Indian Antiquary Vol 27

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 16

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
(JANUARY, 1898.
Bhamo Shân.
Theinni Shan.
Wuntho Shan.
English.
Term.
Sense.
Term.
Sense.
Term.
Seuse.
Twelve annas ... samte ... 3 té ... hôkmů ... 6 mů ...samte ... 3 ta Thirteen ... sipeampe . 13 pê ... samt'êpê...! 3 t'e & a po. samtêpo... 3 te & a pê Fourteen, ... sipsipê .. 14 på ... sipsipe ... 14 pê ... sipsipê ... 14 pê Fifteen „ ... sipâpé ... 15 pé. ...kyapydnpê a kyap less kyapyònpea kyap less a pê
a pé. Rnpee ... ...kyapläng. a kyap ... kyaplung, a kyap ... bydlüng ...a bya
We have indeed here a general muddle of terms. Thus, the Bhamo Shân uses the Chinese numeral yi for ono, and the curiously mixed term yimat (yi, Chinese, one, and mat, Burmese, & quarter), though he knows his own term t'888 = mat, as shewn by his use of söngt'é, 2 t'e, and samt 8, 3 te. The Theinni Shân's use of kavywe, 9 yré, is very remarkable, because ytce is a Burmese and not a Shân term, and 12 (not 9) ywé would be, if anything, 994 the modern Burmese equivalent for "an anna." Bat the knows his term på for "anna," and ases it constantly thereafter in the table. He uses the Chinese yi, one, in yite, and a purely Burmese term chaukmi for "ten annas," Then the Wantbo Shân uses kyap, properly "a flat piece," evidently for the "half-anna" or "double pice," as he makes the anna sòng-kyap, i. e., two kyap. This obliges him to borrow the Burmese coefficient for pice," lyd, for tho rapee in byálüng, lit., a byá. Also, having got sippé, 10 pé, right in his own tongue, he tambles into the purely Barmese compound expression, chaukmúpe for " 11 annas." I have no doubt whatever that by persistent cross-examination a purely Shân and more consistent table could have been extracted from these informants. But that was not the point aimed at, which was rather to let the peasants count out their money in their own way, however puzzling the results to the enquirer.
It is hardly, in the present state of available knowledge on the subject, worth while to seriously consider the Chinese Shan forms, and I give the following information collected from
man from Shwêgů near Bhamo (Bamd, Manmo), as an indication of a line of research worth following up. Sik is a pice: then:
sika is 1 pice sikók 2 >> siksi 3 sikank 4 , or 1 anne yehông , 1 anna yeksi , 2 aynas s'aukito1 , 4 , watsies , 1 ropee
# See Cashing, Shan Dict. p. 270. Me But compare the use of sambyd for an aona, pout, p. 18.
I think we may fairly take nik to be a pico, - anda, in these words, us chek, chak (sek, eak) is a Shin word for pe used in connection with money and gambling tokens. This leaves 4, fk, of, ask for the numerals 1, 2, 3, 4. Ok at any rate is, I understand, Kadd, and perhaps they all are. The character of the Kadas (Kudde) appears to be still indeterminate both us to language and descent. See Burma Ceness Report, 1891, Vol. I. pp. 161, 199. Ante, Vol. XXIl. p. 129 ff.
(P) Chinese yi, one.
Oshing, BM Dict., givee pp. 87, 198, kips' and 'dm". Chinese coin": being Chinese and l'ip. Shin, numeral coefficient for eat things. The Shin word for "coin" with Burmese afinity is anapyd, p. 569. Pyd (ori) in Shan and Burmese numeral coeficient for fat things, and ababyd: (naprdt) is obsolescent Burmese for "coin," being supplanted by the Indian importation dingd (Shin tanki and ti kd), Stevenson, Bur. Dict., 1.. For " four ADDAS" Cushing, Dict. p. 370, gires & the Chinese Shkn term.
Wat is Rastern Shan for but, Siamere, a tiekal or rapo..