صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

articles of home and imported produce. They are generally comely and disposed to fleshiness; the usual dress is a sari (robe) of red silk made of the "Indi" or thread of the silk worm which feeds on the castor-oil plants, and their ornaments are confined to bangles and necklaces of white shell. The Indi silk is entirely a domestic manufacture, and wove by the women, who also color it with the lac dye. The Mech language has no written character, nor is it, I believe, allied to the Sanscrit; whether it is of Tibetan or Burmese extraction, or akin to the aboriginal Indian dialects known among the Coles, Goonds, Beels, and other wild tribes, I am unable to say; but perhaps, the accompanying small vocabulary may enable competent persons to decide its root and original country. The Mechis are necessarily uneducated, except with a very few exceptions, in the Bengali language, from which they have derived all the terms in use for articles common to a state of life removed from the savage. I regret, that I have not as yet had an opportunity of meeting a person intelligent enough to give me some idea of the construction of the language; this must remain for further inquiry. In the vocabulary I have omitted entering words for which the language has no equivalents of its own, except in a few instances, to prove the rule above noticed. All the words with B affixed are evidently corruptions of Bengali or Hindi ; none of the metals except "silver" and "iron" have names. There is no word for "money." Gender is designated by the affix of "Jilla" or male, and "Jeu" or female, for all animals but man.*

In the arts the Mechis have made but small progress, they excel in the care of their cotton agriculture, but as they grow only the common annual plant, the produce is not of a superior kind. Weaving is confined to the women as a domestic art. They are not addicted to trade, are averse to military service, have no artizans among them, are truly in a very primitive state of society. They are however very cheerful, have no jealousy or prejudice towards strangers, are industrious, and honest, and crimes of violence, so far as I can learn, are of rare occurrence among them.

A. CAMPBELL.

The names of the months and days of the week are Bengali, and the Mechis who furnished me with the vocabulary are unable to give more than nine of the cardinal numbers in their own language.

VOCABULARY OF THE MECH LANGUAGE.

fire, wad

water, dîee

tiger, meesah

bird, tausen

the sun, kranondoong

air, bar

the earth, ha

stone, yoontie

God, modiè

father, appa

mother, aiè

brother, koî

elder ditto, ada koî

younger ditto, āki koî son, bēēsha

daughter, bēēsha hindon

uncle (paternal), adhii x ditto (maternal), amaî cousin (paternal

uncle's son), phōōmbôi

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

pepper, banjóólóó

maize, toomba

to die, thibaî

to sleep, móódóóbaĩ

sit down, jhopiî
stand up, jhickat do
go thither, oojhung tang
come here, puki

go quickly, kōōkri tang
lie down, moodoo no.
shut the door, doowar phang
go to the field, hooa tung
build a house, no lao
cut some wood, bon san
fetch some water, dîee labo
feed the child, koto jani ho
kill a fowl, tâoo shituk

boil some rice, meekum chong
light a fire, wad chãō
milk the cow, doodoo laboo
go to market, hattia tung
shoe, jotah (B)
horse, ghorye (B)
cow, mashujuh
buffalo, maishuo
door, doowar (B)
ghee, ghu (B)
milk, doodu (B)
sugar, chinee (B)
turmerick, huldi (B)
thunder, jumai homdung
lightning, nophlambo
cloth, (cotton) he

ditto of castor-oil insect, indi
ivory, megadet hatye
horn, kong

hide, aboo

hoof, yakong

tail, lanjye

wool, komun

a man, manchi
a woman, hinjan
plough, wayo
cart, hoo
a bow, jeeleet

an arrow, bulla
language, bhagia
a gun, shelaî
table, phalla
chair, kumpulai
paper, lēka
pen, kullum (H)
lock, [no word]
key, [ditto]

taut (coarse hempen cloth), phasala
hemp, phatoo

til (sesamum orientale), shibeem
mustard, bish war
dal (pease), shobai
pawn, phatye
betel-nut, gwye
lime, chunye (H)
brass, peetulye (H)
silver, tais

a temple, modie ne no (literally
house of God)

a flower, booibar
mangoe, tiekjo
plantain, tali

ditto tree, lie phang
lime tree, narengi phang
fruit, betü

root of tree, rudda be phang
branch of ditto, dalye
leaf of tree, belye

a bridge, chye kong

build a bridge, chye kong ka
make a road, lama yaw
a plain country, ha gebang
the plains of Bengal, haien

a young elephant, megadet oodai Bootan, aga phar

a grave, phokma

snow, hem

[blocks in formation]

leather, bigoor

mattress, gondoo

a Bootanee, kongar

a Bengalli, hashá

a Mahomedan, tōōrōōp

a Priest or pujari, modie hōōis

a Nipalese, muggur

a boat, nan

a jungle fowl, hangrūni dāusru

a male, jilla

a female, jeu

spirits, chaoo

large, ghidett

small, udye

tall, gujau

short, gahye

broad, goo-ar

a great man, grah manichi.

to laugh, meniyao

to cry, dagup

to beat, shītuknuh

to be angry, brapmo

one, munche

two, munye

three, muntum

four, munbre

night, hor

day, chán

month, más (B)

year, buruk (B) soft, oofra

to swim, chanturri
cotton seed, koon tye
ditto plant, koon phang
sugar-cane, kooshiar (B)
a bear, moofur

wild dog, sheekoo
vulture, sheegoon
crow, taûka

a well, dîre kor

blacksmith, kamar

weaver, he daio

huntsman, mye kankea

a spotted deer, kotia menbeang

distiller, shoondi

fine cloth, he goba

coarse ditto, he rujja

new ditto, he guddan

the sky, no krang above, chá

below, ching

to one side, chapin

[blocks in formation]

wet, ghichi

dry, kran,

beard, konkup

moustaches, [no word]

lip, kooshuti

eyebrow, mooshu kor eyelash, moosheam

good rice, mujang myrong sweet, kolan

sour, kokye

bitter, goká

light, monabai

raw, kotung

darkness, komshibai

boiled, komun,

hunger, meenka honkia

grass, jheekāb
lame, nating kora
deaf, kumma kanai

dumb, ryeinga
pain, sadung

pleasure, moongu sagyi

sickness, chobea jodung

small pox, bontijaia

fever and ague, loomgaia
rheumatism, beeshtong

belly ache, yudichaia

head ache, koro chaio
purging, kābai
to..day, dinisanchi
yesterday, kapunsanche

day before ditto, sombursanche
the day before that, tamnepursanche
to-morrow, miasanchi

outside, shetula

inside, noh

before, shekang

behind, yeun

quickly, kookei
slowly, larhay
a wall, jujoor
a post, tongphang
a beam, mandali
a roof, mookoom
a cooking pot, kanta
a large ditto, mikamduh
a water ewer, di heu
a plate, toorsi

Example of forming feminine and masculine.

[blocks in formation]

nunni mooa mamoo
noo bujuntanguh
noo bujung prapaio
noo nua mongwhye
noong noorkpa mammo
Pankabari lama buriye
be hajoo mamoo

What is the price of rice at Dorjeling? myrong sirifehe Dorgeling maelai

« السابقةمتابعة »