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AUGUST, 1897.]
NOTES ON THE NICOBARESE.
The only explanation such as it is given for this paucity of terms by those who have been questioned on the subject is that there are never more than 7 "moons" in a Nicobarese "year" (i. e., monsoon), and that, although they have specific names for each "moon," they associate each in their mind as either the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc., of the "year." In their canoeraces, moreover, there would rarely be so many as 7 competitors.
In order to express a certain date since any event, such as the 9th, 15th, 23rd since new moon or since some one's arrival, departure, death, etc., the suffix "she" added to the cardinal, denoting the number of days, is all that is needed. Ex.:-linhen heang-momchiama-lõe-she dám na leät kaiyinga, this is the 23rd night since his departure.
Collective numbers. In order to indicate pairs or sets of four or more of certain objects the following terms are employed :
tafual, in reference to a pair of cocoanuts, rupees, or edible birds'-nests. ták, in reference to a pair of bamboo utensils containing shell-lime.
amok, in reference to two pairs of (i. e., 4) bamboo utensils containing shell-lime.
amok, in reference to a pair of cooking-pots.
kamintap, in reference to a set of four or five of the smallest size of cooking-pots.17 Hoang, in reference to a set of ten pieces of tortoiseshell. Ex.:- lõe noang ok-káp three sets (i. e., 30) pieces of tortoiseshell.
Such phrases as "by pairs," "by scores," "by four-hundreds" are rarely used, but would be expressed as follows:
by pairs, heang-tafual-heang-tafual.
by scores, heang-inai-heang-inai.
by four-hundreds, heang-momchiama-heang-momchiama.
221
Recurrent time.Shua is the term most commonly employed as the equivalent for the English" times." Ex.:-tanai shuá, five times; but several other terms are in use, each of which, however, in a restricted sense. Ex.:
lõe kota-tai, 3 times (in reference to hammering or other hand-work). án ko-chat, twice (in reference to jumping).
foan ko-nga-láh, 4 times (in reference to going).
tanai ko-ne-nge, 5 times (in reference to talking, singing, etc.).
foan ko-shi-chaka, 4 times (in reference to eating, etc.).
issát ko-shi-anha, 7 times (in reference to washing, etc.).
Numeral co-efficients. One of the many proofs of the affinity existing between the Nicobarese and the Indo-Chinese races is the presence in full force in all their dialects including even that of the isolated and degraded inland tribe of Great Nicobar of the system, which necessitates, in the enumeration of objects, the employment of a term-known to grammarians as numeral co-efficients descriptive of the particular object referred to.
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Contrary to the practice, generally (if not always) adopted in both Burmese and Malay, these co-efficients are invariably inserted between the numeral and the object designated and not after the latter.
19
(1) yuangle (fruit); koi (head); tat; tat-yuang; tat-koi are used in referring to human beings, e. g., föan yang Pigu (4 Burmese); án koi koan (two children); heang tat ilu (one bachelor); tanai tat-yang Malayu (five Malays).
17 Vide ante, Vol. XXIV. p. 111, item 103.
18 The Car Nicobarese equivalents of these are respectively as follows:
(1) taka; (2) nòng; (4) tak; (5) momii; (6) md; (7) nong; (8) kdhd; (9) lamniha and tum; (11) chumvi ; (14) milima.
19 Also to the carved wooden figures, called kareau (vide ante, Vol. XXIV. p 133).
