Comma

Punctuation marks are like road signs;
without them we just may get lost...
― Nanette L. Avery

Thuzieka alphabet hawrop ei hmang baka sinsiena lim iemani zat ei hmanghai chu comma, inverted comma (half & full), colon, semi-colon, full stop, dash, slash, apostrophe, mark of interrogation (question mark), mark of exclamation (interjection), parentheses, le fullstop (,/ “/ ‘/ ., /:/-/[]/}/{}/ . /?/ ! ) tihai hi an ni tlangpui. Chuonghai laia ei hmang inrim tak chu comma (,) a nih. Ziek suola ‘m’ pakhat bana ‘coma’ ei ziek vai chun eksiden le thil nghong thut leia khuo hre loa um ti a kawk daih leiin, fimkhur a ngai. Comma hmang indik le hmang suolin thu a phur nasa hle a, a hmang nawna ding hmuna sie chun thu pangngai chie khom umzie dang daih a kawk thei. Hieng sinsienahai hmang dan kalphung hrilna chu ‘Punctuation’ an tih.

Tuta truma ei bi ding chu Isu hung pieng le thina le inzoma Saptrong Baibula comma an thaiin thu a hril dan le kakhawk a nei nasat dan, entirna tlawmte chauh hmangin hang bi inla. Zawlnei Isai ziek pahnih hang thlur bing hmasa inla. Pakhat chu Isai 40:3-a “The voice of him that crieth, In the wilderness prepare ye the way of the Lord” (Mi khêk rawl chun “Thlalerah Lalpa lampui buotsai unla”-BSI) ti-a inziek hi a na; a dang chu Marka-in (1:3) “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord” (Thlalera mi khêk rawl chun, Lalpa lamlien buotsai unla) ti-a a hril daih hi a nih. A hmasa hin thlalera Lalpa lamlien ding buotsai dinga tlangsamtu thu puong a hril a. A nuhnung hi thlalera tlangsamtuin Lalpa lamlien buotsai dinga mi a hrilna a nih.

Baibul lo inlet hmasatuhaiin ‘Khêk rawl’ ti an lo hmang leiin a mawi naw hlea chuh ei hmang zui tah pei a, tlangsam ti lem ding ni awm tak a ni vei leh! Tlangsam (village crier) chu lal thusuok puongtu a ni ang bokin zawlnei ti-a ei kohai hi Pathien tlangsam, Lalpa thupek puongtu an nih. ‘Khêk rawl’ ti ringot el chuh a rumtang bakah a makhai deu a nih. ‘Makhai’ chu cheng tling lo, duli tina a nih. Ei Baibula hin makhai trongkam, ei hmang thrang tah leia ei namnul tah mei mei, siem thrat ngai a tam. Mawi lo em ema ‘khêk’ ei hmangna chu Rom 8:15 le Galalti 4:6-a ‘khêk’ ei hmang hi a nih. Ei inza em em ei pahai ei khĕk khum ngai nawh. Thlarau zara Pathien khêk khumtu thlarau pai chu thlarau piengsuol a lo ni pal hlauh thei.

Ei thupuiah kir nawk inla. A chunga thu pangngai chie, danglam daia siemtu chu comma a nih. A hmasa hin thlalera Lalpa lamlien buotsai ding thu a hril a, chu chu Israelhai trânghma siel taka ei hril fie tum chun, Babulon sala intanghai hung kir nawkna ding lampui buotsai a ni ding thu hrilna ni sien a hoi a, zawlnei danghai bau suok leh khom an inkhuongruol hle. A nuhnung ruok hin chu sansuokna sin thaw dinga Mesia hungna ding lampui buotsai a ni ding thu a hrilna le chu dinga mihriem lungril buotsai a ni ding thu puongna ni sien a hoi. Chik taka khawvel histawri ei sui chun, Isu hung ding thu Isaiin a puong lawka inthoka a hung pieng chen, kum zasari lai deuthaw sung hin zawlnei le dawnril tam tak an hung suok a, sakhuo tam lem hi chu hun sunga pieng a nih. India ramah ringot khom sakhuo 300 chuong a pieng hman a, chuonghai laia dam khawsuok chu Hinduism, Jainism le Buddhism an nih. Asia ram Middle East-a inthoka pieng Judaism sul suok Christianity le Islam bakah India rama sakhuo pieng nuhnung tak Sikhism tihai bak hi khawvel hmun dangah sakhuo liena tiem thei sakhaw dang a pieng nawh. Khawvela sakhuo po po hi Asia sul suok vong a nih.

Hieng sakhuo po po hin hun thima inthoka hun thar, khawvel thara thruoi luttu ding, an Mesia seng la hung suok dinga beiseiin an nghak a, chu chun an hmaah beiseina pholeng a tarpek a. Thruoitu fel deu an hung inlang pha leh Mesia an beisei chu ni ngei dinga ring pawl an um a, lu bong bân bong huomin an zui dŭl dûl a. Kum za tam an rama hnawchêpa um tah Hinduhai khomin hun thima inthoka hun thara an chuong lut hun dinga an thiempuhai lo hril lawk chu tlung vak dinga an ring leiin, kum 1980 vela inthok khan nasa takin an hung tral thar a, a ram huopa sorkarna hiel an chang trum hnina a ni ta a, an ran biek sa fa pawl khom an inchĕp sawt hle. Kum sanghni deuthaw liem taa Judahaiin an Mesia an hemde ang khan, tharuma che nuom pawlin an Mesia anga mi tam tak ngai Mahatma Gandhi chu mi tin ta dinga zalenna suol suok tum mi a ni leiin, an kap hlum ve top a. A kap hlumtu kha tuolthattua ngai nek hmana Pathien ang thawthanga be nuom pawlin lalna an hung chang a. Ei Mesia seng hung ding ei beisei dan le a hungna ding lampui ei săt dan hi a’n kal rep rup khop el. Tlangsam rawl ei hriet dan le lamlien ei săt tum tawl dan hi comma lei ringota buoi le sukfel el thei chi a ni awm nawh.

Isai 40 bok chang khatna hi comma ei intlaktir dungzuia umzie hrang daih kawk thei a nih. KJV chun, “Comfort ye my people” tiin a’n ziek a, chu chu Saptrong boka hril chun ‘Please go out and comfort my people” (Fe la, ka mihai thlamuong rawh) tina ang a nih. Amiruokchu, ‘Comfort ye, my people” ti-a comma ei sie chun, “Just cheer up, you lot; it might never happen” (Hlim takin um tawl ro, ieng a ni hmel nawh) tina ang a ni nawk daih.

Hienghai neka comma sie nawna dinga sie hang poi nasatzie entirna dang chu Isai 9:6 a “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (KJV) ti hi a nih. Pawi tawktu chu Councellor hmaa comma an sie hi a nih. Hi hi Isu pieng hma kum 770 vela zawlnei Isaiin a hming ding pali, adjective le noun inkop pei a lo hril chu a nih. Wonderful Counsellor ti dingah a kara comma an sie hin hming panga a hung inchang a, Remruottu Mak ti ding kha, Maka, Remruottu a hung ni ta a, Remtuottu a nina nekin Maka a nina kha ei uor a, ei thu le hlaah luong lutin a phan khum tlat a, comma bawiah a mi’n tangtir a nih.

An hril dan chun, kum 1611-a sut King James Version, mi tam takin Baibul lai po poa Baibul bik rieua an ngai nuom hiel, sienkhom hang bi chieng ruok chun inlet suol a tama tam um ve tho hi, khawla suttuhaiin Isai 9:6 hi proofreading an thaw laiin a fainal thawtu laia mi insukfel pakhatin WONDERFUL COUNSELLOR ti thu mal pahni inkara hin comma (,) a lo thai zau a, hming pakhat ding kha hming aiawtu pahnih, WONDERFUL le COUNSELLOR tiin a hung insuo a, chu chu einin MAKA, REMRUOTTU tiin ei lo inlet ve nawk ta pei hi a nih. Hi ‘comma’ chikte hin hi lai châng hi nasa taka a suk- ‘coma’ leiin ei thu le hla a phier buoi nasa hle a, chu lung ina inthoka intâl suok ngaina chu ei hriet ta naw ni takin a’n lang tah.

Aw, a hming Maka, Remruottu Lalpa,
Rem Lal a lo nih (Thangler).

A hming Maka, Remruottu Lalpa,
Chatuon Pa, Rem Lal ropui a nih (Ralngama).

Kum 2010 December 3 khan hi thu le inzom hin thusep, REMRUOTTU MAK ti ka ziek nghe nghe a. Mak deu el chuh, Saptronga Baibul inlet thar, New King James Version chenin, comma thai suol ei hril hi ngaivenin an pei tah a, KJV tak ruok chun tuklul insuoin a la thlak nuom nawh. A suol a nih ti an hriet hnung khoma an thlak nuom tlat nawna san chu ieng lei am ning a ti aw? Pathien thu chu sunhang khat khom bo lo dinga inziritirna chu a umzie tak hre chieng si loa an changchawi tlut leiin, chuonga ngai pawl chun, Baibula thu mal tin hi sukbo thieng loin an ngai a, a ni ang angin an pom tlut el a nih. Pathien thu chu sunhang khat khom bo lo ding a ni lai zingin, a ziek thlatuhai le ziek sawng peituhai chu mihriem vong an ni leiin an trong bau le kut hmanga an ziek thlaknaah ieng zat hiel am an suksuol ding ti hi an ngaituo ngai naw a, tam tak chun ngaituo nachang khom an hriet bok nawh. Chu chu ringna hrat le hrat naw thil ni loin mawl thil lei a nih. Pathien thutak neka a thu inletna hawrop le comma chen be pawl an nih.

Comma sie dan inang naw leia buoi theina tam tak maksanin Luka 23:43 ah lut inla. Cecil B. Hartley ziek Principles of Punctuation: The Art of Pointing (1818) a chun inlet dan pahnih a hung thur suok a. Hi hi Isu le an hemde misuol pakhat kuoma Isu thu hril a nih:

1. Verily, I say unto thee, This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise (Titakzetin ka hril che hi, voisun hin ka kuomah Paradis-ah um veng i tih-BSI).
2. Verily I say unto thee this day, Thou shalt be with me in Paradise (Voisun hin thu dik ka hril che hi, ka kuomah paradis-ah um veng i tih-DV).

A thu le hawrop inzat char, comma siena inang naw leia a kawk danglam a ni bakah Roman Catholic thuring le Protestant thuring a thrê hmak a nih. A hmasaa hin dairekin paradis-ah a lut a, chu chu Protestant thuring a nih. A nuhnunga ruok hin chu a kuoma paradis-a um ding a ni thu a hril laiin, a ni lá làa ding a ni thu a thrang sa nawh. Roman Catholic inzirtirnaa chun mi a thi pha, vanrama lut el thei dinga felfai a ni naw chun chawllawkna hmun ‘Purgatory’ an ti-a chun amaa suol kai po po inthiel fai dingin hrĕn tăngin la um phot a ta, van rama lut thei dinga thienghlim a ni pha chauh suok thei a tih. Pŭma thîr an raw inling, a êk po an sut thlak hnunga a thra inhlîr chauh an lak anga incher faina hmuna an ngai a nih. Baibula ruok chu chieng faka ziek a ni nawh; pipu thusim le thurachi-a inthoka ‘purgatory’ hi an ser suok a ni ring a um.

A ieng khom chu ni sien, mithi thlarau incher thienghlimna pŭmbŭk chu umin um naw sien, Isu a thi khan phûm loin thlan lung kerkuokah a ruong, puona tuom chuh, an inzal a, a ni thum ni-ah a tho nawk a, ni 40 sung hnuoiah a la cham a, taksa pangngai putin a zirtirhai kuomah a’n lăr a, chu zoah van tieng a kai ti a ni a. Chu vana chun mihriem tu khom an la lawn ngai naw thu khom Isu ngeiin a hril (John 3:13) leiin, chu hmun chu paradis chu a ni nawh ti a chieng. Paradise/Paradisa an ti hih einin ‘Pielral’ ei ti leh hin inanga ei hmang a ni a, Persia mihai thusima mi felhai thlarau chawlna hmuna an ngai, Judahai khoma an lo lak lut ve a ni a. Chutaka daireka lut dinga inring pawl le chawl lailawkna fe thlenga lut dinga inring pawl inselna hi a hmun la hmu lo ruol ngot inbichilna a ni leiin, comma sie indik le indik loa sukfel el thei chi a ni awm nawh ie. A umna awm hrie khom an la um naw niin a’n lang.

Tlangkawmna
Lekhaziek threthrawptu Punctuation sinsiena hrang hrang ei hmanghai hi ni khat thilthua hung suok a ni naw a, an hung insiem tungna dingin kum za tam tak a lak a nih. Roman hawrop hung insiem tung dan suitu John Longman lekhabu ‘Alpha Beta: How our alphabet shaped the modern world’ (2000) a chun hi hawrop hung insiem tung peina ding hin kum sangli chuong a aw thu a ziek a. Eini rawiin trong amanih a ziek suokna alphabet hawrop dam amanih hi inpei sa diema ei hmaa thlengpuia Pathienin a mi hung thurpek sawn le ring pawl ei um dam hi ei mawlcho lei a ni naw leh ei ring dan a fel hlel deuh lei khom a ni el thei. Punctuation signs/marks ei hmanghai hung inser suokna ding hin kum za tam a ngai. Tienlaia Hebrai hawrop an lo hmang lem chu Consonant ringot, vowel thrang loa thinghon intunga an lo intung khawm, a hnunga ri le umzie nei thei dinga vowel bela an thlung khawm, punctuation sign hrang hrang hmanga an thre thrawp, vowel le punctuation an hmang dungzuia umzie tum tum neia an siem a nih.

Kum 1440-1450 laia German mi Johannes Gutenberg-in lekha sutna khawl (printing press) a hung siem suoka inthok khan ei khawvel chu hun tharah chuong lutin, mimir tiem thei ding lekhabu a hung suok truk truk a. Chu ruol chun lekha ziek dan le sut dan changkang lem a hung suok a. Venice-a mi thiem le press neitu Aldus Manutius (1449-1515) le a tupa Aldus Manutius The Younger chun italic type an hung siem bakah comma (,), semi-colon (;) le slash (/) an hung siem suok a, lekha ziek dan le sut dan khom a hung phuisui tah pei a nih. Ka ngaisang zawng a ni leiin Milan (Italy)-a ka um laiin Venice-ah voi iemani zat a sulhnung hi ke ngeia va sirin ka biekzin hlak a nih. Hi hmuna hin a nih Marka ruro khom Alexandria-a inthokin hung inru suokin an phŭm a, chu hmun chu St. Mark Square an ti a, khawvel hrieta hmun inlar a nih.

Thu ziek hi thumal inhrilfie tona umzie nei dinga rem khawm a ni a. Chuonga thu inlalawn thra taka rem khawm a ni chun thu tluon sei tak khom ni sien comma hmang ngai loa thaw thei a nih. Comma hmang tlawm ding chun thumal ei rem dan a fel fai a ngai. A hmangna ding taka chauh comma hmang dan ei inchuk ruolin thu ziek dan thra lem ei inchuk sa bok a nih. Comma hmang nawna dinga hmang leia ‘Remruottu Mak’ ni rong rong ding kum tam ei suk-Maka rak el hi Pathien hming sukhlieutu dinga thiem taka Setanin mihriem kut a hmangna a ni thei. KJV-in tu chen chena a la thlak nuom naw san khom hi Thlarau Thienghlim thilthaw chu ni kher naw nih. Baibul ei hmang laia inlet suol le trongkam indik lo ei hmang tam tak ei thlak nuom tlat naw khom hih, chu bawma chun a tla ve el thei ti hih ngaituo non a thra.

(December 16, 2017; Delhi)

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