: next to being a synonym for Meitei/Meetei, it can also refer in a wider sense to the native ethnic groups in the hills of Manipur.[12]