The Lutuv () are an

indigenous people There is no generally accepted definition of Indigenous peoples, although in the 21st century the focus has been on self-identification, cultural difference from other groups in a state, a special relationship with their traditional territ ...

living in southern

Chin State Chin State (, ) is a state in western Myanmar. Chin State is bordered by Sagaing Division and Magway Division to the east, Rakhine State to the south, the Chattogram Division of Bangladesh to the west, and the Indian states of Mizoram to th ...

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

. The Lutuv are widely known by other tribes as the "Lautu of the Southern independent villages", a name derived from the central dominant Hakha Lai pronunciation of their endonym. The Lutuv speak the Lutuv language, and they are predominantly Christian.

Ethnonyms

The terms used to refer to the group differ between outsiders and the community itself: * Exonym: ''Lautu'' – a name used by others. * Endonym: ''Lutuv'' – the name used by the community.

Geographic distribution

As of January 2017, the Lutuv population was approximately 50,000. It is believed that the first Lutuv village, Tyise (also known as Tisen), was founded around AD 1450. Lutuv is spoken in the following villages in Chin State: # Hnaring # Khyhraw (Khuahrang) # Thaw-aw (Thang-Aw) # Aasaw (Fanthen) # Chuonge (Surngen) # Tyise (Tisen) # Setung (Sentung) # Hrepuv (Hriangpi) # Saata (Saate) # Lungkyi (Leikang) # Lawthuotluo (Longthantlang) # Zingmaa (Zuamang) # Capaw (Capaw) # Pangtie (Pintia) # La-uu (La-uu) # Lyipuv (Leipi) Many Lutuv have emigrated to Australia and the United States.

References

{{Authority control Ethnic groups in Myanmar