Table Of Content\
A GRAMMAR
OP THE
KUVI
LANGUAGE,
W/TH COPIOUS EXAMPLES.
BY
R R
The Rev. Y. SCHULZE.
FIRST EDITION.
PRINTED BY GRAVES, OOOKSON A Co.
1911.
LOAN STACK
PREFACE
The reason why the author of this work turned his
^tention to the study of Kuvi, the language of the Konds,
is because he found that, though the men of the tribe
inderstood the Telugu language, their women and children
not, and so it was necessary for his work that he should
his best to master the language.
He has found its study a most interesting and pleasur-
le undertaking, for it is a very rich language. He is quite
'are that he is but a beginner in its study and that he
still much more to learn. His object in publishing this
—
tmmar is :
—
^st He feels that, if his desire to popularize its study is to
be attained, would-be students will be encouraged
to make a beginning, when they find that the
language has a foundation in this Grammar, on
which they can raise their superstructure.
—
id The assistance, which he feels will be renderedby the
criticisms of these students, will enable him to im-
prove hissecond edition by introducing new matter,
that has hitherto escaped his notice, by corrections
wherenecessary and by re-modellingthewhole work
if this be found advisable.
054
u
When the number, who ownthis language as their mother
tongue, is computed, we find, by W. Francis' Gazetteer of
Vizagapatam, that there are
In Vizagapatam alone round Palkonda ... 66,000
In the Agency ... ... ... 150,000
In Jeypur ... ... ... ... 91,000
Making an admitted total of ... ... 307,000
Besides this, there are very many of this tribe living in
Kalahandi, while many more live in Orissa.
In Jeypur the recognized language of the country now is
Ooriya, but W. Francis' Gazetteer shows that 481 per mille
speak Ooriya, and 206 per mille speak Kond. Coupling the
above with the fact that Ooriya is an Aryan language and not
Dravidian, the Author is warranted in deducing therefrom his
belief that the original language of Jeypur and also of
Kalahandi was Kond.
Believing that the study of this languagewillberestricted
to Europeans chiefly, though perhaps educated Indian gentle-
men, who also invariably know English, may also be disposed
to study it, the Author has adopted as his model the Telugu
Grammar prepared bythe Rev. A. H. Arden, m. a., and, on the
lines there laid down, has compiled this Grammar in English
characters. The Author invites any one interested in this
Kuvi language to procure his "Bible Stories'' in Telugu
characters, as also his work on " The Religion, Customs and
Folk-lore of the Kuvis."
CONTENTS.
1. Introductory with some remarks about
the Kuvi and Kui dialect.
2. Alphabet.
3. Nouns.
FORMATION OF NOUNS.
I.
1. From Verbs.
From
. 2. Adjectives.
8. From Nouns.
4. From Adverbs, and Postpositions, etc.
DECLENSION.
II.
1. Gender.
2. Number.
3. Cases.
4. First Declension.
5. Second Declension,
w
Postpositions.
IB
Adjectives.
6. Pronouns.
1. Personal and Demonstrative Pronoun.
2. Reflective Pronoun.
3. Emphatic Pronoun.
4. Interrogative Pronoun.
5. Indefinite Pronoun.
6. Demonstrative Adjective and Interro-
Pronoun.
gative Adjective
7. Possessive Adjective Pronoun.
8. Pronoun referring to Number.
9. Distributive Pronoun.
7.
3
VERBS.
1' The Positive Form of Verb.
ma
2. Conjugation of (be).
3. First Conjugation.
4. Second Conjugation.
5. Third Conjugation.
6. Fourth Conjugation.
7. The self-reflexive Form.
8. Irregular Verbs.
9. The Negative Form of Verbs.
10. Causal Verbs-
11. Composite Verbs-
12. The Reflexive Verbs.
13. The Emphatic Verb.
14. The Passive Verb.
15. Defective Verbs.
1. kalg (to become).
2. ku (to be impossible).
3. no (to pain).
mu
4. (to be sufficient).
5. hal (to be sufficient).
4
6. ra (been sold).
7. wale (must),
8. kudee (must not).
9. kawali (to want).
10. walla, olla (to be possible)
11. mla (be of use).
12. pla (to be big).
13. pol (to be right).
r^K/T
III.
SYNTAX.
The Verbal Noun.
1.
2. The Infinitive Mood.
3. Verbal Participles-
4. The Relative Participles.
5. Noun Sentences.
1. Introductory.
2. Interrogative sentences.
3 Emphatic sentences.
4. Sentences expressing doubt,
Honorific sentences.
.5.
6. Indirect Interrogative sentences.
7. Causal and Conditional sentences,
8. Co-ordinate sentences.
9. Remarks on inzihi*
^
6. Adverbial Sentences*
1. Expressing condition.
2. Do. cause.
3. Negative and privative conditional.
4. Expressing purpose.
5. Do. consequence.
6. Do. manner.
7. Do. time or condition.
8. Do. restriction.
7. Verbal Tenses.
1. Progressive, present and past tense.
t2. The habitual present and past tense.
. 3. The past tense.
4. The verb ma
(to be).
5. Changes in the predicate.
6. Dift'erences between ma and hill.
7. Use of pronominal afl&xes.
8. Formation of composite nouns-
9. Subordinate sentences.
10. Miscellaneous information.
1. On giving an answer.
2. On blessing and cursing.
On
3. greeting.
4. On some affixes.
5. Onomatopaic terms.
11. Compound words and change ofvowels.
12. Phrases.
6
I.
Introductorg.
The Kond, literally the mountaineers, received their
name from the Telugu word Konda, the hill wherefore
other speUings are wrong. This tribe belongs to the
Dravidians and claims its origin from Pandu the great
king of the Konds. They were formerly living from the
Delta of Orissa to the North-west of Jeypore, inhabiting
Kalahandi and Ganjam as well as down the plains of
Vizagapatam District.
They are living both, in the Calcutta and Madras
Presidencies. The Rajah of Palkonda is considered the
head of the southern part of this tribe. In former times
they cultivated the whole of the plains, but were then
gradually pushed backwards by the advancing Aryans.
The great majority is at present living upon the hills, and
as they talk another language, which none of the Telugus
or Ooriyas understand, and as there exist many strange
and rude customs between them, they are regarded as a
semi-civilized and rude race.
There exists a great difference between the cha-
racters of the Konds and the Telugus. The Telugu is a
man, who stands his place even when left alone. The
Kond counts only as a member of his tribe. The Telugu
is not so much afraid of intrigues of men, but fears wild
beasts most. The Kond does not fear wild beasts, but
