Table Of ContentThis is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized
by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the
information in books and make it universally accessible.
https://books.google.com
(ШТШЕ (HL АИ ШСТШ
CE ТИК
KACHABI (DIMASA) LAIGUAGE.
(Based on Маш Chaean Basíian's Kachari Grammar)
W. С. M. DUNDAS,
Diílrict Suneriuieadent ofPolice.
-#v- «ft»
PUBU^HBD BY AuTilOftlTY.
PEINTED AT THE ЕАЗТЕЗЛ' SENSAL AND AädAM SECBETAJBIAT PRESS.
í'jua.
Prlev£4.З.3
iPritxéí. Od.
Г" " " - - - - ,
HARVARD COLLEGE
LIBRARY
FROM THE BEQUEST OF
ROLAND BURRAGE DIXON
CLASS OF 1897
PROFESSOR OFANTHROPOLOGY
1916-1935
Х-
штнотз (vsviAiia) татдмтт
ля
as. o *w 'svaNna
agHsnan^ ¿a ииионллу
аэхкгаз iv них уя^хвтя чуокяя <ikv ittpst ivrarisraoas чвезад
-SOCT
л$во*'»a.te
Agents for the sals of B*n4s published by tie Eastern Bengal and
Assam Government.
Agents In India.
(!) Me«rs. Tbcker,Spink & Co., Calcutta. (4) Messrs. Д.M, and J.Ferguson, Ceylon.
'3) Messrs. W. Newman i; Cu., Calcutta. (5) >'essr . R. Cimbray &Cu.,6, and8/3, Hal-
tingsStreet,Calcuttj.
(3) Messrs. S. K. Lahin iCo., Calcutta. (6) Mes;r=.Tli-mpson & Co., Madras.
Agerit3 In England.
(1) Mr.K. Arnold. 41 and 43, Maddjt Street, (6) Mr tí. И. Blackwell, 50 & 51, Broni
BondStreet, '.V., ¡.0..*эп. Street, Oxford.
(a; Messrs. Ccnstible S Co., 10, Orange (7) Messrs. Deighton Bell&Co.,Cambridge.
Street, 1eicester S.jJare, W. C.
3) Messrs. Kegan Paul, Trench.Tiùbner & Co., (8) Messrs. Henry S.King&Co., 65,Cornhill,
43, GerrarJ Street,Soho, W., London. E. C, London.
(4) Mr. B. Quaritch, Cralton Street,New (9) Messrs Grinday & Co., 54, Parliament,
BondStreet, VV. StreetS. W., Loudon.
(j) Messrs. P. S. King & Son, 0, Bridge (10) Mr.T. Fhh»r Lnwin, i, Adelphi Terrace'
Street, VVestminstti,S. VV., London. London, W.C.
Agents on tne Continent of Europe.
{:) MM. Frisdländer Sí Sohn, il, G-ilstrasse, (4) M. Ernest Leroux, a8. Rue Bonapart«,
Benin. Pans.
(a)M. Otto Harrassmviu,Leipzig. (5) MartinusNijhoff,The Hague, Holland.
(3) M>karlHisrscmaun,Lsinztg. (С) Mr,udRolf Haupt, Halle-a-S* Germany.
- -Л -Л л: .Л
-JiNiVERSiT4 I
\ LIBRARY j
ufci»T»D ВТ К. Ulkt., PRttSS lUfíKUTUtimt, ЙАЯТВЙ» BBWÖaii ISO AttWX.
AN
OUTLINE GRAMMAR AND DICTIONARY
OF THE
KACHARI LANGUAGE AS SPOKEN IN THE
NORTH CACHAR HILLS, AND THE PLAINS OF
CACHAR.
PART I—GRAMMAR.
Alphabet and pronunciation.
The English alphabet, as used in the transliteration of Oriental
languages, is sufficient to produce all the sounds required in the
Kachari language.
Thus the following letters have the sounds noted against each.
Vowels.
â as in ' far.'
a as the ' и ' in ' hut.'
ê as the ' a ' in ' h«te.'
e as in ' egg.'
Î as the ' ее ' in ' ieeV
i as in *ÜW
о as in * hold.'
о as in 'hot.'
Û as the ' oo ' in 1 iooV
и as in full.
Note:—The final vowels of words are generally long and
ther&fore not accented in this book.
Consonants.
All consonants are pronunced as in English. Kachari thus
differs from either the Hindustani, or Bengali languages, in having
no soft sound for d, and t.
Note.—The few exceptions to this rule are words of Hindus
tani or Bengali origin, e.g., jâdi (with the d~ soft), a clan, evi
dently a corruption of the Hindustani word jât.
The letters c, q, and x are not used. The letters to and y
have been used throughout this work as semi-consonants as both
representing the sounds required more accurately, and being pre
ferable to a number of vowels coming together. Thus 4 wai1
(instead of oai), bite; and 'yao' (instead of tao) a hand.
The letters к, p, в, t on being combined with h, are pronounced
as follows :—
kh as the hh in ' blocMouse.'
ph as the ph in 'upAold.'
sh as in ' iÄine.'
th very nearly as the th in ' farming,' only slightly harsher.
Note.—s and sh are generally interchangeable.
Nouns.
Number.—-The plural of nouns is formed as follows :—-
(1) by adding nithi to the singular,
as—bophâng, a tree, bophângnishi, trees ; Ц a house,
• nônishi, houses.
(2) In the case of animals and birds, the plural is formed
by adding thu, or buthu, to the singular :
as—-mushu, a cow, mushu btithu, cows ; dao, a bird, dao
buthu, or dao thu, birds ; mi, a beast, mi thu, beasts.
Note.—With words expressing a genus, or class, the termin
ation thu only is used : the termination buthu being only
used with the varieties-of the genus or class.
Thus :—
mi, an animal or beast : mithu, beasts (in general), but,
tniyung, an elephant : miyung buthu, elephants.
Exceptions : nâ buthu, fish ; yung buthu, insects,jubu buthu,
snakes.
(3) In the case of human beings the plural is formed by add
ing fao to the singular, as—
âncha, a boy ,., ânchâraô, boys*
kârao, a guardian ... kâraorao, guardians*
gupusa, an European ... gupusâfao, Europearls.
mâgâmea, a Naga ... mâgâmsârao, Nagas*
hddisa, a Bengali ... hâditârao, Bengalis«
3
Exception.—subúng, a man ; subúngnishi, men.
The form raonishi for the plural is found, but very sel
dom used.
Sometimes rao will be found forming the plural of nouns
denoting animate things, such as dao, a bird, with plural
daorao. This however sounds ill and is discouraged.
Case.
Nouns are declined as follows :—
Singular.
Nominative subúng ... ... ... . ' a man.
Objective subúng-kho (or, khe)... ... aman.
Instrumental subúng-jáng ... by, with, or through a man.
Dative subúng-ne (or -nêtha) ... to, or for a man.
Ablative subúng-nipharâng (or niphring) ... from a man.
Possessive subúng-ni ... of a man, a man's.
Locative subûng-hâ ... ... on a man.
Plural.
Nom. subúngnishi, ... ... ... men.
Obj. subúngnishi-kho (or, -khe), ... ... men.
Instr. subúngnishi-jâng ... by, with, etc, men.
Dat. subúngnishi-né (or -nêtha) ... to, or for men.
Abl. subùngnishi-nipharâng (or -niphring ... from men.
Poss. subúngnishi-ni ... ... of men, men's.
Loc. subûngnishi-hâ ... ... at, on, etc., men.
Note:—The objective termination kho is used only among the
plains' Kacharis : in the North Cachar Hills it is invari
ably khe. Both forms however are understood. This is
also the case with the Ablative termination—nipharâng
which is used mostly in the plains, the form—niphring
obtaining principally in the Hills. The Dative termina
tion ne and nêtha are alternative and interchangeable,
being used in the plains and Hills alike.
Except in the case of proper nouns and names of persons the
objective terminations kho, or khe, are omitted. Thus : dao rum,
catch the bird : but kali-khe-juru, call Kali. The termination
nipharang of the Ablative is frequently shortened to ni : as no-ni
baigo kha, he has come out of the house ; instead of, no-nifiharang
baigo kha.
To form the Vocative case, the signs o, and hoi, are prefixed
to the noun, the former iorm being used in polite oaddress only,as
о bâbu, hoi âncha.
