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MAY, 1908.] GRAMMAR AND SPECIMENS OF THE MIKIR LANGUAGE.
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nang-che-thèk-lo. Anst lä-tam pa-lo, là hijai-atum akam; Alar hoi n ang-ji,' there their own-saxo. Then they said, this jackals' work(-i); revenge (to-)do necessary-will-be,' pu-si hèm che-voi-lô. Ankẽ hèm lẽ-si, Bằrburõ bằrplặphàn pa-lô, saying home(-o) their-own-returned. The house arrived-having, old-man old-woman-to said, “ne kithi chi-plàng-pô kèm Arlo; pẽ
chi-am-si
1-joi-po; nang-kē *I dead myself-makowill house within; cloth myself-wrapped-round-having lie-doron-will; you ingtan 18 jäsemet sbira-non ; Ankē hijai vàng-ra, “pi-āpòt nàng kā-chiru må ?" outside going grievously weep; and jackals come-having, "what for thou weepest ?" pu, nàng arju-lo-tē, “Bārbūrī thi-lòt-ainē kā-chiru;
āphu-thak-tā saying, thee ask-i, "old-war died-having I am weeping; head-upon-alao (i..., moreover),
phlong-dam abang āvē; putong inghoi apòt-lo-nē7?" pa-ra pa-Dòn. Anka hijai burning-coming person ther-is-not; how doing is-it-possible ?" saying say. Then the jackals “nē-tum chô-det-po," pu nàng pu-lo-tē, "tho," pa-ra pu-nòn. Ankē la-tum nē kecbo-ji
"we eat-Chim)-unu," saying thee(-to) say-ij, "yes," saying say. Then they mo sat-to hèm ărlo nang-lu-lô-tõ, nàng chiru-pet-an-mu-chot-rõ pu-nòn, “6jòn nàng-lat-lô, sẵrbürk ; house within thero-enter-if, thou weeping-excessively say, "one there-entered, old-man; jòni(for jön-ni) nàng-lut-lo, särbürā; jòn-thòm nang-lut-lö, pārbūrā; nang-lut-pet-lo:
two there-enterad, old-man; three there-entered, old-man; there-entered-all-are; kaibòng parting-nòng”? dub whirl." Ansi c bo det
jun-det . Bārbūrā, tòn arlo kaibong Then having-finished-eating, having-finished-drinking old-man, basket within olub Đặtu-joi-91,
Plõ. SẼrpi-kẽ ingtàn vàng-ọi ebird-pi-lem-lô, Anke hidden-quietly-having, lay-down. Old-woman outside come having to-weep-pretended. Then
hijai-ahar vàng-sĩ nàng-ārju-lô, “pi-Ẽpot-81 nàng kachiru-lô, phi ?? the jackal-pack como-having there asked, 'what-for thou weaping-art-thou, grandmother ? Sārpi thàk-det,'sārbūrā thi-lot-lo. Nē
ā vē, nē lòk āvē-si Old-woman answered, old-man died. I companions none (-having), I friend none having nē kāchiru, Aphu-thak-tā ke-phlòng-dam a bàng tā āvē.' Ansibijai
I weep. Moreover selling-fire-to-funeral-pile-coming person even to-not.' Then the jackals pu-lo, nē-tumcho-det-po. Sarpi ta kroi-dun-lo. Hijai-ātam ējón-ējdn hèm lub-lo, said, we eat-Chim)-will' Old-woman also consented. Thejackals one-by-one houss entered, ankë sārpi chiru-pi-lèm-si pu-lo, ējón nàng-lut-lo, särbūrā; jòni, jon-thòm nang-lat-lo;
and old-woman to-weep-prefending said, 'one there-entered, old man ; two, three there-entered ; kedo-tivõ nàng-lut-pet-lô; kaibòng pārting-non, pu, BÃrpi , inghành
all thero-entered-complotely: club whirl,' saying, old-woman door ingkir-dan-het-inghoi-lo; ankē sārbūrã thur-si kaibòng-pèn hijai-atum chok-arbu-lo. Ankē having-shut-tight-made; and old man arisen-having olub-with the-jackals beat-severely. Then hijai ābābak thi-lo, abāhak-kē ārpòng l èt-rai-rai-
si k at-lo. the jackals some died, some tho-wall pushed (-and) broken-having ran-away.
THE OLD WOMAN, THE OLD MAN AND THE JACKALS. One day an old man and an old woman were planting arums (kachu, colocasia) in a field. While they were so engaged, a pack of jackals came up, and said to them, - Oh, granny and gaffer, are the arams you are planting raw or cooked ?'
Raw,' they answered. Then the jackals said, 'Arums ought to be boiled before being planted.' Is that true?' asked the old man.
TV is here an interrogative partiolo, probably borrowed from the Assamese wā, with the often observed change of a to z.
