Indian Antiquary Vol 36

SR No.: 032528
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 234

218
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[AUGUST, 1907.
The sense of even Proper Names is usually immediately apparent and the speakers invariably exhibit difficulty in getting out of the region of concrete into that of abstract ideas, though none in expanding or in mentally differentiating or classifying ideas, or in connecting several closely together, Generic terms are usually wanting, and specific terms are numerous and extremely detailed. Narration almost always concerns themselves and the case. Only the absolutely necessary is usually employed and the speech is jerky, incomplete, elliptical and disjointed. Introductory words are not much used and no forward references are made. Back references by means of words for that purpose are not common, nor are conjunctions, adjectives, adverbs and even prononne. An Andamanese will manage to convey his meaning without employing any of the subsidiary and connecting parts of speech. He ekes out with a clever mimicry great deal by manner, tone and action; and this habit he abundantly exhibits in the form of his speech. His narration is, nevertheless, clear, in proper consecutive order and not confused, showing that he possesses powers of co-ordination.
b. Savag. Nature, The general indications that the Languages give of representing the speech of andeveloped savages are confirmed by the intense anthropomorphism exhibited therein. As will be seen later on, the Andamanese regard not only a!l objects, but also every idea associated with them, as connected with themselves and their necessities, or with the parts of their bodies and their attributes. They have no means of expressing the majority of objects and ideas without such reference ; e. g., they cannot say "head" or "heads," but must say "my, your, his, or — 's, this one's, or that one's head" or "our, your, their, or — -'s, or these ones', those ones' heads."
But though they are "savage" languages, limited in range to the requirements of 8 people capable of but few mental processes, the Andamanese Languages are far from being "primitive." In the evolution of a system of pre-flexion in order to intimately connect words together; to build up compounds and to indicate back references, and in a limited exhibition of the idea of concord by means of post-inflexion of pronouns, they indicate a development as complete and complicated as that of an advanced tongue, representing the speech of a highly intellectual people. These lowest of savages show themselves to be, indeed, human beings immeasurably superior in mental capacity to the highest of the brute beasts.
0.- Agglutinative Form. The Andamanese Languages all belong to one Family, divided into three Groups, plainly elosely connected generally to the eye on paper, but mutually unintelligible to the ear. They are agglutinative in nature, synthesis being present in rudiments only. They follow the general grammar of agglutinative languages. All the affixes to roots are readily separable, and all analysis of words shows a very simple mental mechanism and a low limit in range and richness of thoaght and in the development of ideas. Suffixes and prefixes are largely used, and infixes also to build up compound. words. As with every other language, foreiga words have lately been fitted into the grammar with Nach ebanges of form as are necessary for absorption into the general structure of Andamanese speech.
d. - Bamples of Minuteness in Detallod. Terms The following are examples of the extent to which the use of specific terms to describe details af importance to the Andamanese is carried by them,
Stages in the growth of fruit:- Otdereka, small : chimstí, sour: pülungaij, unripe : cheba, hard : telebioh, seed not formed : gad, seed forming : gama, seed formed : fola, balf-ripe : munukeh ripe : ròicha, fully ripe: otyob, soft: chrore, rotten.
Stages of the day :- Waingala, first dawn: elawainga, before sunrise : bõdola doatinga, Bunrise: wainga, oarly morning : bödola kdgalnga, morning : bodola kdgnga, full morning :: bodo
Lit., black skin.
• Litt, early to-morrow morning : dilma, tili, early morning that is post : dilmaya, dilnaio, Aliya, Winga, this morning, wainga diltiatek, early every momming.