Til UBXEll'S COLLECTION SIMPLIFIED GRAMMARS OK TIIK PKINCIP.U, ASIATIC AND EUROPEAN LANGUAGES. EDITED I!Y RK IX HOLD ROST, LL.D... Pu.D. XXI. KHASSI. IJv THE Kiev. II. KOllEKTS. TRUBNER'S COLLECTION OF SIMPLIFIED GRAMMARS OF THE PRINCIPAL ASIATIC AND EUROPEAN LANGUAGES. EDITED BY EEIXHOLD HOST, LL.D., Pu.D. I. HINDUSTANI, PERSIAN AND ARABIC. BY THE LATE E. H. PALMER, 31. A. Second Edition. Price 5s. II. HUNGARIAN. BY I. SIXGEI;. Price 4*. Get. III. BASQUE. BY VT. VAX EYS. Price Bs. Get. IV. MALAGASY. BY G. W. PARKER. Pi-ice 5s. V. MODERN GREEK. BY E. 31. GKLDART, 3I.A. Price 2.9. ((/. VI. ROUMANIAN. BY II. TOKCEAXU. Price os. VII. TIBETAN. BY H. A. JASCHKE. Price 5s. VIII. DANISH. BY E. C. OTTK. Price 2.. G<7. IX. OTTOMAN TURKISH. BY.). YV. HEDHOUSE. Pr/? 10s. Git. X. SWEDISH. BY E. C'. OTTK. Price '2s. Git. XT. POLISH. BY AY. R. MORFILL. 3I.A. Price 3.v. (!f tin- following arc in preparation : Anglo-Saxon, Assyrian, Bohemian, Bulgarian, Burmese, Chinese, Cymric and Gaelic. Dutch, Egyptian, Finnish, Hebrew, Kurdish, 3Ialay, Russian, Siamese, Singhalese, &.<_. etc. LOXDOX: KKdAX PAUL, TREXCH, TltrDXER ^ CO., LTD. A GEAMMAE OF THE KHASSI LANGUAGE. SUB-HIMALAYAN. A GEAMMAE OF THE KHASSI LANGUAGE. FOR THE USB OF SCHOOLS, NATIVE STUDENTS, OFFICERS AND ENGLISH RESIDENTS. KEY. H. EGBERTS, Formerly Head Master nf the Cherrapoonjee Goi-f. Normal School ; Author nf tfi>- Anglo-Khumi Dictionary, and other Elementary Vernacular Books. LONDON : KEGAX PAUL, TREXCH, TEUBXEIl & CO., LTD. PATERNOSTER HOUSK, CHARING CROSS ROAD. 1891. lir. ritjlitfi of translation and of reproduction Personal ... 3S 3 Emphatic ... 41 4 Relative 41 5 Adjective ... . 44 5 Distributive . 44 6 Indefinite ... 45 8 Reflexive? ... 46 Interrogative 47 The Verb. Classified 48 9 1. (1.) Intransitive 48 9 (2.) Transitive 41) 10 (3.) Impersonal 49 10 (4.) Auxiliary 49 2. (1.) Causative .. 50 11 (2.) Frequentative .. 51 11 (3.) Inceptive 52 11 i i4.) Reciprocal 52 11 (.">.) Intensive ... .. 53 CONTEXTS . Moods and Tenses. Auxiliaries of Mood Auxiliaries of Tense The Moods The Tenses The Conjugations. Neuter lunj. Indicative... Subjunctive Imperative Potential ... Infinitive ... Participle ... to be ' 61 63 64 67 68 70 71 Active. -tl< oh. ... ... 71 Ex. of all the Moods and Tenses 72-86 The Passive. "eit, ' to love.' Ex. of all the Moods ...86-92 Negative forms ... Ex. for all the Moods &c Progressive Form Active Voice Passive Voice ... Emphatic Form ... Additional Remarks on the Verb, &c., &c. 104, 10S The Adverb 108 Adverbs of Time 110 ,, of Manner ... 113 ,, of Place ... 116 ,, of Affirmation, &c 118 Peculiarities of ... ... 119 The Preposition .. ... 119 Of Place 119 Of Time 120 Of Agency 121 Of Cause" 121 Others 121 PAGE The Conjunction ... ... 121 Copulative ... ... 122 Disjunctive ... ... 122 Correlative ... ... 123 Examples ... ... ... 123 The Interjection 124 111. SYNTAX. Arrangement ... ... 126 The Simple Sentence ... 129 The Compound do. ... 129 The Complex do. ... 130 The Article. Orieinally definite 131, 134 When repeated ... 26, 132, 137 AVhen omitted ... 19, 134, 135 136,138 139, 140 Before Adjectives ... 133 With the (')bj. Case ... 138 As a Possessive Pron. ... 139 Forms Abstract Nouns ... 140 The Noun. The Nominative Case ... 140 Several Nom. connected 140 Number 140 (lender 144 Collective Nouns ... 144 The Possessive Case ... 145 The Objective Case ... 146 Double Objectives ... 146 Connate Objectives ... 146 The Dative Case 149 Instrumental Case ... 150 Locative Case ... ... 154- The Adjective ... ... 151 Position ... ... 151, 152 la, as prof, and conjunc- tion ... ... ... 151 la, omission of . 25, 152 Adiective and the Article 152 The Adjective (continued). Numerals ... Adj. of quantity, position of " ... Derives of Comparison.... Comparative; Superlative . Superlative Absolute, 2S, Force of /.-/../ ... 29, 155, Force of to,., . 29, Use of ia 158, I'bO Of I'i'tl in The Pronoun. Personal Pronouns Wlien omitted Force of mn ... 40, Emphatic Pronouns Possessive Pronouns Reflexive Pronouns Kelative Pronouns W route use of do. 1!3^, Demonstratives ... Distributives Indefinite Pronouns : Kx. of their use Interrogative Pronouns : Kx. of their use Compound Relatives: Kx. of their use The Verb. Adjectives used as Verbs 176 Adverbs used as Verbs... 176 Special forms ... ... 177 ?<-/<;/ and (/n. ... 105, 178 The Passive Voice ... 179 The Pres. Indicative ... 181 The Imperfect ... ... 182 Future forms ... ... 183 ijndu and hynJa ... ... 185 > VGK 1 The Verb (citnliiiueJ.). .1 ii r. 153 Past, Perfect and Plupcr- feet 185 154 1 nterro^atives 180 155 Negatives ... ... .~ 188 155 The lni[)erativn ... 188 157 Compound Sentences | jqQ.iqn 158 Com]ilex Sentences J> 150 The Infinitive 193 159 '"' omitted 193 203 n.ii(i and van ... 194 208 (iernndial Form 190 The Participle 197 'a and ia 197 100 with 7;a'n7 1'JS 102 English Perf. Participle, 103 h, JW rendered 199 103 ! r^j? The Adverb. Position 199 167 Degrees of Comparison... 200 16!) 170 The Preposition. 170 When Adverbs ... 201 1 ad and ia... 201 173 ' ad, da, and /: ... 202 In and xlin... ... 150, 202 174 ltd and ia ... ... 149, 203 /.,(.;? and ji'i.i ... 165, 203 175 The Conjunction. /.a'/, force and position, 203, 20 1 lad and ruli ... ... 204 '.a. 7 and de 204 /"/', ' even ' ... ... 204 '(I, the use of ... ... 205 Correlatives and Disjunc- tives, Kx. of . ... 207 The Interjection. ... , 209 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. THE importance which the Khassi and Jaintia Hills have <>f late years acquired, both as ;i frontier district and a centre of administration, will, I trust, amply justify the appearance of a complete and somewhat exhaustive Grammar of the language of by far the most numerous ami powerful > the north-east frontier tribes. To those Avho, in the daily discharge of their official duties, come into personal contact with the natives, a practical knowledge of their language is indispensable'. For it is //(.' guide ;<'/ ' "' llcin-e to a just appreciation of their character and habits. The numerous visitors from the extensive tea estates, to the salubrious and charming climate' of the hill sanitarium at Shillong, now so easy of acce-- from all parts, will also find in the Grammar a nseful companion. ^ e would particularly call attention to two prominent feature's of the work: 1st, Complete paradigms for the conjugation of all A erbs, based on native usage, the )/.//>? for xiii/i.iiu ', r ni /''?'.' for 'nib'nr xm/oi for *mii ; innxxoi lor mas.yi; Iwmj for ./''",'// lomiorlilm; loi for lc.it ; I'inr for V vr ; 'iinn for cm ; / for cm ; /// l'"}' (*7ve) and the Kliassi slitr, 'a small iish/ or 'a, fry of small iish ' or between "IDJ ()}<>ktii*tt<: J<'ci>l<>iiinri/t should we assign to the Khassi Language ? We answer, that it is not so absolutely monosyllabic, like the Chinese on the one hand, I XVlli INTRODUCTORY REMARKS. as to be devoid of genuine agglutinations. On the other hand, it is too far removed from the so-called ii'iflt.eional fitiiij?. to be classed under the agglutinate family in the sense of terminational ; for its agglutinations are in no sense ferminntional or inflexional as those terms are understood and handled by Professor Max Miiller, to whom philology is so much indebted. If the Professor's comprehensive definition of an agglutinate (i.e. Turanian) language is to bo accepted as a final test or basis of classification, the Kbassi is neither Turanian nor agglutinate. If we understand his defini- tion rightly, it must be greatly modified to include the Khassi, and some of the other adjacent dialects within the extensive family, which his favourite term Tiii-'inimi is intended to embrace. According to Prof. Max Mil Her,* it is a distinctive characteristic of a Turn, /in// language, that it should bo agglutinative, nut ,//// in the general sense of gluing its words, of having its words coalescing, but further, that the modifying root be t'-nai niiiiom '/> H,i I-PLKPO^ITIVK. A very cursory perusal of the Grammar will substantiate our position. Take, e.g. /;/ ('possession ') of * See Science of L:uiu;ige, vol. i. p. ^2:5. tifth cilitioii, ISDC.. INTRODUCTORY RKMAKKS. XIX Abstract Nouns, rind many other examples equally ensy of comprehension ; these are all <)lni'e l>) to lail ; Jit'r, to i\y ; tip, to know; aim, a bird. nu/ } a house ; lop, to })rune ; oA, to hew ; sini, a king. sop, to cover. or, to split. u ,, put ; ,, luiit, to gather ; 311111, to bathe. ., ao boot; In at, a hill ; si'i~m, to pierce. ,, u fun ; Ijynfa, a part ; ;(/;^ will. y ,, Yr. nnc ; sijnduJc, a box; slujiii, not. 7. The semivowels are : i, like y in yard;' as iar, 'to spread ;' iaitl, ( to walk :' or the- TT in ^f?TTTl (kur'nji'i] ; a.s lap, to die;' //;, 'to tread.' w, like ?'; in f war;' a.s vail } ' to search;' ?/v//?, ' to come :' or ^STT in ''TtSTTl (jnwa) ; * Tlie anomaly of including the w among the vowels should be done away with. ORTHOGRAPHY. o /r/V, astray ;' irun. The diphthongs are compound vowel-sounds, and may lie exemplified thus : ai (short), like our vulgar ' ay ;' as prtit, ' to break :' or ^\$ in ^FW^s (dalcait) ; as laiit, ' a plaintain.' di (long), like ^t^I in Tt^T (l;<(irja) ; as l>'il, ' for pleasure :' or ^ in ( ^j'j (nail>) a.s i-.f.-i )*",. I , 1 > tin, three ; sut, a thread. a/6' (short),likc iloo in Fr. ao"ttr ; as /ct/r, 'to take off:' or ^STT in^STTl (jau'd)', as /rf?/'.', 'noisy:' or *\ in t_;IJ (nan-iil'). (hi- (long), like ^STI in Tt'STTl (ynn/v?) ; as f?'^'', 'a cau^c:' or"\Velsh 11 aw, hand/ no English equivalent. ft, like (.]) in 'they;' as /eiY, 'to go;' 2'"- if, ' to wake up ; ' mjeit, ' to believe ; ' not like i in thine/ as some foreigners pronounce it ; but like 3TI in (T5?TI (/'//). ew, like fl l S in CffQTT^rt (Jci'-ant) or AN'el.-h ic.w, 'fat' no ex. in E as tJttic, 'to measure;' Iclicn', wheat.' iw (short), like the u' when simply pronounced; or y in ,y'_J^ (diwaiif) ; as ^^r, 'to pr.y/ gyntiw, ' a flower.' * (long), like '_u in 'feud/ or u in 'tune;'' as litw, ' to ascend.' 4 KIIASSI GRAMMAR. ic, the nearest approacli to a true digraph, but the sound of the e is perceptible ; like the e muet in Fr., having a- short guttural sound after the /';* as idi, ' to let alone/ oi (short), like oi in ' voice/ or oij in \>f 'la, ' a swelling/ 'gali, 'abusive language/ litfjam, f a bridle/ and a few others. * Those versed in French will, perhaps, remember Voltaire's remark on the c mute: "Son qni subsists enrorc apres Ic mot commence, 'ni)iu)f 11 n c/arecin '/"/', rcxoimc is represented by an apos- trophe ('}, and somewhat similar in its power to the 5 or \ of Persian and Hindustani grammars, that is the ^ius-* ,_j'j> (ha-i-multh-tafi), when it comes between two vowels and causes a hiatus, as in J^i (bt-'dr), as distinguished from ;>& (liehiir). See Sir W. Jones' Persian Grammar (Works, vol. v., 8vo, 1SU7). The same remark applies to the final h when preceded by a vowel, its power is that of a slight guttural; as rail, 'to bear;' pali, 'to utter a sound;' 1/i.h, ' to be able.' 11. li is never initial in Khassi before another con- sonant. Such combinations as Id, Inn, lin, lit, Jij>, &c. are unknown, and, however barbarous a tribe may be, we doubt whether such combinations do at all represent actual sounds in any of its kindred dialects. In the case of the Kookies, for instance, there is always an abrupt y sound, either preceding 1 or intervening, the // serving as a kind of fulcrum. The Bengali 5ji (hri) is no exception. 1:2. THE ASPIRATED LETTERS. These are I, k, d,j,p, r, f, ay, s. As in Bengali and Hindustani, the h sound is merely combi/ied or added to that of the preceding conso- nant, and not amalgamated u-ith it ; so differing materially from our English notion of an aspirated letter e.g., /J/ do not make an f, but stand separate, as in ' up-hill,' without an hiatus. bit, as bhd, pron. l>-lid, ' good/ = 1 or Uj kh, as Md, pron. k-ha, ' to give birth/ = "tt or l^ C KIIASSI GRAMMAR. dl (*f, ,>), as tlliali, pron. r7-/,//, = 'a drum/ j'/< (*Ti, ), as pliuh-, pron. p-liult, ' to blossom/ r// (//( iu \v-rhwn in pa/35os (rha.Mos'). naJt, 'to cry/ rili, ' to rear/ 2. The apostrophe ('), to mark the suppression of one or more letters; as 'liny for Ithlimj, f a kite/ 'ping for vping, f a handle/ 'thr for ksiw, 'a grandchild/ 'riw for ir/Jt^ 'a man or a human being/ 'rt'ft'r/'.i (}, placed above one of two contiguous vowels, in order to show that they are to be pronounced sepa- rately ; as, 'it it, ' to love ;' Llt-it, ' foolish ;' n'niit, 'to ensnare;' n'ilt(')i (-) should be extensively used in order to show the formation of compounds, which in the majority of cases, are roots placed merely in juxtaposition to express one compound idea. (1) Xouns nr-it'jnt, ' two persons/ 'a couple/ ar-tyUi, ' two things, or two/ san-shnong, lit. 'five villages,' = a confederacy of five villages. Xute. The emphasis is equally on both or each part of the compound. (:2) Verbs followed by a personal pronoun, as Iclt- ni'i-pJii, 'you do/ '(8) Verbs followed by an adverb, as I'.'li-blni, 'to do good \ kam-sniw } ' to do ill.' (-!) "\ erbs KIIASSI GRAMMAR. and Adjectives followed by eh (Fr. t>i-s), 'very/ as Icren-eli, 'to speak liarshiy;' l>ln'i.-eli, ' very well.' (5) Verbs and pronouns followed by Jit (Fr. mtnic}, ' self/ 'even/ as ma-iiga-lii, ' I myself/ n-an-lii, 'come yourself'/ or 'come even/ (15) Nouns followed by demonstrative particles for the sake of emphasis ; as u Iriiv-une (instead of une u briiv), 'this man/ l;a ing-ltaiiyue, 'this here house/ or ' the house here/ 13. EMPHASIS. In pronouncing 1 Khassi words, the emphasis should as a rule be on the penult, in the case of dissyllables; as f>ynlonijnirit, ' to cause to come / jinrjlomj, ' a state / lynnong, 'a part/ kyuxJm, ' desolate / Jtinrci, 'but/ dddin, ' behind/ There are many exceptions to this rule: (1) of words beginning with [inn, having the emphasis on the last sylla- ble ; nsfji/HJtih', 'to loose ;' pynher , 'to fly/ (a kite) ; pi/n- ln.it , 'to soothe;' pynsaJt } ' to leave behind/ pynliap, 'to let; fall / pynotig , 'to speak for another ;' pynum' , ' to melt ; jii/nro!,' Mo increase/ (-2) With in, as iaruh', 'to praise/ i'llntit/', ' to gather together / itipoin' , ' to fight / ia)-', ' to help/ inx'.'iKJ, ' to assemble / in short, all words beginning with in (prep.) should never have the emphasis on that prefix. In Sheila and Jiwai, however, some of the natives violate this rule in some instances only, as ia raj), instead of Kira/i' ; but it is affected. \\ hen a compound is made up of two or more dissyllable words, each retains its own emphasis ; &s I'yii'riah d A.-/, the plural of all. / (corn.) J in KHASSI GRAMMAR. 1C. OF THE USE OF THE ARTICLES. (1) They indicate the number and g-ender of nouns. This is the chief sense in which the article defines the noun in Khassi ; as, SI_VGrr,AR. PLUKAL. u Icsfw, l a or the dog.' /.'/ /r.-w/'. ha kxi-ii; ' a or the bitch.' ki l;*ew, ' dogs or the dogs.' i Icsrw, ' a or the little dog.' ~ki kxciv. The rule is that one or other of the articles should be used before every noun, according to its gender, number, or importance. Xouns masculine take n, as riLi'tu', ' a or the man;' // li'im, f a or the mountain;' umau:, 'a or the stone.' Nouns feminine take ka, as lea g, ' a or the tree;' leu .' is not specially required here. CHAPTER III. The Noun. $ 17. The Noun is a name of anything we can see, feel, or think about; as l;n klu'm, 'A daughter/ n klu'n, 'a son/ leajingmut, 'a thought/ k-t j'nuj b'uH, ' imbecility / ki dolt -kin i, 'fish/ or ' fishes/ ka rung (i^LJo,), ' colour.' IS. In Khassi, as in English, there are three kinds of Nouns, viz. (1) Connnon, (2) Proper, and (o) Abstract. (1) Common Xonns are names given to all objects of the same class (kild , 'to die.' liajingleli, 'action;'' from Ich, 'to do.' lia jingher, 'flight/ from //tV, ' to fly.' kajinrjlieit, 'foolishness;' from b'icif, 'foolish.' Jiajingkkd, 'birth ;' from liJta, 'to give birth.' (a] Another way of forming abstract nouns is by pre- fixing- the feminine article I: a to adjectives, as the neuter TO is used in Greek, and le in French: TO Trovrjpov , ' evil ;' I'iiifame, 'infamy;' le beau, ' the beautiful/ le sublime, ' the sublime;' as 7i(i ItalJui. 'the good;' from lalha, 'good.' lea Imsniw, 'evil;' from liasniw, 'bad.' I'a Uy unman, 'wickedness;' from b'ymman, 'wicked.' Note. These two forms cannot be used indiscriminately ; the first corresponds to our abstracts in '-ness/ '-tion/ &c., and is more comprehensive ; while the second is less em- phatic, and corresponds to our verbals in '-ing,' when the root is a verb; as ha jingldi, 'action/ /,- baleh, 'doing/ from lc/t, 'to do.' (/>) A few words express abstract ideas without either 'tng or ba ; as I'd, tylang, 'the winter/ l:) ; lea }><>l>, 'sin' ( }) (lit. a covering) ' u roof';' Jinn d'n- (lit. a selling) 'merchandise, goods/ lea JI'IKJ thiah (lit. a lying) 'abed/ (d) The form ka, with an adjective, is sometimes preferred merely for the sake of euphony, as more agreeable to the ear, and easier to pronounce; as (1) Kabajing-ngiiij ' distance/ rarely A ajing jing-ngai, J\n dajiiKj-iKjn i katno ha ing Jong phi? ' \Vhat is the distance to your house?' (2) Kdbajirlwli, 'cough,' rather than Ka Ji)if/-J!rlioli. Knbnj'i i'Ii oil ka long ka dak ka ba sniw. ' A connJi is a bad sign/ (}} KalniJi)ijntlici } 'ewes/ or 'she-goats/ 'hi 'laiKj-shuiraiifj, 'he-goats/ or 'rams/ (2) In the same way with many diminutives ; while the article i is sufficient in the singular to mark smallness, or endearment, some additional word or particle must be added in the plural ; as / iin'nr, f a pebble/ ki Ky-ria, 'pebbles/ / in'j, 'a little house/ pi. ki tit'j-rit, 'huts/ THE NOUX. 15 t briii', ' a dsvarf'/ pi. lei. Vm'-n'iid, 'dwarfs/ i a'iar, ' a chicken/ pi. /,/ khun-.sm?-, 'chickens/ i tyntit, ' a sprig/ ]>1. /.-/ J nat-?-/7 ; 'sprigs/ ('3) In some cases the plural is formed by prefixing ki to a different word ; as, u brin-, ' a man/ pi. lei } ratnjba/i, ' men;' ka brltc, 'a woman/ pi. /;/ kijnthci, ' women/ Note. Strictly speaking, ki br'tw would mean 'human beings/ or men generally, male and female, in contra- distinction to animals or things. $$ 21. SPECIAL FACTS: (1) Some singulars either very seldom or never admit of a plural form; as leu XIK'IIII, 'blood;' kli, ' ilesh / kajinr/duk, 'poverty/ k, ' rain ;' n, (njnai, 'the moon/ ka sinji, ' the sun/ (2} Some of the above, as well as a few others, take the plural, but with the meaning either greatly modified or entirely changed ; as kajingsaronr/, 'pride/ pi. Itljingsarong, 'airs/ ka ktt'iai; 'gold/ pi. ki k.y'iar, 'gold ornaments/ ka rnpii (-^}, 'silver/ pi. ki rui>n, 'silver ornaments/ u si/bdi, 'money/ pi. ki si/bat, 'shells/ 'cowries/ ka kmii (^1^1, +\*}, ' work/ pi. ki kani, 'actions/ u ,s'0//, ' fruit/ pi. /,-/ dolt, 'various fruits/ v. bi/na.i, 'the moon/ (also a month), pi. /,-/ ^/mi, months. ka t*ngi, ' the sun/ pi. /.-(' siir/i, 'days/ ka j i'/ijkJtn'ii, 'trade/ jil. kijingkhali, 'goods/ u slap, ' rain/ pi. ki tthi}), ' the rainy season/ If) KHASSI GRAMMAR. kajinytlidw, 'creation/ 'making;' pi. kijingthdw, f orna- inents.' (3) Some singular forms Lave a plural meaning-; as ka .yilt, 'riches/ u null, 'fruit in general.' ?/ tt'lttiiuJt, 'hair/ u xli'iup, 'sand/ u kxiiin, ' grubs / u skdin, ' flies/ u kn'i.ln, 'white ants/ u kyld, 'grain/ u knn, 'millet/ n kltaw, 'rice/ v. plilann, ' grass / u slap, ' rain/ tilirihili, Ic&.un, skdhi, $1t'iap, ki/pd, khdw, sometimes take the diminutive article to express ' one hair/ ' one grain/ &c., as i shniuhf i slu'.ap, i khdw, i kyba, &c. 2:2. Closely allied to those mentioned in last paragraph are the Collective Nouns ; as kit kynliun, a flock ; a herd; u bynriw, mankind; ka jdid, a tribe, clan, or class; u sJmong, a village community. ka inrj, (lit. a house), a family ; u paitlah, the people. Each of these are used in the plural with Id also ; as k.i ki/n- hi'/n, 'flocks/ kijdlil, ' tribes, or clans/ ki nig, 'families/ 2o. Some collectives are formed by joining two words, often (but not always) of a kindred meaning. These are double forms, and comprehend a certain class of things which go together in the ordinary routine of life or business. The words which form these collectives are names of objects or persons which suggest one another, either by way of contrast, or of similarity. It is a kind of THE NOL'X. I 7 Ilendyadis j as, ka inrj-ka xcm, (lit., 'a house and enclo- sure '), 'a house and appurtenances.' /// IJu'iH-kl L'ffiic, (lit. 'children/ ' grandchildren ') = posterity. ka mi t-kriw, ' He found the man.' U. Datire (ha ai), takes lia, or ia* ' to / as, U la ai ha it'/'i ia ka kitab, ' He gave me the book/ 4. Instrumental, takes da ' by ;' as, U la 2^ tot ia la ka kti da ka wait, ' lie cut his hand u'it/i an axe.' 5. Ablative (ha ////// na], takes //a, ' from ;' as, U Horn n la mill ua la ///;/, ' Horn came out of his house.' 0. Genitive, also called the Possessive (l>a don], takes the particle >;/, f of. 3 (See 1-J-d, Ml.) 7v inn jong ka kijnii, ' His mother's house.' 7. Locative (l>a b:i ja/,-/^, takes 1m or .s/n'ir! O man! L. 7/iT A 1 / lii-itr, in or at men. V. yl/i /,-/ &riio / O men ! Ko Id Iriw f O in v rnon ! KO lirtir! O my man ! JVo/r 1. The preposition is often omitted (see 111) : Ka iinj kl l/riic, for Ka inq Jong lil briiv, lit. ' the house of (other) men/ = other people's house. '\Yallam u Iriw, for \Yallnm-ia u briw, 'Bring- a or the man/ Not? 2. The article is also often omitted, both in the singular and the plural : di briii:, for in la u briic, 'supply a man/ riw, a man ; /, a father; Jea Jeyiiti, a mother. 11 litliau), a grandfather ; Jin le'idv:, a grandmother. u sldnrang, a male; lea leyntlici, a female. u sir, a stag ; fca xleei, a deer. K xcilti-li, a gentleman ; l;a m<.:irt, a lady. u kijnrciw, a bachelor; Jin 'tJici-tutti, a maid. u rniiylnlt, a man (adult) ; Jea lujntlit'i, a woman. i; 2"s. In ordinary cases the })lural with lei is common ; hence some qualifying word indicating sex must be added, such as xJiiiirait'j (male), fri/nlJuji (female) ; or a word .k'sevibing some peculiar feature of the male, as lei/rtoiiy lat, strong) of cattle; Hulfinoh, or soli-inuli (bearded), of goats; bull (big), of cocks. THK xorx. -2 L // s'iar-bnhj or /;/ ''inr-lml, cocks. ki ii/iixxi, cattle; Itimtistsl-kyrtong, bulls. l;i l>liinaro, a dove ; ka 1t t a 1'niit. u khii'iii, a hook ; u Ictci'ii, the betel-nut ; n xjiimj, a liaf't. -5:2. Abstract nouns are all feminine : ha jhirjlonr/, slate; 1m jinr/pany, pain; l;a jingor, power ; kajur, essence. Note. The following rnmuidli- HOIUIN are feminine ; as, Jut- ,<>;;//, the sun; kit [njrUtci, the world; l;a klujndeic, the earth ; A dnri'dc, the sea : but ' the moon ' is masc., as, u Injnui. DIMINUTIVES. ']'}. I'nder ^ 2(>, ('2), we have already referred to the diminutives,, which are formed by prefixing- the article i; as, / In-'iw, ' a little man/ or 'the iris/ i Jinp, ' baby/ Some- times an additional word is placed either before or after the noun, both in the singular and plural,, to sug-g-est endear- ment, smallness, inferiority, or contempt; such as fc/titu, lit. ( child / Mtynwih, lit. ' child / -rit, ' small / rta, ' small / as, / -nidw-r'ia, a pebble; i sim-Jthynnah, the king-'s heir. / Wiun-l}lang, a kid ; / khnn-Lynriw, a doll. i Jihiin-ing, a toy-house ; u salieb-kliynnali, a subordinate. i iiitj, a hut ; ?' sriinn wicked man. ka wg-kJirdw, a large house; ka lyer-klireat, cold wind. Note 1. This is probably the original form (without la] of the adjective ; and we reject the opinion that the adjective is formed from adverbs with ba. For there are many adverbs now in use which cannot take ba alone to form adjectives ; such as, njnnmanrj, suddenly; makynna, aimlessly, triflingly; kyndong, aside; ngain, very; s'iar, slily; Ity nd'if, suddenly ; baryngmang, bamakynna, bakyn- a, it often differs in meaning from the same adjective when used with li ; as, ( ii briw-bnbhd = a goud man. ( n 'riii'-bhd = a rich man. n brhi'-bastud = a learned man. // 't'itu-ntdil = an astrologer. ( n Knlt-l>n iiiinj = a black fruit. ( // x<>li-uuilt, fruit, + phlang, g'rass, = earth-nut. i 'lanij-lcliun 'lanrj, a gozt + lilu'in, child = a kid. The following 1 are examples of nouns qualifying adjec- tives : ba jcrnng-kti Lajcrong, lon^ + A 1 //, hand=long-handed. I m snnL'-bniv = bafniw, ngly + brnv } r>erson= ugly, un- handsome. bit nt-jingmnt = bar it, small + jinrjmut, mind = small minded. T1IK ADJECTIVE. 27 bit. liJtrdw-tynfjtim~LaJi:1iniWf]'JLTge-}- djiujdm, jaw, = noisy, talkative. (2) Verbs; as, d(jli-t'i'iji = iliili } llcsli + ii'tj>, to die= mortified llesh. /.v/. L'ot-/n/ii/i< 'r = !,'<>/, \K\iwr +pynher } to fly= a paper kite. dcu'-lon//^/, to be = solid ground, original soil. deic-roh = dew, earth -f Vo/i, to deposit=alluvium. /' massi-dub = u Htdxti, an ox + crl. 1. liarit, la him n) rif, l> kluim rit-f'im (small) (smaller) la rit L'lm in-taut, (smallest). ltd rtt-tant, 2. /"* //t7/, la liJuwi hih, la hih fa 'ni, (big) O'ii^cr) la l;liyrnrjia?nrj t bitterish; lyrthuli, greyish; lyrshcm, to abut ; &c. N i; M I'H! A I, A D.I KCT 1 VES. ^ 10. Numbers are either Cardinal or Ordinal. (1) Of the Cardinal ^nmb<->-*. These are the chief or principal numbers, and they slate 'how many/ or 'how much/ (katno?). "VVe shall give as many examples here as THE ADJECTIVE. J. */*/, or 2. il r, t\VO. '$. I a I, tlirci 1 . 1. xi'nc, four. 5. //<, live. ('). liinriir, six. 7. hinnicn', seven. S. phrn, ei^'ht. 1). li'Jiynduif nine. 10. sin-riiKW, ten. will enable the student to master this portion of Khassi Grammar : (com.), 'one;' and uwcl (masc.), (fern.), ' one.'' 1 I . Ji'hnd-wci, eleven. 1 2. lihad-dr, twelve. 1 ''). khad-ldi, thirteen. II. l'/i(tli, three hundred, &c. 000. kynddi-spah, nine hundred. 999. Wtyiuli'u-spaJi-liliijndiil-plicw-Wiyndaiy nine hundred ninety-nine. The principle of ylniity together, or of collocating the simpler t<^ Ibi'in the more complex numbers, is so steady and T1IK ADJECTIVE. UU so regular, that they require only a little practice and repetition to master. 11)00. /ttijiu-, one ' thousand.' This is a foreign importation from tho Persian ,!;* liu::iir, through the Bengali ^t5ft?T hujnr. They have not utterly rejected their own shipheio-spult, lit. oue-ten-hundred. Note 1. Any multiple of ten minus one, or minus two is often expressed thus : IS^ziir-jriiew-'iiar, contr. fr. dr-pltew-r/it/ia-dr = t\vo tens-less-t wo = eighteen. ].Q=d)'-phew- f /tuwei } contr. fr. ar-pliew-dwia-wei = two-tens-less-one = nineteen. ^=.ldi-pliGio- } iidr, contr. fr. la,i-pliew-du,nct-u,r =three-teus-less-t\vo= twenty-eight. 3,ty = lai-plicw~ naiuei, contr. fr. lai-pheio-dntia-wei = three-tens-less-one = twenty-nine. Note 2. The original force of khad, pliew and spalt, which continually recur, may be ascertained either from their use as independent words, or from analogy. (1) Khwl was in an earlier stage the word for 'ten.' The examples under Note 1 show that khyiifls/i (nine) is a contraction of AAad-di'ma-wei or khi/ndai= ten-less-one; hence ^a^-iyei=ten-oue=5eleven, &c., &c. (:2) PJicu: As 'seven' was with the Hebrews,] so is ' ten ' with the Khassis, their ' perfect' or 'sacred ' number. In one instance only do we find khad employed thus, viz. in the compound shi-kUad-dei, ' a great deal.' But now we hear slii-plieiu-jaid, slu-pliew-rultorn, 'ten kinds or ways/ D 34 KHASSI GRAMMAK. i.e. 'many kinds/ &c. ; also ka spali-ha PHEW, for 'abun- dance of wealth.' (8) Span is undoubtedly a contraction of shiphcw- sldpliew ic\\ times ten; and is by metonomy used for ' wealth/ Jca spali. Note 3. S/il (one) more properly conveys the idea of unity, or oneness: slii-siiyi, f a whole day / sld-lylli, 'a whole ' of anything; sld-ing, not only 'one house/ but also 'a whole house or family/ si d- simony, 'the whole village/ 100,000. slil lal:, * one lac ' = one hundred thousand, from the Bengali Tfa, or Sanskrit (Hind. ^), I nick. .s/ii JclJt't.'r means to a Khassi, a countless number; hence the stars are called 1:1 IMdr : may be, this is the Urdu * kuror. COLLECTIVE NUMBERS. 41. sld-gynda (Bengali 't'Ql), !Jj6 rjanda, one anna of four pice, or four. sJii-gynda-kawei, one anna one pice, or five. shi-cjynda ur shiny, one anna two pice, or six. shi-gynda lit siting, one anna three pice, or seven. cttf-gyndctj a two-anna piece, or eight pice. Idi-gynda, three annas, or twelve pice. sdw-yynda, four annas, or sixteen pice. sdw-gynda dr-shmg, four annas two pice, or eighteen. THE ADJECTIVK. !J si'iw-cjynda is also called shi-suka, or the four-anna piece (Bengali faf%). fwn-gynda, live annas, or twenty pice. liinriw-ijyndu, six annas, or twenty- four pice. liinnieW'fjyndiif seven annas, or l\venty-sevc-n pice. hinntew-ijynila-ldi-shiny, seven annas, threcpice. Instead of ylirti-gynda, for ' eight annas/ they use shi- p/it ah, lit. 'one s})ht or half/ I.e. eiylit annas, or one half- rupee, or sixteen annas; 1ydi) } or four scores (p'- n }' D 2 36 KHASSI GRAMMAR. 42. ORDINALS. These are formed by prefixing- la to the numerals, with the exception of ' first/ which has a separate word ; thus 1st. nyngkong, or la nyngltong, first. 2nd. la dr, second. ord. la I'd, third. ith. la aiv, fourth. 5th. la san, fifth ; c. Ex. Une u lunrj u ba-lai la'n wan sliane, 'this is the tliird to come here.' U laj'ia long u ba nyng-kong-, ' he happened to be the first.' 1-j. The Reduplicative Numerals. (1) To express time, or our ' times/ These are formed by adding- wad or shi (times) to the cardinal numbers ; as sJti-wdd, or ski-sin, once. ur-wddj or dr-sin, twice. ldi-v;dd, or Idi-sin, thrice. adw-u;dd, or saw-sin, four times; &c. From these are formed the multiplicatives; thus ar-siii-dr = ' twice two; 7 Idi-sin-sdiv, ' three times four/ &c. (2} To express quantity (shall = -fold) by adding- shah to the cardinal numbers; as dr-shuh, ' two-fold ;' saw-shah, ' four-fold/ Idi-shah, ' three-fold / shiphew-shah, c ten-fold/ THE ADJECTIVE. 37 44. The Distributive Numerals. These are formed by merely repeating the cardinals ; as dr-ur, 'by twos ;' saw-saw, f by fours.' Idi-ldi, 'by threes;' sun-nan, 'by fives.' Or by prefixing- mar (each) ; as mar-kawei-kawei, 'one each/ or 'one by one.' mar-ivei-ivei, 'one by one.' mar-dr-dr, 'two each/ or 'by twos.' mar-ldi, ' three each/ or 'by threes.' mar-plird-plird, ' eight each/ or ' by eights/ 45. Fractional Numbers : shi-pawa, (j-J pao), a quarter; or kaba sdw-bynta, the fourth part. slii-teng (lit. one part), a half; or kaba sJd bynta, the one part. &a ba lai bijnta, the one-third. shiteng pdwa, the one-eighth, or 7;a ba plird-bynta, Idi-pdwa, three quarters. shi-tyngka-pliiah, one rupee and a half. dr-pliiali, two rupees and a half. Idi-phiah, three rupees and a half. 46. Measures: slu-kham, a hand-breadth = four inches. shi-tijdali, a span = nine inches. sJti-pruh, a cubit = eighteen inches. shi-kot, two cubits = thirty-six inches = a yard. 8hi-kyntin-kiudi=si mile (sic), or the space a man at his usual pace traverses, while chewing one- fourth of a betel-nut. 38 KHASSI GRAMMAR. CHAPTER IV. Pronouns. 17. The Pronouns are of three kinds, viz. Personal, Relative, and Adjective. -18. The Personal Pronouns are 1st pers., nrja, ''I-/ pi. nrji, 'we/ 2nd pers., me (masc.), pJid (fern.), 'them/ pi. phi, ' you / 3rd pers., u (masc.), ' he ' or ' it/ I- a (fern.), 'she' or 'it/ pi. Id, 'they/ i (dim. masc. or fern.), 'he/ ' she/ or ' it/ PERSONAL PRONOUNS DECLINED. 1st Person Sy yon/ ' by theo.' D. ?\/ or /' ,;/<' (m.), /a or /at D. /a or /at ^hi, ' to you/ p/at (('.], ( to tliee/ Ab. w^ me' (m.), /at _^///// (f.), Ab. /a/ y/A/, 'from you/ f i'roin thee/ Gcn.Jony //a; (m.),joiiy jJc'i Geu, jong phi, 'your/ &e. (f.)/ of thee, thine, thy.'. ' Loc. /at or x/at ///'.' (m.), //a or Loe. /at or ^/at /'A/', 'in, *7a."t -]_ilu< (f.), ( in, at, or at, or with yon/ with thee/ Voc. .tA //a/ / (m.), JA yJat/ Voc. Ah ^lii ! ' Oh ye !' (f.), f Oh them I' Note. J/r, j(>A((, like the French f ; are used between. intimate friends, members of a family, or by a superior to an inferior person. J/a-yaa', like the English ' yon/ is used in addressing a single individual. o o 3rd Personal Pronoun. Singular. Plural. N. it, J;a, ' he, she, it/ X. /;/, or ma-Id, ' they ' A. in n (m.), ' him, it; 3 la /at A. / \ , Lat. -p.svj -met ; as, U-li'i or rna-it-li'i, He himself. Mi'-lii or ma-mc-k't, Thou thyself. Ni/ f cach,' ' one each.' mar-iwei, or mar-iwei-iwei } THE I'RONOUN. 45 ('3) 15y placing -JHI between the pronouns repeated, thus wei-pa-wei (eoin.), -> uwei-pa-uwji (m.), \ > < \ > , f , A-x > f one by one. each. Kawci-pa-kawci (t.), ( iwei'jM-iwei (dim.), J luvei-pa-ltawci (m. & I'.), f one by one/ (both male and female). (4) .Sometimes rnli also is added after the repetition : uwei-uwei-ruh (m.), f eaeh one/ ' every one/ kuwei-fatwei-ruh (('.), ,, ,, iei-ici-rnh (dun.), ,, ,, Uwci, kawci, often mean ' either/ and when followed by a negative mean ' neither/ See Syntax, 195. 55. The Inil'/inite Pronoun*. These are 1. baroh-, all. :l. Ixiroh-ar, both. o. liaroh-nwei (m.), ~\ biiroli-kuwe! (t'.), > the whole. burah-iwc'i (dim.),-) 4. wcl-pat (eom.) ^ uwei-pat (m.), 1 tl 7 . . / 1 1 \ X tlllUtli^l kawei-pat (rem.), r ucei-put (dim.), J 5. uno-iino-ruh, ~\ Tcano-kano-ruh, > any one. ino-ino-ruh, J G. kino-Jcino-ruh } some. 7. Ttaei-kaei-ruli, something-. 8. ei-fi-nih, something 1 . 9. biui, xhibiui, many, much. 46 KHASSI GRAMMAR. 10. Tiltyndiat, few. 11. katto-lcatnc, some, more or less. 12. uno-ruh-uno, somebody or another. 13. wei-riih-wei, somebody or another. 11. l'aei-ruh-l;aci, something or another. 15. Icano-rnli-liano, someone {fern.}, or another. 16. ino-ruh-ino, someone or another. 17. iei-rult-iei, something- or another. IS. uno-uno-rulc-cni, no one, nobody (m.) 11). liano-l;ano-ruJi-L'm, no one,, nobody (fern.) 20. ino-ino~ruh-em. no one. nobodv (dim.) .j- J ^ v ' 21. Jdno-Jcino-ruh-em, ^one (pi.) 22. kaei-kaei-ruli-em, nothing. 23. ci-ei-ruJt-em, nothing. 24'. shi-khad-dei, much. 25. khiui-Jihyndiat, very little. 56. Reflexive Pronouns. These always refer to the nominative of the verb, like the Bengali ^rt^fa (dpan) and the Hindustani UA (dpnd), and consibt of la, ' his/ or some combinations of la ; as, la, ' his ;' la Ita Jong, ' my, thine, his, your, our, their or one's own/ lade, ' (self), myself, thyself, himself, herself, themselves, yourself, yourselves, according to the number and person of the nominative : (1) Kga don la ka ing, 'I have imj house/ (2) U don la ka ing, ' lie has /u'.v house/ (3) U la pyllait ia It dc, c lie liberated himself.' (-\-) Xga don la ka Jong ka ing, ' I have my own house/ (5) L" don la ka Jong ka ing, ' He has Ids own house.' THK PRONOUNS. J / See 102 for a del ailed explanation, and also of /. Tlie ordinary possessive particle Jong would alone iu the above examples refer the house to some person other than that represented by the nominative : thus Kn ing Jong u= ^l^lTT TiOT, ^ &u] } his house. La ka ing= T3 Tl' t 'ta' Tt^^ lx>l ; his own house. 57. Interrogative Pronoun*. Ei? who? (common gender) u<-i ? (m.), who? kani? (fern.), who? Jcini ? (pi.), \vho?&ano? which? uno ? who? mano ? who? (com. gender), or who's there? ino ? (dim.), who? or which? hi no ? lor or to whom? //a/to? to whom?- Jong no ? where ? (com. gender) jong lead? of which? Jong kano ? of which ? -jomj hid? (pi.), whose? kino ? (pi.) i w ho ? uiuh ? what ? nano ? from whom ? lad no ? with whom ? CHAFER Yi. Of the Verb. 5S. The verb asserts something of the subject ; either what it does, or what it suffers ; or, thirdly, that it exists in a certain state ; as (1) U ksew u w'iar, The dog barks. (:2) U khla u Ityrhuh, The tiger growls. (3) Lapijniap ia ka miiiw, The cat was killed. (!) 1'n #a kliet ia ka ding, The tree will be cut down. 48 KHASSI GRAMMAR. (5) U Blei u long, God exists. (6) U khynnah u tliiali, The lad sleeps. Note. The conjugation of the verb is very simple, and what applies to one verb applies to all. Although no change whatever is effected in the radical form of the verb itself, still, by means of prepositions, pronouns, and other auxiliary particles of mood and tense, a regular system, answering to that of conjugation in the more elaborated class of languages, is formable. But before we come to this, other important facts touching the verb should be explained with more or less detail, ere the conjugation so called can be rendered intelligible, especially to foreign students of the dialect. CLASSIFICATION OF THE VERBS. 58. The Khassi verbs may be considered under two aspects 1st, in their relation to the other main parts of the sentence ; Sndly, as to their form. The first principle of classification is applicable to all languages, and in this respect is the more comprehensive. The various terms used are descriptive of the relation in which the verb stands to other members of the sentence ; thus, (1) when an action or state is considered as not passlnfj occr from the subject to an object, it is called an Intransitice Vcrl j as, U ksar u da phcf-noh, The fox is running away. U myrs'iang u kynltdw, The jackal yells. Ka shnong ka danrf-pluh, The village is still burning. THK VKI;B. \\i (2) Wlicn the verb expresses iin action as j_nixxlnIt ia ka s'i'ar, The ibx carried off the fowl. Ka blang ka ban/ ia u khaw, The goat is eating the rice. U bysein u In puli ia u khynnah, The snake bit the boy. (o) When the verb expresses an action indefinitely, i.e., without reference to any particular subject, it is called an Impersonal I t>>i> ; thus, A/ iatlnili, They say = the French on yn-poi, to send. long, to be ; pyn-lonrj, to create, to establish. jnlt, to feel well at ease; pyn-juh, to tame, to subdue. finy, to be afraid ; pyn-ting, to frighten, to terrify. /it/fit, to believe ; pyn-ngeit, to persuade. /A, to see ; /;/, to deny; pyn-lcn, to deny through another. /r/r/(, to speak; pyn-ltren, to speak for, or through anothei. This is a very interesting feature of the language ; in- stead of saying " speak forme," a Khassi would say "cause me to speak through you :" pyn-ong, pyn-kren, and all this doing a thing ' by proxy,' is implied in pyn. Note 1. Causative verbs of the firxt class, change in- transit 'ire verbs into transitive; the second are a kind of double transitive,*, for they imply two agents, one acting lifion, or through, or for another, as the case may be. Note 2. The prefix pyn- is most probably the same as the verb pnii, ' to make/ ' to pave the way.' (2) The second class according to the form are the Fre- fjwnttatii'r Verbs, which represent an action or state as repeated, continued, or persisted in. These take the prefix iai-, or the particles dt'in, dup, nang, xha'd, ksdw : iai-leh, to do repeatedly ; iai-idm, to cry continually. ini-dnh, to have repeated losses; dem-wan } to comeoften. d'in-'kylli, to persist in asking; dem-pdn, to apply frequently. 52 KHASSI GRAMMAR. dup-leh, to practise; dup-nang, to exercise. nanfj-ki/lli, toa.sk again; nany-wad , to keep on searching 1 . shait-pang, to be always ill; shait-kylli, to be in- quisitive, &c. ksdw-ldm (of the tiger, &c.), to be in the habit of devouring (men). (3) Inceptive Terls, which denote both the beginning of an action, and (often) a state of transition : man is the particle used ; as, man-sniWi to grow bad ; mart-sdu:, to grow red. man-'riwljhd,to grow rich; man-stud, to grow wise. (4) Reciprocal Verbs embrace those by which the subject and object are represented as mutually \>ot\\canse and effect, or equally participating in any action or state; the particle is ia. ia-'ieit, to love one another; ia-lcli, to quarrel, to fight. ia-knj'ia (*1f5iyO, to quarrel ; ia-krcn, to converse. p'iam, to embrace, ia*]>'iam, to embrace one another. kop, to grasp, ia-kop, to raffle ; soh, to stick, ia-soh, to unite. riia, to reason ; ia-n'in, to dispute. To this class we must consider a great number which imply consent, or willingness merely to belong, such as : I'a-lcit, to go together; to go willingly. ia-frfi, to work together; or willingly. ia-mlli, to rise together; < with common consent. The Turkish, also an important branch of the Turanian stock, lias a similar particle icli ; as, *< 'U-mclc, to love; xevi'cli-mek, to love mutually. THK VKIJi:. DO (5) Inf'-ii*ii'i Tv/7/x take the prefix /.'//, fi/n, *;/, I;// 1 , or by assimilation, /r///-, A'.V-> ^"/// ; ////'t-, s '.'/'"-'> & c '- c ^ (i - Some of these verbs are scarcely distinguishable from the causative verbs in /'//"-, and many of them have ^.middle or )>nhji'cfii't' force; as, /,///*', to call, to lure; fti/nkltro, to purr like a cat. '/'/(/A, a wicker basket; Ki/iir'fiilt, meton. to snei-ze (imitating water forced through a sieve). ki/n/a/i, to over-reach; ki/tinttJi, to keep aloof. x//H/at, to thrash. li/nnidr, to weep ; tynruh, to poke. li/tixJii'i 1 , to thrust; lynngoli, to stare, to be astounded. xijn*li, -^w ; and to our English verbs in -i::c. IitTiKrrJc 2. Nouns, adjectives and adverbs have also this prefix, showing the still very primitive stage; a.s, ki/nran, ( a coward' (also a verb); tijiijit, ' stinking''; fi/naii-, ' antler, tusk ' ; htjnimj, ( still,' 'agape/ 54 KHASSl GRAMMAR. THE MOODS AND TENSES. We shall now explain with some detail the various particles of Mood and Tense, before giving the conjuga- tion of Khassi Verbs. CO. Auxiliaries of Mood. These are lah, nang, dei, da, ioJi, to, M, a!, and ho (following 1 the Verb). (1) Lah, 'to be able/ is the sign of the Potential Mood; and, except in negative sentences, governs the verb in the Infinitive with la'n. It denotes possibility, power or inclination : U lull l)a? n leit-noh, He can go away. U'n i/m lali ba'n iaid stet, He will not be able to walk fast; or, U'n ijm lah iaid stet eli, He will not be able to walk very fast. (2) Nang, besides denoting ability in general, expresses mental or intellectual ability, and should be used in pre- ference to Lah when the latter is meant, like &fa in Bengali, and not 'ttsS^T. Permission or authority to do a thing is expressed only by lah, but never by naitfj ; as, U nang thoh, He can write. U nang trei, He can work. U naufj la'n trd, He can work. (3) loli, lit. ' to have/ like lah, often denotes permi^ion or the poiui'r to do something ; as, Nga'n ioh leit, I will be able (or permitted) to go. Nga'm ioli wan, I cannot come. TIIK VKI;I;. oo U'm put toll trei, Ho is not yet able to work, lie ran- not (or, is not permitted to) work as yet. (4) Dei, lit. ' it binds,' ' it is proper.' It is the Greek bei in all its secondary meanings. As an auxiliary it is used impersonally witli the Infinitive : K/uld he go, 1 xhuiild be much pleased. (31. Auxiliaries of T^n^n. These are In, /"//. ;/it, n, namj, dang, da, wan. (1) La is the sign of the past tense, mostly of the !n- tlcjintfi', and sometimes of the prrxunt complete. U briw ii w/ni, The man comes. U briw u hi wan, The man lias come. (2) La I ah is the sign of the present perfect (complete), and sometimes of the past coinjJi'fc. U la lah wan u briw, The man has come (pres. comp.) U briw u la l.li wan, mynba nga la poi, The man Imd come when I arrived (past complete). (3) Yn, or after a vowel 'n, is the sign of: the future : U briw u'n wan shisha, The man will surely come. Yn wan shisha u briw, The man u-ill come surely. 56 KHASSI GRAMMAR. (4) Sa expresses the immediate future, either with or without yn : U kypa VL'H sa kren, His father will speak. Without I/it the natives use sa, chiefly in narration, or as a historical future : Hadhi kata u sa ai, Then he gave, lit. will give. The natives always forget the true force of this particle when they translate or ex- press their sentiments in English. (5) Namj is also used as an auxiliary of tense, showing how principles now treated as essentially different, such as mood and tense, are at root derived the one from the other. As an auxiliary of tense, Istly. it expresses a continued state or action : U sim u rtniuj iaid, The chief walks on. \ sim ruh u'n nang ia kren, The chief also will add some words. 2ndly. The subordinate idea of simultaneity with some other action or state is implied. ;3rdly. Sometimes it expresses a state of progression : U vim a it'int/ i"i ii(/ } The chief is getting worse. U xnJt -i i. mint/ ). ((>) iJii'iuj, lit. ' still/ 'just/ is the sign of the present in- complete, ns well as of the simple present. U tinny it'i/i, He is just dead. (Present.) TI1K VKRB. O/ U limn/ ln'i 111 j(i, He is taking his food. (Incomplete.) r iliimj /'" i/i/, He is still unwell. U diiinj In/i hi'nn, He has just taken his food. (7) iJn in many eases corresponds to our aflix ' ing' : I' briw u tin t rei minot eh, The man is working- very hard. (\ l\~>i } lit. ' to come/ is used in the complete tenses of the progressive form (^ G'J, Indicative Mood), and similar to the use of ccnir in French : U l li'iin than' fin/, He has been building" a house. C (tiniij win >"//;, He has just been bathing. THE MOODS. vj 0:2. The Moods express the manner in which an action takes place : 1. The verb may express an action or state in the form of an assertion. It is then said to be in the In- dicative Mood; as, r li'na uji-t'omj <'li. The mountain is very high. U I Rut 'ii-' iii da jwni'j cli, The mountain is not very high. :l. An action or state may be expressed or supposed as possible, under certain conditions ; the verb which expresses those conditions is said to be in the Subjunctive Mood ; as, La J<( phi'm la-en, nga'n kren, ma-nga hi, //"you do not speak, I will speak myself. Hi/I'd it da kren, nga'n ym ong ei-ei, If he should speak, I will not say a word. L' ij hi Jo. phi wan, ym don ba'n leit, Unles* you come, no one will go there. 58 KffASSI GRAMMAR. 3. When the verb expresses either duty, obligation, power, permission, or ability, it is said to be in the Poten- tial mood. U xmnnij ii'rn nan un kylla- [>nt, He may change (his mind) again. 4-. Verbs expressing commands in any form are said to be in the Imperative Mood; as, hit, ' go ' ; thohphi, ' write' or ' you write'; to hit noli, ' go away. 3 Form Verb alone, or with in, &c. before it ; and ho after it. 1st pers. sing, requires shah (permit), or ich (let), or i>liin sltnh 1m' a wa'n mo ! You'll let him come, won't you ? o. Actions or states expressed generally and indefinitely are in the Infinitive Mood ; as, Ba'n kfc'ii, ' to speak' ; iap or ba'n i(ip, ' to die.' Kaba kre/i, s speaking' ; hah a itij>, 'dying.' THK VERB. O'J The verb in its simple form without l>a'n is an infinitive, long, ' to l)e ' ; pamj, ' to be ill.' Ili/'n implies, in a more or less emphatic way, design or purpose. Nutf. Tlie supposed distinction between Im'n the sign of the infinitive and ha coupled with ijn (will), in the form ha'n (in comparatives), is a pure invention; both are identical. (!. The English participle in 'ing' is easily distinguished in Khassi from the infinitive or verbal noun in ' ing/ by means of the particles da, in. Thus : He came walking, U la wan da iaiJ. He came running, U la wan ia-phcf. He stood smiling, U la i'eng ia-rykhu-. THE TENSES. 03. No change is effected in the radical form of any verb to express the various distinctions of time. The par- ticles already explained under $ 01 only are appropriated for that purpose. (1) The Present Tense is expressed by the mere colloca- tion of the verb with its nominative ; as, U jiamj, He is ill, or He ails. (:2) The Past by prefixing la or la lah to the simple verb ; as, U lit /it bitterly (pnxl for future in. tuiwntion). Note. Yn is often used impersonally without the article: Yn sa lon^ 1 , It will be (soon). THE CONJUGATION OF THE VERB. 04. Lon hadst o. U la lali long, H has or had have or had been. 2. Phi la laJi long, You have or had been. i -,. Kl la Ink long, They have or had been. FUTURE COMPLETE. A'o/f. Although it belongs more properly to the Syntax of the moods and tenses, we should here explain, that the form of the Future Perfect 'will /tare been' depends THE VEIM!. G-'i on whether it comes in, in the PROTASIS, or Dependent Clause, or in tlie APOUOSIS, or Princijuil clause of a coin- pound sentence. (The Future Perfect or Comple/r in (//<> /Vo^x/x.) 1. Haiti nytt'it tin la lilt long, When I shall have been. '2. Hala nit'' it /'it /<>!, u la I ah krcn. When you WILL arrive, HE WILL HAVE SPOKEN. Hala j>lti',/ jioi(Pi'ot.), nya la lalt tkok (Apodosis). When you (WILL) arrive, I WILL HAVE WRITTEN. IIaLa I'lii'n poi, n la lalt t/toh. When yon (WILL) arrive, HE WILL HAVE WRITTEN. JYo/e. The past complete form after a dependent clause in the Future Tense has the force of the Future Perfect. 64 KHASSI GRAMMAR. Subjunctive Mood. PRESENT (Supposition of a fact}. 1. Lada nga long, If I am. 2. Lada me long, If them art. 3. Lada u long, If he is. 1. Lada ngi long, If we are. 2. Lada phi long, If you are. 3. Lada Id long, If they are. (Supposition /citJt Uncertainty). 1. Haba nga da long, If I be. 2. Haba me da long, If thou be. '3. Ilalja u da long, If he be. 1. Halo ngi da long, If we be. 2. Ilala pl/i, da long, If you be. 3. Haba hi da long, If they j be. PAST INDEFINITE. ( Unfulfilled Condition). 1. Lada nga la long, If I ' 1. Lada ngi la long, If we I was. were. 2. Lada mu la long, If thou ' 2. Lada'plii la long, If you wast. were. 3. Lada u la long, If he 3. Lada Jii l long, If they was. were. (Supposition witli Uncertainty). 1. ]Talja nga da la long, If 1. TIaba ngi, da la, long, If I were. I were. 2. Halxt, me da la long,\i 2. I f aba pit i da la lony, If thou wort. you were. 3. Ilala n da la long, If he ! 3. llalta Id da la long, li were. they wen.\ THE VRKH. PRESENT AND PAST COMPLETE. Ht'tion of a fact and Unfulfilled (^ 65 1. Lada nga la lak long, H I have or had 2. Lada nit' In Ink long, G If thou hast or - hadst 3. Lada n la lak long If he has or had 1. Lada ngi In /"// long, If we 2. [jnda filii In In// lu If "we ; [lubd me da la lah. long, 2. ILaba phi da In lah \ %> If thou hadst been. Jong, If you ! r^ Habn u da la lali long, o. /laba u da la Ink j ~ If he liad been. lung, If they SIMPLE FUTURE. ^Supposition of a. I ''act.) Lada rtnu'n long, If I 1. Lada ngi'n long, If we shall be. shall be. Lada mffn long, If thou 2. Ladaphi'n long, If you wilt be. will be. Lada u'li long, If he will j 3. Lada ki'n long, If they be. will be. 66 KHASSI GRAMMA K. (Supposition with Uncertainty.) 1. Haba nga'n da long, If I should be. 2. Haba men da lon u *it io n of a / V; c / . ) 1. .1 ja shouldst , ^ 3. JIaba u'n da In la/t ! long, If he should 2. 1/^/iW jiii!' i) iln la lah long, If you should have been. 3. Halxi Id', i, i/a l,<>; expresses obligation or tlntij, it then refers to Past Time, and should be rendered by ' dei ' with the infinitive. See 60 (4), also POTENTIAL MOOD, p. 08. Imperative Mood. PRESENT. 1. T<> ili /njti'n. loi/ij, Let 1. Tool i/i/i')i /mi'/, Let us me be. be. "2. To lot/i/, or .Lonij intf-nie To >//-/>// /, He ye. 3. To ti I //' loinj, Let him be. To linirj-mn-phi, J?e ye. T< r/'/ //a //'// lo)w } Let i '>. '/'" <'^ Let her or it be. To ('u 1>u Jifi'n loiiif, Let her or it be. be. TV (ft IKI, ki'n lour). Let them be. To o i ijn limy in suffer} may also be used, and is often used by the natives. Note ~. As commands, prayers, requests, etc., imply futurity, the Khassis form their Imperative' with the future particle ' yu ' or 'n (will), JVo/c' o. ' da' may precede ' long' in these examplen. F 2 68 KHASSI GRAMMAR. Potential Mood. PRESENT AND FUTURE. (Possibility or \. Nya lah ba'n long, I may I 1. or can be. 2. Me lah ban /,,// He ought to be, or He should be. PAST (rotxibilitij 1 . Ka lah, b, ba nyi- la long We might be. Ka lah, ba phi la, long, You might be. Ka lah, ba ki la long, They might be. THK VKKU. 69 (Obligation) Necessity or Dnty. t 1. J\ti')t, long, He should have been. long, We ought 1<> havo boon. '2. Ka la tin In /'/it fxi' u /<>//"i i ki ba'n long, They should have been. FUTURE (Powibilify nr Probability), see PRESENT. 1. Ka I all, Ixi ng')i long, or lich-a u'n long, or Lehxc, u'n long, He may be. PLURAL. 1. Ka I alt, ha ngi'n long, or LrJt*'' nyl'n long, We may be. '2. Ka la/i, ha ji/u'n long, or Lelt*e ohi'n long, You may be. 8. Ka, loll, ba Jii'n long, or 'Lelise ki'ti long, They may be. .\<>f<<. Ka me la I a It long, Thou may'st have been. 3. Kc lali. ba u la I oh long, He may have been. PLURAL. 1. Ka I a/i, iia //;//' la I ah long, We may have been. 2. Kit la/i, ba phi l lali long, You may have been. 3. Ka la/i, ba I:/ la lali lon(j i They may have been. PAST COMPLETE. 1. \n/" In fall fJ">lt, I have or had written. FUTURE COMI'LKTI-:. Xga'tt da la !h 1/t/i, I will have written (after a conditional sentence). PK-KSKXT Sun, i. Lai/a IKJU t/io/i, If I write. (" l.nJt, Let me write. POTENTIAL. ^h, I might write. Complete. Nga'n do In lah ba')t fJioJi, I might have written. The Negative Form. 05. As the position and form of the negative par- ticles in conjugating the verb is peculiar, and of great importance in Khassi, we give here an example of their use, that applies to all verbs used negatively. The principal particle of negation is //r/i, or after a vowel 'm, ' not, no.' Sfii/m is used in the past tense only to add emphasis to the usual particle ijm or 'rn, as well as put (yet) ; thus, Ym xliij'Tn or 'in *lii/m, ' surely not, decidedly not,' that is, DID not, and i/m j>nt or 'm put, ' not yet.' When these forms are employed, besides a simple negation, an i //>//, I not write. I 'A, ST. 1. A T j/a'wi xlitjni tlia/t, 1 did ' I. \yi')ii .-////// flioh, We not write. did not write. 12. .W,/, xfy///i //". Kl'n tjrn. tl,<>li. They will not write. not write. 1 'KKSKXT COMPLETE. Xga'm *hym lathoh, 1. Ngi'm*Itt/m la fJiuk, 1 have We have ; g Mem *liijin In. f/ioh, -"rt i '1. Plii'iHixJtijm In tlth, -^ 'L'hou hast | " You have U'rn tlii/iit In 1/n>Jt, ~ o. Kt'i/i >//////; In fluili, ~ He has They have L'AST COMI'LKTE. 1. ^ya'tiL .--hi/ in la I ah tlioh, I had not written. L We had not written. 74 KHASSl GRAMMAR. 2. Me' in xhym la lalt thoh, 2. Phi'm skylit la lah tho//, Thouhadstnot written. You had not written. 3. U'm la lli thoh, \ o. K/'m xlujm la lah thoh, He had not written. They had not written. Subjunctive Mood. PRESENT. 1. Lada iigam thoh,lfldo ' 1. Lada ngim thoh, If we not write. do not write. 2. Lada rut' m //. Ilabu urn da tlu>/t, If lie do not write. we do not write. 2. Haba phi'm da thoh, If you do not write, o. Haba 1:'i',ii< da thoh, If they do not write. PAST. 1. Lada. nga.'i,!, xlnjin lit"/,, If I did not write. 2. Lada me in x/n/m thoh, If thou didst not write. Lada -titji'm xhym fhuh, If we did not write. Lada phi'm, xhym thoh, If you did not write. 3. Ijada u'm Jiijni thoh, If ' !>. Lada kl'm *hym thoh, If lie did not write. they did not write. THK VKIMJ. 75 FUTUIM-:. 1. Ltiiln i/t ijin tlmli. If I shall not write. "2. liddii i>/c' a i/iit limit. If 1. Ludci iKji ni yin t/ioh, If we will not write. '1. Laild jiJtt'n i/ in //(<>//, If thou wilt not write. you will not write. 8. Lndn i^ii ij in ll/o/i, If lie '>. Ldda k'/'n i/rn fl/nli, If will not write. they will not write. (Uncertaiiih/.) 1. Lllttni iKjd'n IJlll (In tlmli, : 1. J[(tlnl nfjl'li ij 111 i HI t l.h tlmh, fyc., If I had not written. ( L nc< ilatitttj}. Ilc/ba tKftt'tit .--Id/ ni tin In /"/< fhnlt, If I li;ul not written. Potential Mood. PRESENT .V.I Y, CAiY, &c. (Poiuur dent^il .} 1. Si/')d InJt thoh,I may ' 1. Ngi'm lahthoh. We may or can not write. or can not write. KHASSI GRAMMAR. 2. Me'rn Lah thoh, Thou 2. Phi'm lah thoh, You maycst, &c., not write. m ay, &e., not write. 3. U'm lali thoh, He may 3. Kl'm or can not write. MAY. ( Supposed den 'ml.) 1. Ku lali la lu/a'm tJtoh, I may not write. 2. Ka lah bo, me' in tit oh, Thou may 'st not write. 3. Ka lah ba ii'm thoh, He 1. Ka lah thoh, They or can n t Avrite. l>a ncji' m thoh, may not write. We may not write. 2. Ka lah la phi 1 in thoh, You may not write. 3. 7va lah lm ki'm thoh, They may not write. Or \ . Leh' nga'm tl/olt, I may not write. 2. Leli we' in thoh, Thou may'st not write. 3. L?h' u'rn tlioh, He may not write. 1. Leh' nyi'm thoh, We may not write. 2. Lclt' }>hi' in thoh, You may not write. 3. Leh, lf!'m thoh, They may not write. Note. Leh\ contr. of lt'h.>e, perhaps. Sec Xf<' ; p. >'.. MUST, OUGHT, SHOULD (Obligation.) 1. K. K'ti'tiL tlfi in ki ha'n fh<>h t He cui^ht or should j They ought or should not write. not write. Wouu> (l'oHtio)i tlfin't'tl .) 1. X.ja'n ijnl 'Id thoh, I would not write. -. Me' it i/ ni tli thoh, Thou would'st not write. '. l''n h, They may liave ten. not written. Or, Ka. lah ba nga'm shym 1. Ka lah ha nai'm .hi/i/t li la thoh. tltoh. Ka, lah ha /tie' in aJujm la '2. Ka lah ba phi'm. xhi/m /" thoh. thoh. Ka lah ba it' in sltynt la -3. Ka lah ba kt'in .thi/m la thoh. thoh. 78 KHASSI GRAMMAR. 1. Leh'f nya'm slujni la thoh. 1. Leh' ngi'tnshym la thoh. 2. Leh',me'mshym la tlioli. ' 2. Leh' phi'm *liymla thoh. 8. Jji'li' u'm shym la thoh. -3. Lch, kl'-m *h,yni la tliufi. Lit. Perhaps I have not written ; J may have not written. PAST INDEFINITE. COULD, MIGHT (Putct/r dmicd.) not write. 2. Me' in xJiyn thuh, Thou could'st or mightest not write. 'in fih >j in. hili Im'n thnlt, He could or might not write. ifc. The form " Nqa'm 3. 1. Ncja'm nhy in lali ba'n ' 1. Nal'in *h.y)n lah ha'/i thoh, I could or might ///<*/<, We could or might not write. lali ba'n 2. Plil'in diijin lah ba' ii, ilioli, You could or might not write. : >. Ki' in xhyin lah ba'n thlt, They could or might not write. la lul, I,,!*,, thoh '' ' M'''m la lali ba'n tJieji " would seem technically correct, but is seldom used by the natives in a*sci-lion* ; though it is used in interrogatives, thus, Xfjii'-iii la lah ban thoh / Was I not able to write '' PAST INDEFINITE. (Sujiposed neijat/'on.) 1. Ka lali. ba naa'tn *hinn 1. Ka l//h. ba mii'm xhii//t t/ t/ J i/ thuli, 1 might not thoh, We might not write. write. 2. Ka hih, ba i tie' ni shtjm | 2. ha Ich, ba [jhi'i/i xlnjin THE VEKI!. thh, Thou mightest ] /A"//, You might not not write. write 1 . 3 Ka In/I, l"i it'tit xliyi/i ''>. K lull, Im. lii'rn *hym (holt, He might not I hnh, They might, not write. write. Sole. All this form is like that tor tho PRESENT COM- PLETE, which in English also is closely allied in meaning to this PAST INDEFINITE. / m'ujlif write sometimes con- veys the same meaning as / niinj hart* n-riff*''// . PAST COMPLETE. Cori.i) (Power dt.'ti it'll.) 1. -\(ja'n I/IH d In lali lid'n f/<<>/t, I could not have written. 2. Mc'n i/'in. 'In In Ink lia'n ///<>/(, Thou could'st not have written. '>. U'H ijin da la lull IHI'H tlioh, He could not havewrittcn. PLURAL. 1. Sgi'n ym, da la Inh fxi'n ll/ali, AYe could not have written. 2. Phi' 1 1 ijiii da la Ink /''// ihh, You could not have written. 3. Ki' n i/m h, They could have not written, or We might have not written, You might have not written, &c. (Doubt asserted negatively.) SINGULAR. [. Ka lah, lid rifja'm sJn/m In lah thoh,!. might not have written. 2. Ka I oh-, I/a t/ic'm *hijm la lah thoh, Thou mightest not have written. 3. K'i' lah, 1)K u'-i/t, xhi/iit- la lh thuk, He might not have written. PLURAL. 1. Ka lah, la nyi'm xlii/iu la lah thoh, We may not have written. 2. Ka lah, ha /t wrutoii. 2. />r//' f>h /' at- ^Ill/in l. /> f> y u ) ^ ( Y) ^ c -> niiy^it not have written. Jiotc. This form applies to Principal Clauses in Complex Sentences. OUGHT, MUST, SIIOUJ.D. (Obligation.) SINGULAR. 1. A'.'/H *lnjiii la. dei ia IKJIL Ija'ii tli<.>li, L ought not \i have written, or should not have written. -. Ku^ ni xliym la dti ia niti bu' a ilwli, Thou c;ughtest not lo have written. o. Ka' in ,s It y in la (lui, ia u ba'ii ti.utt, He ought no: Lo have written, or should not have written. c; 82 KIIASSI GRAMMAR. PLUKAL. 1. A'a' r m s/i.'/w la dei ia ngi la' a tJtoh, We ought not to liave written, or should not have written. 2. Ka'ni shym la dei ia. phi la'n thoh, You ought not to have written, or should not have written. o. Ka'm zlitjin la del ia Id Ian thoh, They ought not to have written, or should not have written. WOULD. (Inclination. Nga'ti ym, da la lah thoh, I would not have written. 2. Me' n ym, da la I ah thoh, Thou would'st not have written. 3 U'm ym Ja la l"h thoh, He would written. not Iinve 1 N'ji'it ijui da la laJi thoh, We would not have written. 2. PJ,''')i i/m da la lah thoh, You would not have written. 3. Kin ym da la lah thoh, They would not have written. Note. Mark the difference between lah here as an auxiliary of Tiixtir; and lah, as an auxiliary of mood followed by the Infinitive (ha'n) as above, ' could.' See 60, 61, and under " Potential/' page 93. FUTURE (Power den'itd}. 1. Rya'n ym da lah la'n 1. Nyi'n ym da lah b'an thnh, I cuuld not thoh, We could not write. write. 2. Mv'n iji,i d ; /:/; la'n 2. P/ti'u yin da lah ha'-n ///<>/(, Thou could/st not ///i7/, You could IK; write, write. 0. /./'// i/ in tin I all I'ti'n '.}. /\r>t i/ni ilii lii/i If/i'i, tlmti, Ho could not //. OroiiT, SHOULD, MUST. (Obligation, tluhj, tji.-.) 1. Ka'n ?/)//, dci in -ngo l tli'J/, I ought, should, <.tc., not write. 2. Ka' n ijin del in -iiii' JHI'H tlio'n , Thou, should'st,, &c. } not write. o. Na'n [/ni J' i in u hi' 1 1 t/m/i, He should not write-. r, 2 3 [ KUASSI GIIAM.MAI;. PLURAL. 1. Ka' n ijiii del. in iitji ba'ii f/nJi, We should, &c., not write. 2. Kan yin tlei la phi. ba'n tluik, You should, &c., not write. o. Iv't'n tjiii ili-i ia ki /'tin limit, They should, Sec., not write. Xute. Another form bearing saue translation, but v.'ith a reference to tlie ]_i,-em;/t iiiuler PRESENT above, p. 70. It'i, If I l:ad kno'.vu t!i;;f, I \voulu not have \vritten. _!. Lada m/a la lali lq> // ha In, Ngu'ii da la luh ba'ii ;/iii Ihiili, I I had lciio\vn that, I iniyhl liavu no: written. Mark tho posilion oJ' _/////. Suta, p. 80. (Assertion,) '>. (J la- OIKJ, tut' ''<. '"A '<>'' ti' tit NIII/TH iu 1 ah- J:/'e/L la Icctta, .lie said, that he n.ig'ht have spoken that. '. U la oiuj, leh.w n' hi xt'tym id. lah i'tthi^n /'a tcutu, He said, he mig'lit not liave >;dd that. 5. !iila 'iifjtt la i.iih 'i!i. if -.' ii,(, li.li it'ja ii ijm da /,ucn iiLin himself, I might nor luivo said anything. ''i. I'aba it .-/'/ li it, -.\ija\i. IJI.L da fhoity JI>'ii'jiiu, Ii he- \vcnr, I '.',' n id not r-.tay liere. in:: VI;IM. Imperative. 1. \}'nhii !<> , f/<">/ tf> not li-L us write. 2. (!'?/ //, ./.. ,,///, D write, will yo;i. 1 . Wai it l'i' ngu' H ' h >. H ti: ni !>' ii'n limit, Do _ not let them write. not let, them write. Or (for 1st and ;!rd pers. sing, and plural). 1. To ai Ini iiiji'n i/ui thnli. Let us not write. _ Tii ni >m 1,-i'a i/i/t fltnh, Let them not writ-'. Lit. Do allow, that we ; they, shall not writ,. Or, 1. \\~ii 1 <'i '' ;/;/" l>'n llinh.\i\.. Do not allow me t" write. L. \Va! i'ti i't n hu'n f/.nh. lit.. Do not allow him to write. ">. }\'(i! i't ' iii inji bii'n fhnh. lit.. Do not allow us to write. !. Wat iii iv Id Iti'n fliuJi, lit.. Do not allow them to write. .V/>/". The Kha-si negative particle 1 of command imf is evidently the same as ^^... (ni1} in Hindnstnnij (In ;/o/. Infinitive. PltK.SE.Vr. Jlit'n ijii, flail, Xot to write. ]>n'ii if ni i!n ilinJi, Xot to be writing'. J-~n l't/m fliult, Xot writ in-'. 86 KHASSl GRAMMAR. PAST. Jla'ii ijni la ilioli, Not to have written. Participle. PRESENT. B'l/m thul, i.e., l>a yni tJioJt, Not writing. PAST. IJ'ijni hi thoh, Not having written. POSITION OP PUT, ' YET.' 66. Pid is never used,, except in negative proposi- tions, like shij.,1, and it is important to point out its posi- tion in a sentence; which is always immediately after the negative particle ym or 'm. EXAMPLES. N go' 'iiu t.Jio/i, I do not write. Xya'tii put tJi.oh, I have not yet written. Nya'iii put >/////;/ tlto/t. I have not yet -written. Nya'iu put *li y]ii In, tlto/t., I have not yet written. Nya'm ptit sliyni hi hth fliol/, I liad not yet written. ^ya'i; i/ni put iltoli, I \\ill not write (as) yet. THE PASSIVE VOICE, 67. Strictly speaking, the Khassi language,, like the dialects of the adjacent mountain tribes, has no Passive Voice. The so-called Paftirc, is formed by omitting the subject; and so^ rising the verb indefinitely or imperson- ally with the object following the verb in the accusa- tive with in,. Let us take the verb "I'tit, ' to love.' T!IK 1. Daini n'll id iiaa, I am ' ]. loved. loved. Don;/ '(-It in, 1,1'', Thou 2. Dam]('i'HiapJii,Xo\\nv^. art loved. l'Vi-d. DaiKf '/'-it n' 'i, Ff.0 is j -J. Dainj 'irif in /j-'/Thcy are loved. loved. This may also be translated, ""I am still loved." PAST. La t< tt in iKjn , I was loved. 2. La '/< if in nn', Thou wast j . La ifif in mji, \\"e AVCT loved. 2. La >>'i f in hi, ou were loved. !ov<>d. La 'ii.'it in v, He was ; ':!. Lit ia //A/, You will or wilt be loved. be loved. Yn /<'it ia n, He shall or ; '. !' 'id' ia l;i, They will will be loved. be loved. IMMEDIATE FUTURE. 1. Y/( -./ 'n if in. iKjn, I shall 1. Y'H >-a /' if ia /<;//. \\"e shall be loved. 88 KHASJsi GKAM3IA!:. 2. YII x '/''*/ ia me, Thou i 2. In x 'icit m j>ni, ~\ <>u wilt be loved. will be loved. 3. F??. .s-tt : ieit la u, He will j 8. Yit xa /t-?V H/ /,/', They be loved. will be loved. PEES KYI COMPLETE. 1. // f?a?^r/ yet/ ia uya, 1 1. /^/ (/ ( /h(/ /c/'/ /V/ '"/^ ^" . have been loved. have been loved. 2. Z/a fZr t '//^ 7r/f H< f,i'. } Tliou J 2. 7,cf dany icit ia^lil, You ha?t been loved. have been loved. '5. La damj '/;// M./ u, He i o. La dang 'in-i la l:i, They has been loved. have been loved. PAST COMPLETE. 1. LH lali 'u.'it ianga,! had i. 7>r/ /c-'/. /';/'/ w //[//., We been loved had been loved. 2. 7;<7, lali : ieit ia m/', Thou 2. 7"; /c/// '''-// / ;)///, You hadst been loved. had been loved. '!. La hih ' r icit / u, He had o. La lah icii ia hi, They been loved. had been loved. Tins form may be used al.^o for the 7Y< >-r. / Complete. 1. La jiv: 'ieit la uga. 1. La ji-ir n il in i///,. 2. La Jin- 'i< it in r in ". 2. La Jin' n'-'t -a j.l/i. 3. La jii>- 'i>'lt 'id ' . 8. .La ji/i- 'it if iu A-/. Lit . \ used to be l^vrd. \\'e u.sed to be loved, ^:c. That i.s : J have been 1 >ved, or, ! had beeu loved, accoi-ding to the cuiilrxt or accompanying cir- cumstances. //('. = " used to." Subjunctive Mood. /.i/f/a /'/': /(/ /;<;", i! 1 am . .l.<\. /',// /// , r// ; 1C \\v loved. are loved. l,. l.tuli. 'nit 'a hi, lf_lliey loved. are loved. INCOMPLETE. ! ))n : , in i', If I am, i'H, in L-'t, It' we, you, tve., bc-ing 1 loved. they, are being lovc'd. ^Supposition u:iih uncertainty.} lliii" dn 'ir-ii iii iitja. If L 1. Hill-" da " ' ia n< ; i, If be loved. Ave Ijo loved. //itl>ii . ! 2. Lada la Idh "teii id l ' l r- me, If thou hast I \^ \ j^ ( ' l > If J ou been I "~" ! o. 7;or?a /a /a//. '<'/><', It' thou wilt be loved. you will be loved. Lada yn i'eit id, u, If he }. Ladn //,/ 'if -if ia In, It Avill be loved. they will be loved. (Supposition "/' uncciiaitify.} Jfaha'n da '-i.cit iamja. If ; 1. ILil/u'ii da > it tn I should be loved. '1. Ilaljd'n da i'cit ia r ,ii'.: } If thou should be loved. la^ii da wit ia u, If he hould bo loved. nf/i, If we should 2. Jfalid'n, da. i<:!f ia jilil, If you should '5. Haba'-n da id! ia /,-/, If they should FI;TI:KK CO.MIM.KTK. 1. llrdxi'n da hi it'll id iii/ii. I. Hn1>(l*fl du In n-il in, n// in 'iii''. 2. JInbn'ii n lei',/ hi !' if KI 'i bcii'oJi. Imperative. The same remark is also applicable to this Mood; a /Y/.-Wiy l''urm is unusual, if ever used; though it would not be difficult to form one. The following 1 would be correct : '/' di bt( Kin i't1 id /ti'i. ) 92 KHASSl (.RAMMAi:. Infinitive, PKESENT. Ba yn : ie/'f or ba'n lo, -i if- 1 " ban 'iclt, Tie ought TO HAVE LOVED. (Paxzivc). Ka lo Jali dci Im'u 'irit ia n, He ought TO HAVE BEEN T.OVKD. Not/'. Obligation as implied in the English Infinitive Passive, is expressed in Khassi (as in French fall 11} by the governing Verb " dei." Participle. PAST. Bn la i'eit, Loved. PI:ESEXT COMPLETE. E'< In Im'i '/"/L Having been loved. Of the use cf the NEGATIVE IN TEE PASSIVE. 03. I'Vr reasons similar to those stated under 65, we here give the order to bo observed in the formation of negative sentences in the Passive Voice. The negative i/m (not), or the emphatic ijm xlti/m, ym put. or 'in, 'm xliym, 'til j/' ! Uf , must always follow the auxiliary yn or 'n, i\nd 2^'ccf-de the principal verb and its other auxiliaries lnJi } la, (Ic'nn, &c. Indicative. PUKSKNT. .}'/; 'ii-.il i'i n'jd, I am not loved. FU'ITKK. Yn >'/ tn i' if 'a IKJII, I ^h:ill not be l/////// In lnJi ifit i" :';(>, I liail not liecn loved. Subjunctive. Pi'::sENT. Ldda ijin ie/f id inja, Ii I ain not loved. I/dim, 'ijnt 'Id ''// iii i 1 yc, uncertainty), If l l>e not loved. .Ft; TURK. Ladd. >/n jm i<'it in mjn, Jl 1 s!i;,!l iK't be- loved. // Int'.i 'icii id nyn. } \. could not Yin jiw id/t int' n'it i .1 ii'jd. f be loved. OUGHT., MrsTj HIIOLM.U NOT (Ouliyatiuii, ^ecastiity]. Yni di.l bd'ii /,.'('/ /; ."/ii, Be ye not loved, o. To di la ijii i/m 'ieit ia 1,'i, Let them be loved. Note. The above form, though correct and according to analog} 7 ,, is still unusual ; the Khassis prefer the active or personal construction. Thus in the Indicative they would say : U'lit- ai lin u'tt in 11, Do not h't him be loved. Infinitive. I'I:I->I-:NT. Ba'u //m linnj La li 'idl, Not to be loved. Thi.s is distinguishable only from the whole eontexr, and generally reijinrc^ in Ivl:;:ssi to be followed by the' jiLj'ent with iL> } as Im l,i /V/7 may have an uclirr sense. J!n', i,' in li'inj In'. Itl 'i>:it DA KI 1-:;1V,', ]wh- SlirjoU'xi/i i//, Xot lobe loved (Ijij people) is very deplorable. 1'AS'i . Un'n //'HI lonij ha lit. ln.lt i'lf, Not to have been loved. Participle. I'liK-sKM 1 . !>'////; '/i-z/, Kot leved. I 'AST. Ji'i.'in la 'it/it, Not been loved. Coiii'LE'iL. li'i/ni sl-ipn la 'fit, Xot having boon loved. PROGRESSIVE FORM. ^ 0'.'. Under 59, 2, we have referred to an important class of verbs formed by the constant use of the prefix iai, and the particles JH'/I'J, rt'.i'u'j, and others. Many L { 96 KHASSI GRAMMAR. these are employed by the natives to express au action, or xtat<} as 'progressive or incomplete, and perform so prominent a part, that they call for special attention, although direct and long- intercourse with the natives only could enable the foreigner to comprehend fully, and correctly apply the construction. "Wo shall here take the verb thdiv, ' io make or build/ for our model. Active Voice. INDICATIVE MOOD. PRESENT. U dany-thdw (*"/), Uc is building (a house). U nany-flulw (i'i*t time, these may have the force uf the past, as U dany-thaw 'ma',i should in this case be used before thaw, to avoid ambiguity; thus, ~\an nnnij tliatv (utf/), To go on building (u house". />'// iai-thdw (i)iff), To continue building (a house). INFINITIVE IN nifj. Kida dninj tlnii (in;/}. Kuba na/xj tJunr (ui/j}. KuLa ia! thaic (iny). H 2 100 KHASSI GRAMMAR. Participle. This is expressed in Khassi by a sentence introduced by a conjunction la (because), so giving it a personal force. PRESENT COMPLETE. Ba (it] la wan tliaw (ing], Having been building (a house.) Ba (u) la wan khymih, Having been seeing. The pronoun inserted in brackets may be of any person, according to the circumstances or the sense of the con- text. EXAMPLES. (1) Ba (u) la WAN shong-knlai, u sngow tJiait eh, Having been riding, he is very tired. (2) Ba (nga) la WAN Wiyniih ia ka ing, vga'm slnjrn lah ioh ih ia phi, Having been seeing the house, I was not able to see you. (3) Ba nga la LEIT klnjmih ia la n Jci/pd, Jia ing ka la long suda, Having been visiting my father, the (or MY) house was empty. Note 1. It will be observed from the above, that the form is only a substitute for our Participle, rather than an identical participial form. Note 2. The verb hit (to go) is also used like wan as an auxiliary to express an action in progression in past time, with this difference, that wan implies the actual presence of the person concerned, and leit that he is absent, as TFIE VERB. 101 (1) Mijnba n ii'tp, n la Iclt ///*ng than' !a (l^a ing), If (the house) be building. Hala da nang thaw ia (ha ing), If (the house) be going on building. 102 KHASSI GRAMMAR. FUTURE. Lada yn nang ilidw ia (ka ing], If (the house) will be building. If aba' n da dang thaw ia (~ka ing], If (the house) should bo building. PAST, FACT. Lada la dang thdiv ia (ka ing], If (the house) was building. Uncertainty : Hal a da la dang thdiu ia (ka ing], If (the house) were building. PAST COMPLETE. Lada la I ah nang thaw ia (ka ing} } If the house had been building. Potential Mood. PRESENT. Ka lah, La Id dang thaw ia (If a ing), The house may be building. Lehse, La dang thaw ia (ka ing], Perhaps the house is being built, or The house may be building. FUTURE. Ka lah, La ki'n da nang thaw ia (ka ing), Lehse, yn nang thaw ia (ka ing), The house might be building. f Ka lah, la Id la dang thaw ia (ka ing), PAST. ) Ka lah, l>a la nang thaw ia (ka ing), Lehse, ba la nang thaw ia (ka ing), The house might be building-. ( Ka lah, l>a Id la lah nang thaw ia (ka ing), COMPLETE. ; Ka lah, bala lah nang thdiu ia (ka ing), \ Lchse, La la lah nang thdiu ia (ka ing), The house may or might have been building. Tin: VKIMJ. 103 ]\ii arli' } &c. S(H V 58, o. The force of kn in l-n hi// (it is possible) has already been explained and illustrated in the various paradigms. EMPHATIC FORM. 70. There is no auxiliary verb in Khassi that cor- responds to our English ' do.' Emphasis is expressed by means of such adverbs as sJtixlia [1'cng. jj^j '-^l (truly), kc'ui (of course), xlujiu (not), j>ut (yet), jim (ever) ; or by laying particular stress on the word or words to be emphasized. Indicative Mood. PRESENT. Xya 'icit snisiiA.lit.,! love INDEED = ! dolovc'. Nya'ru 'icit SHISIIA, lit., I love not INDEED^! do not love. PAST. ]Sga la 'it-it SHISHA (inplii), lit., I loved (you) IXDEED^I did love (you). Nga'ni SHY^I '/>// (i I'lii], I did not love (you). Xga'm jnv hi 'i'-it (in ?'), I XEVEU DID love (hiui). 104 KHASSI GKAMMAE. FUTURE. Nga'u 'ieit SIIISHA (iaplt'i), I WILL love (you). Nya'n ym 'ieit SHUH (ia u), I will love (him) NO MOKE. 71. These emphatic particles are often employed to- gether ; such as slujm and sliuli. put and slnjm } jlw and fJiuk, thus : U'm SHYM ican slaili, lit., He DID not come AGAIN = He never came. U'm PUT *J/ym wan, lit., He has not yet come = He HAS not come. U'm jiw v:an sliuh, lit., He NEVER comes AGAIN = He never comes. 72. SJtym and put arc used exclusively in negative sentences, and the former expresses past time ; jiw and sliuliaxB not necessarily negative, as maintained by some. (There is a ' shuh ; which answers to our ' stop ! ' ' keep away ! ; ' hands off ! ') These are always emphatic but not necessai-ily negative. The literal meaning of skuk is ' again,' ' any move.' Plii'n- iv an SHU it ? Will you come AGAIN ? Plii'// ym wan SHUH ? You will not come AGAIN ? Ai soli SHUH ia nya, Give me MOKE fruit. Wat wan SHUH s'liane, Do not come here ANY MORE. ADDITIONAL REMARKS ON THE VERES, MOODS, AND TENSES. 73. The verbs long and don- should be distinguished. Long expresses existence generally and absolutely, as when we speak of God. THI; VKRH. 105 U HI i U long, God is, <>r God exists. Or ' to become,' as when wo speak of plants taking 1 root Kijiittliuntj k! hi long, The. plants have taken root. K JiiKjiaseng ka In l'ig, The meeting has taken place, or has commenced. Or, it is used very commonly as a descriptive verb Ka Kftn ka l f )i'j 7>//v, Tlie Word is God. U ]>/<'( U lihuj U bal>]iu, God is good. Oil the other hand, doii denotes either simply ' to be' U Jlriv u duii lia tug, The man is in the house. U Viet U Jon, There is a God. Or, don is often used transitively, for ' to have ' U firm u don 1) nil ci'iali, The king has much wealth. From the above examples it will be observed, that the distinction between these two verbs of existence does not exactly correspond to that between ~z-^[ nnd <3fff? in Bengali, the latter being defective ; for long, unlike 5^ is regularly used as a descriptive, while don is exclusively confined to expressing the idea of simple existence (to be) and that of possession (to have). 74. The form for the Pa*t Indefinite with li simply, is often used to express the Present Complete, as Quest. Plu In tli oh? for Phi la lu.l tholt ? Have you written ? Aits. Ilaoid, nga la thok mynltynnin, Yes, I wrote yesterday. Or, Ilaoid, nga la thnli, Yes, I luive written. 106 KHASSI GRAMMAR. 75. The form la I ah is the Present Complete when used in a simple sentence complete in itself, as Nga la I ah thoh ia ka sliitti, I have written the letter. But in a compound or complex sentence, with the sub- ordinate sentence or clause in the past tense, la lali has the force of the Past Complete, as Nga la lali thoh ia ka sliitti, nnjnlja u la poi, I liad written the letter, when he arrived. 76. Sentences introduced by lada ('if') are supposi- tions of a fact, but those introduced by haba followed by da are suppositions of an uncertainty. After the former class of subordinate clauses, the Past Indefinite form of the Indicatice has often the force of the Past Complete of the Potential Mood, thus Lada nga la lah don hangta, u la kren ia ka bashisha, If I had been there, he would have spoken the truth. The principal clause or apodosis here might be written thus Vn da la lah kren ia ka la*hif>ha, He would have spoken the truth. Doubt in either of the clauses would require the form with da, thus Ladu nga la lalt don hangta, un da la kren shdi, If I had been there, he might have spoken plainly. Haba 'nga do, la lali dmt hangtd, lea lalt lau'n da la kren shdi, If I had been or were there, he might have spoken plainly. T1IK VKKB. 107 The native student should p;iy particular attention to the essential dill'erence between :i subjunctive with /"/', and one introduced by lmlni-i!ii } when writing, translat ing, or conversing 1 in English. The comparatively small progress whieli they have hitherto made in speakinir and writing correct English, is mainly duo to lack of diligence in rendering and distinguishing the various moods, <-.;/. (1) Lad 1 1 n\/ u'lin, If he eoines, ur If he will come. ('2) llnlxi n d(i wn, Should he come, or If he should come. $77. The y in xlnjiii (not) should be pronounced like the French u in line, or like the // in Tijndo.L See 6, and Prefatory Remarks to the " Anglo-Khassi Dictionary ; ' page iv. 78. When the particle duny follows the other auxiliaries hi or la l'*/i in the various tense formation-, it should be itself considered as an auxiliary. l>ut when danij precedes these auxiliaries, it is a simple adverb, meaning f just; ' as (1) U la d'dnj f/n'/w in ]m inij (progressive form), lie was building the house. O (2) U d'Diy b'Ji f/n/ir in /,'((. UKJ (used adverbially), He has jii*t finished the house. U dmuj IK //('// mynta lt wja, He has jv.p.f spokeu (uow r ) to me. 79. The verb /<>// (to have) is often used as an auxiliary instead of I all (to be able) to express some forms of the Potential Mood, as 108 KHASSI GRAMMAR. (1) Nga'n ioh wan, I shall come=I will be able to come. (2) Nga'm ioh wan, I shall not corne=I cannot come. (3) U'n ym ioh ivan, He shall not come ; equal to U'n ym lali wan, He will not be able to come. CHAPTER VII. The Adverb. 80. DEFINITION. Adverbs qualify attributes, that is, Verbs, Adjectives, or other Adverbs, as U saheb u la Itylli byniah eli, The gentleman enquired very minutely. Here byniah qualifies the verb lujlli, and ch (very) the adverb byniah. EXAMPLES. (1) Qualifying Verbs. U la poi mynta, He arrived to-day. U thiah lilwp, He sleeps soundly. U kren aha!, He speaks distinctly. (2) Qualifying Adj. Kane ka long khain eli, This is very coarse. U long ba la iaroh hylleng, He is univcrsaUy Braised. Kane ka kam ka long sniw naduh- Itaduh, This business is wrong alioijctlter. Lit., This busi. ness is wrong from one end to the other. THK ADVKKB. 109 (3) Qualifying A fast. Ka la kreu adykar kliymlinf, She spoke guardedly raflirr. 81. The Khassi language is very rich in As, and in the case of those mentioned under Classes 2 and 3, they may be considered, many of them, to belong to the untranslatables of the language. When the highest or lowest degree of any quality is often expressed in English by the generic adverb ' very/ the Khassis never want a xpeci/te which at once suggests the object or quality meant. Thus ' r'nj red'svnf; TTAIN-HATX. "\Vhen the adverb dili-di/i' (faintly) is used with the verb padin (to beat), it is at once known that it refers to the heart beatino- O faintly near death ; when the adjective sixjnid (fat) is qualified by hj~koi (sleeky), it refers to very small animals of their class; lykni, to short-legged beasts, such as the pig; bjklni r-lt/kliur is applied only to fat babies; lyl-huny (motionless) with ngat (to fall), always refers to cows or oxen falling, when about to be slaughtered; lybiiit with lymjkhnid (naked), refers to aged persons devoid of cloth- ing ; lylait, on the other hand, always refers to children, and means in all these cases ' very ' or ' entirely ' or ' stark ' naked. Again, a great number of adverbs are used with the verb snuh (to hang) according to the size, 110 KHASSI GRAMMAR. shape or manner, all of which are suggested by the ad- verb used. Thus snoh-lyjdn would imply that the object is hanging down loosely. In the same way a great number of adverbs follow the verb Jihih (to mo ve), as kltilt- doi-doi, khili dob-dob, Itliih mop-mu^, Jihih Jn-ib Jirib. 1. ADVERBS OF TIME. 82. (1) Adverbs denoting past time mostly take the prefix my n-, 'ago/ mynta, to-day, now. mynstep, in the morning. mynhynne, just now. mynhynnin, yesterday. mynmieit, at night. mynnorc, a short time ago. my nno ? when ? ii'tynno-ntynno, formerly. mynno-mynuo-ruh, ever. myn-aria, two days ago. mynariew, a fortnight ago. myn*iigi, noon, at noon. c'i, in former times. mynnmwei, the year before last. inyn-Miiv'ia, four days ago. myn-shisngi, day before yesterday. myitliata, then. mynsliiwa, formerly, be- fore. mynhyndai, in old times. mynliulong, in the remote past. mynnyngJwng, at first. mynsynia, at midnight. myndang, while, when. myn-dancj-long, at the be- ginning. mynpyrhem, in the hot season. mynlyur, in the wet season. mynsynrai, in summer. myntylany, in winter. rnynliynne-mynmiett, last nigflit. TI1K ADVKKB. inynhynne-myn*ngi } at noon mynJiynnin-inynmieit, ye.s- to-day. teniight. itiijnlii/nne-mynstcp, this mynshi-snmi, a your ago. morning. ini/iiar-sitcm, two years niyiihynnin-inyiisiiyi) mid- , ago. day yesterday. j ('!) Adverbs denoting futurity take the prefix la, as Ztts/iii/, to-morrow. lano* when? In*' it, just now, iu the even- : l,i:ji, daily. /rt'i.n !;<< m'icit, nightly. mu.n tit. lew, weekly. tnnu lea tif>'i>, every morn- man-bifnai, ") ing. ' ' . monthly. man a by/iai, ) man tea sncm, yearly. 112 KHASSI GRAMMAR. Ha la is used in the same way, as- lia la ka snyi, every day. ha la shitaieiv, every week. ha la byndi, every mouth. ha la ka'rta, always, per- petually, for ever, eter- nally. (5) Other Adverbs of time : shen, soon. shen-sheu, very soon. ha la ka snem, yearly. ha l m'ieit, nightly. ha la ka step, every morn- ing. iai-, prefix denoting repeti- tion or persistence. shen-shen, in rapid succes- sion. shuh, again, any more. art at, at the same time. kumne, presently, now. kumne-fcumne, immediately, in close succession. katta, so long, after so long. Idoi, soon. Moi-lcloi, very soon, in rapid succession. b'iany, again, once more. katto-katne, for a while. kntLa, as long as, whilst. bun-sin, often. dany, yet, still, just. dak, at once. hal>a, when, after (lit., in that). haba-dei, sometimes, occa- sionally. haba-dei-badei, now and then. eh, often (lit., very). hadin, after, afterwards. haduh, until. haduh-katno? How long? hynda (historical), when, after. li< I duh lano ? until when ? ha vhiwa, before. habynda, until. hauinr, when (simulta- neity.) poh-ia, immaturely, before the time. shiwdd, once. THE ADVKKH. shinintokliuf, once in a wav. #hi-ni/ndon, at once, with- out delay. shiplnniy, firstly, in or for a short time. xlii-Ttijntin., once. fiiif'in, at all. ijm-xitt'in, not at all. sliisiii, once. jtiiiont, ever, everlastingly. jhv, over, habitually. jinili i, continually. jany-jaiiy, very soon. iiii/ntt>/ii 'nt-'int/nifnyi, night and day, incessantly. lajan-mwitf in the evening. nciJuh, since. naduh-lindulij always. nadtn, after. niinti-r<>!f } repeatedly. I'l'inn/, back on same day. jitilxiKji, every alternate day. fin kiittu-liuti/e, aft era while. Lurolt-ahi-Jidtta, all along. biu'oh-ahi-li/iiti, all along. laroJt-dii-li/ntar, all along. lia tcinj, sometimes. liu 1ri)lLi'l;-blt<'(l-, confusedly. \ KHASSI GUAMMAK. b'iang, rightly, justly. l)dn, scornfully. Irop, unexpectedly. brein-brein, in spots. byniali, exactingly. bi/nnud, scrupulously, a- grumbling. b'ymman, wickedly. biriali, jokingly. bait, briskly. balei ? why ? ym-balei ? why not ? bor, forcibly, by force. Tcdio-kdiv, noisily. kein, of course. khony-khong, peevishly, an- grily. Wirup, lowly, humbly. khop, soundly. klirMv, proudly, haughtily. khrain, with a crash. khong-pong, headlong. khti/i-, closely, tightly. Ichnany, purposely. Icatbii-kynduli, at random. khyudiat, rather. hylldin, in a round-about way, evasively. kyll d-in-ley rjdw, wander- ingly. kynjoh, ambitiously, take- all, arrogantly. Jcynthiap, humbly^ lowly. kyn brum-kynbram, topsy- turvy. liynrum-Tcynram, topsy- turvy. Itynt'lcik; nimbly. kynn eny, motionless. ki/njah, lonely,, desolately. kymang, agape, expect- antly. kyntuny, conspicuously. kynshiriang, elegantly, with airs, gaudily, gracefully. kyiijai, happily, cosily. kyrhdi, abundantly. knrnito ? how ? kumno-kumno~ruJi,anyliO'w. kumno-ruli-kmnno , some- how or another. kumne, thus, in this way. knmtii, so, in that way. kwluJi-kw'iah, weakly. da'inj ,s7i/t . . . , scarcely, hardly. Tin: ADVKKI:. 115 iloi-ilni, dingle-dangle. ilik-ilil', faint ly. iJdJ>-ilob, loosely. dor, distortedly. JdiV-tJdw, noisily. JuJi-smji, at a loss. il nh i i, to no purpose. iff, too. ,'/, amiss, unintentionally. /"//;/, together. Ini n-li'ti ii , wavingly. li'i/'j, all round, conspicu- ously. m'iii )i -m'iii n, slowly, softly. nn>t>-nt[i, with a twitch. mnrim\ alone. i)KirJi/kh t, suddenly. *tt hhyndiat, nearly, almost, within a little. x"/r, straightway. sa, discontentedly. sam, keenly. xrt/aaf, evidently. salla, discontentedly. sah, permanently. shilckadeij exceedingly. xA7iem,fast,firmly, positively slialai, deceitfully. slid-i, clearly, distinctly. *oit, suddenly, abruptly. xlait, closely. fslak, tightly. tlul, merely, only. stdd, wisely, prudently. ,s7c7, quickly. faihi', badly, wickedly, ill. ler-ter, in order. tn in-fain, violently, harshly. than, prodigally, liberally. tem-tem, lazily. war, entirely. ii'ii a ij, wide open. tarn, too much. s'am, grudgingly. Xofc. The prefix -ia, has the force of our suffix -lij in many cases, as ia-rykhie, ' laughingly.' o. ADVIOKBS OF PLACK. ay.su/, downwards. din, backwards. artct, upwards. 1cyrtiang, backwards. dadin, backwards. Jcyllcinj, everywhere. Till: ADYEIUi. 1 ! /r ////>// "///m// r fin ill, over against. in < i i'-p i/ f } from somewhere. rtfi.lv i", from above. 118 KHASSI GRAMMAR. ?7'Yj)o7f,frombeloworwithm. j xka-li/inlcf, aside, beyond. ft/Kt Ida,-, aside, alongside. sawilomj, round about. >// a lie (sit a-Ji(tite) , here. xliaiio ? (ska-Jcano . ? ) Where to? .a>-, out, abroad. xlt,a I y it al;, backwards. Xotc. For the force of the Adverbs composed of Itaia, Italai, l;ato, &c., see under the Demonstrative Pronouns. 4. ADVKKBS OF AFFIRMATION AND NKGATION, itc. Kern, of course. <'ni, no, not. '//?, really, indeed. .ve, indeed, to be sure. ai'lr, perchance. ijrn, not. HI, indeed. i/tn . . . dalci ? Why not ? TIII: ri.'Ki'O.srnox. 1 10 lut!//, . . . N-///'^, not at all. count. CHAPTER VIII. The Preposition. 80. Prepositions are words plun ,1 Irfm-r nouus or pronouns to show the relation in which they stand to some other word in the sentence, as Ka ing joinj ngn, The house or ine = A[Y house. I' Lriw !/fi/or iu^', Tlic man ox the house. It will bo observed that many of the words to be here registered as Prepositions have already been classed under the Adverbs. The distinction rests on this, that the Prepositions always precede and govern some Noun or its equivalent, expressed or understood. 5) 84. Clciftsi/icu-tion. Like Adverbs, Prepositions ex- press relations of Pl/ife and '/'////<; they also express A'jt'iicij, Ci/.n^c, Intention, Opposition, A:c. OF PLACK. /a/, in, to. ii, after, behind. .nlt, up to, to, as far as. i, elsewhere, near. r, above, on, upon, 120 KHASSI GEAMMAR. haphang, by or at the side (of). ' hamar, about, near. lia/phrancj , before, in front (of). * It LI poll, within, in. hapyddeny, between,, in the middle. haruil, at or by the side (of). ha rum, below. hashiwa, before. lift khymat, before. liajei-ony, 011 the top (of). ha kyrphony, behind. Jcylleny, about. jan, near. na, from. nalar, out of, from outside. n ft jan, from near. napoh, from within. nalor, from the top of, be- nadin, after, from behind. vaduh, from. lyngbah, through. hjndct, beyond. xltaplinitij, towards. *7irum, below. n a n'ul, from the side. narud-sharud, athwart. i/ni r-lili i/riiat, before, oppo- site. mar-pyi'shah, opposite, over against. miir-jiiii, close to. pynTcJt'iang, across. ljrf reposition denoting time /'//, as mi/n-xt'ip in the morning. PuKrosiTioxs oi' AIJKXCY. biiil, with. ii[l, i'or the sake of, sako of. /hniii/nbaii u nang pynlut, ALTHOUGH he has no money himself, YET he goes on spending. (9) Yin ti.nnj ba u sniw, Itinrcl ba u'm tip ei-ei, NOT ONLY because he is bad, BUT also because he knows nothing. (10) .La 3 u long sim, no u 3 riw kyrduh, nga'm sngow pher, WHETHER he be a king, OR a poor man, it makes no difference to me. CHAPTER X. The Interjection. 90. Interjections are words which express some passion, such as joy, grief, admiration, encourage- ment, warning, &c. THK INTERJECTION. Ailitf! Ow! Oh! Ah! AJnr-ba'n *lt>.it ! Away! A.H! Oli, dear! Oh, ruy ! A<3 ! Ho-ho ! Add May be! Kan- ! Hurrah ! Ko ! My ! He ! K 1 6k! My friend! (i in) ! Tush ! 7, /A / Friend ! come ! ( lod bless you ! Gnd speed ! Ma/! itiinjn ! Mxcuso me ! 1 1" Mr.' Oh, heaven! Shi! fio! Khixh .' I 'noli ! NA /.-//''/ Indeed! True! S/iiji'i/i '. Listen ! /".V / Let us bo off ! Sumn.i- ! Take care ! 7o / All riirht ! Khullci ! Adieu! Wei- TFaw 3^/ / Oh. mother ! 126 PART III. SYNTAX. Introductory Remarks on Arrangement. 91. The Nominative, which may be a noun or a pro- noun (u, ~k", ki), generally precedes the verb, as U briw, u la ii'nn, The man (he) wept. Ka wy, ki i 1 lujllon, The house (it) fell. Ka iv all, Jca'n ryngdd, The river (it) will dry up. 92. For the sake of cmfiltaxi*, however, the nomina- tive often /y// ? Is the HORSE dead ? La ki/Uon ka ing ? Has the house FALLEN ? La kyllon ka imj ? Has the HOUSE fallen ? 91. The Object generally follows the verb. U Sim u la leit si'at virn, The king is gone a binl- shooting. SYNTAX. 127 U Sim u s'fat .'tn/>Itii*}* the object sometimes l>i-cceltaxi$ requires a different arrangement. Adverbs follow the words they modify : U la iap mynta, He died TO-DAY. U'n wan las' it, He will come IN THE EVENING. U sim u la her 720/1, The bird is flown AWAY. Ka jain ka la long nrjaiii, The cloth has become JET black. U soh u byrth'iang Wiyndiat, The fruit is a LITTLE sweetish. Interrogative Adverbs may either precede or follow the verb : Na-ei phi wan? -^ TV, . . C Where do you come from ? Phi wan 'na-ci / j lu leit ? , wherc Phi leit slinnu / ) Haei phi diony ? -j -,-,, . 7 T . O f Where do you live ? Phi slionrj haei r ) But when the adverb is to be emphasized, it should precede the verb and the nominative, thus Mynta u la iap, It was TO-DAY he died. La' ait u'n wan, It is IN THE EVENING he will come. 99. Some adverbs have become mere suffixes, used only as integral parts of certain verbs, or classes of verbs, as 'ieng'joit f To rise SUDDENLY. imh-soit, To move OFF. SYNTAX. 129 leh-//iO/;/, To act AUUOUANTLY. thiah-/i//o/', To sleep .SOUNDLY. shong-/iA<^, To sit DOWN. Uf the \ r (triuiis A//M/.S i >f ,sV ,//'//'' >. lUO. The SiMi'Li: SKNIKNCK has only one finite: verb. (1) This verb may bo intransitive,, and the sentence will then cousist of only a tin-l>/i.'<:i and 1'ml i<->ij<^. I -x-n/i c, //'/ The bird Hies. 7 xhn a xijitxliid-, The king 1 rules. Kit uiynxun L-<( hijalt, The, or, my breath is gone. ('!} Or the verb may be transitive, when the sentence consists of a (Subject, Predicate, and an Object. r lixctr n lu'dii doli, The dog eats flesh. / L'/ila u Li Icciii In'ni', The tiger has seized a man. 101. The C'oiii'Ot'ND SENTKNCK consists of two or more simple sentences, connected by conjunctions, Avhick are co-ordinate to each other. U ksew u w'far Luroh shi mi'et, Inul ka iniVnv ka }>ah, The dog barks all the night long, AND the cat mews. U sim-tung u sympliuid ia ki khun, ' u sir u bam ia ki, The blackbird caresses its young, BUT the star? devours them. O U khynnah u kynplom ia ka ihn, /"'Jki'm lah khwai, The lad disturbs the water, so they cannot fish. 130 KHASSI GRAMMAR. 102. The parts of a Compound Sentence in the lan- 'jncuje of divination are not connected by a conjunction. JV;/a no//, n> / a iren' subject, the subject is expressed only in the principal rl;m- lah thaw la ka IMLT, kunino VM//'// thied i:i kano? Now that we have just finished a house of our own, how can WE buy this one ? CHAPTER I. The Article. 105. There is every reason to believe that the Article in Khassi was originally strictly definite. For, (1) It is often used without a noun expressed, in which case it has the force of a Demonstrative as well as that of a simple Personal Pronoun; as, /" la wan mynta, HE came to-day. Kci la iap mynhynnin, SHE died yesterday. (2) The Demonstratives are formed from the articles, n, lea, let ; as, l~uc u'm lali kren ; Tins (man) cannot speak. Kdtai ka'm lah kren, THAT (woman) cannot speak. (3) The article is often omitted when 'inJefinifeii':-**- is to be expressed ; as, I'm, ym don, There is no WATER. U sim n iaid him, The chief roams on (the) MOTXTAIX. 10b'. 'The determinate sense of the article has in many instances, however, disappeared. Ka Jiltlntij la rong-noli ia ka doh. K 2 132 KHASSl GRAMMAR. This may be rendered either definitely or indefinitely, according to the circumstances at the time ; thus, A kite carried away the meat, or THE kite carried away the meat. U In'iw la pyniap ia la u Teypd } A man killed his own father,, or THE man kijled his own father. It appears that the Khassis formerly (ax flta/ xf-Ul often do) used the adjunct nwci, or kawei, ' one/ after the noun to express indefiniteness ; thus, U briw IIWG'I u la pyniap ia la u kypa. But in many instances this word is now dropped, except when indefiniteness is to be particularly pointed at ; as, U *i'm uicei u dany idj>, A king is just dead. U sim uwei-riili-uimd d dang-iap, Some king or another lias just died. Hence the want of grammatical distinction between the definite and indefinite forms. 107. The article is therefore yen? rally used before the nominative, and again repeated before the verb. (1) U khun u lah ba'n ih-sih ia hi u kypa, THE son (he) may hate his own father. (2) Ka sni'ang, lea la tluir ia ka jaiu, THE sow (it) has torn the cloth. (3) Ka nuaw / pah, THE cat (it) mewls. Note. The article thus repeated has often the force of a Personal Pronoun used demonstratively; hence the effect of the repetition is to render the article definite in this construction. THE AUTK'I.K. 13-3 108. Before and after certain Intransitive Verbs the article is omitted, when the noun is indefinite ; us, J)un soli shilmn Jt'i' } There is much fruit in the garden. !>//<" i/ in ' u l>riw, THE man fell. Ki'ii L "jl A:/ nong kititony, THE coolies will come. 110. THE ARTICLE BEFORE ADJECTIVES. (1) When the adjective follows its noun, the article may be either repeated or omitted before it. (1) Umrdd u larnnar, | A cmcl ^^ U rnrad bariinar, 3 (2) 17 l-scw u lu'luit cJi, ") T ^ 7 7 7 -, 7 C A snappish clog. u tiscw oaaait eli, ) (2) When the adjective precedes its noun it always takes the article, and the noun is dcfurit:'. But the 134 KHASSI GKAMMAE. adjective itself is predicative and emphatic, tlie verb (lon-fj} being understood ; as, 17 Ixiri'inai' u f.sew, The dog (is) fierce,, It (is) a fierce dog. 1 T laJait u Itsew, The dog (is) snappish,, It (is) a snappish dog. -Yo/e.' Wheii the form lm a is then a conjunction meaning because. (See Chapter III., 150, 157.) 111. Before the names of prominent objects, and monadic nouns, the article is definite, whether it be repeated or not. (1) 'La >lial i wad n Sim i j>lti, The king lias sent for you. (2) Yii louy lia icw la xlidi, The market will be to-morrow. (3) YIL sti iinj lea Itlilntc In xlu'lit, The jungle will be on fire presently. (4) Ka- x'luji ka In in i/i In N/^//?, The sun is up long ago. (5) /' Id wan Ttltein-ksuid it li/uyJ.uli, The priest is come to consult the demons. 112. When the article is omitted either before the nominative or the objective case, the noun in both cases is used indefinitely ; as, (1) Sim u 111 tuny, He is not a king. Klilaw i.l u it ha-nyuo, There is jungle hero. But U sim u il.uit ItUit/jite, The king is here. TIII: AKTICI.K. 1:]5 KK kfili'tiv kn llei u longjiiitj'ivit, God is LOVK. Kata ba la kha na ka doll, ka long ?, 6 A.070?, TO (f)a)^, i] d\i)deLa, >) LCO?;, &c., the relative pronoun is added as a substitute for the Cireek article wherever it occurs in the original. This is certainly not O ** sanctionedby either grammar or usage. In doubtful cases, 136 KHASSI GRAMMAR. the use of the Dem. Pronoun would be more in harmony with the genius of the language, without departing too much from literal exactness. Note 3. Ktin (word), like parole in French, is feminine, and therefore should have been KaKtin, and not U Ktin, as an equivalent of 6 ACK/O?, although that is masculine in Greek. The French version has la Parole (fern.), not le Parole. We cannot change the grammar of a language, Emperors have failed. 114, When identity with the subject is to be as- serted, the predicate should take the article. Nga long lia jingshisha, I ani THE truth. Nga long fra lynti, I am THE way. Kajingim lia la long lia jingshd'i lei briiv, The life was the light of men. 115. Certain nouns in apposition, not intended to mark something specific or individual, but an ordinary title of the person or thing, do not take the Article; as, U Horsing sim, King Borsing. U Wat Sirdar, Sirdar Wat. U Ksan WaJ.ar, Councillor Ksan. 110. All plural nouns, except those used collectively, take the article plural lit, and are therefore often used indefinitely; as, Don 1:1 Iriw ha ing, There are PEOPLE in the house. La iap lii sriiang ha lynti, PIGS died on the road. TIIK AKTICU-:. 1-57 La iap-op // w^.sW lia kane ka wall, SOMK cows were drowned in tliis river. Ki nongot ki long ///' Jrr'i;rr tense ; as, Ka icw Ralira I'n'n long la shdi } The Cherra market will be to-morrow. TJ k>/jiefore snch auxiliary verbs as da, lah, dang,nang, jiw, $c. ; as, Z7 Sim n danrj lali fit aw ina'n i>ul<-, The lad can read. 1) Manila u /fa nang sltdd I'iany clt, The youth can dance very well j^otc. The construction which omits the repeated 138 KHASSI GRAMMAR. article is inelegant, though sometimes heard in ordinary- conversation. The Article and tJie Oljcctive Case. 118. When the noun in the objective case is governed by the preposition la the article is to be taken definitely ; as, U 8ij_ihai u hi si at ia u lriiv,TkG Sepoy has shot the man. Ka huh ha dang ~kijtali ia ha liny, The porpoise has just touched the boat. 119. When the object of the verb is not governed by ia the article is often indefinite ; as, 1i Ifi/nda n hi [>ynjot ha Iny Itakhlaw, The rhinoceros destroyed a house in the jungle. Ka dinnim ha la thar jiatJtar u sriiany, The bear mangled a pig. 120. The article is often omitted before a noun in the objective case. (1) When it is used indefinitely; as, U Hat u la leit wad liana, Hat is gone in quest of a GOAT. U It'iaug u wan pan synduh, R'iang is come to ask for a BOX. (2) When it is used collectively U Lorshai u'n wallain tr). JNIatt. Vlll. 20. 12o. T/tC Article lic-fui'i' Adjtu-h'cc* nut j,/nica 'riiclJn'i, a rich man. Vymman, bad; u It't/niman, a bad man. 1:1 V ijviman, bad men or people ; the wicked. ]:a 'riwLhii, a rich woman. 140 KHASSI GEAMMAE. 124. The feminine article Jca when so used, forms abstract nouns ; as,, Jca bymman, evil, wickedness. lea basin w, badness, wickedness. lid bahoJc, justice, righteousness. ka babJid, goodness. Note. For other modes of forming abstracts, see 18, (3). 125. The article is often omitted before nouns connected by "bad, 'and/ or bad . . . bad, 'both . . . and/ whether they be in the nominative or the objective case; as, (1) Ki la wan baroli, sldnrang bad kynthei, They all came, male and female. (2) Ki la ican, bad shlnrang bad kynfhei, They came, both male and female. (3) Ki la ioli la ha spall jong u hyp a aroJi, bad bri bad Wiyndew, They have had all their father's property, both groves and land. CHAPTER II. The Noun. 120. The Nominative. When three or more nomi- natives form the subject to one verb, the conjunctive TMK NOUX. 1 II particle bit'!, ' and,' should oiily bo used between the two last ; as, (1) Ki ktf'iai', ki ja'm, li/i! lut khyndi'iu, /,/'// JLI'I/> l>a- ru/t Jut n kln'ni kluul/iik, The gold ornaments, the clothes, aud the laud will all u'iaw c/t, .Said is ill, weak and very peevish. (2) Ka 'inaxxil:a snyaid, bad hi lihrair xlii.^ta, The cow is both fat and big indeed. (>) I Sii-ilar, u licit iiirauil n Jc/ttcai The Sirdar hunts, shoots birds, and goes a-lishin<'\ ^ O 129. The nominative is as often c$j_< i-ettaeJ as it is 142 KHASSI GRAMMAR. omitted in the imperative mood, when it should follow the verb ; as, (1) Khie leit noh phi, Go (YOU) away. (2) Wat shah ia kata me, Do (THOU) not permit it. (3) Khymih shane, j_dti, Look here, (YOU). 130. Number. Two or more nominatives connected by bad, ' and/ require the article representing them be- fore the verb to be in the plural, that is ki, ' they ' as, (1) Ka shnong bad ka khlaw hi iadei ia u slm, The village and the jungle (THEY) belong to the chief. (2) U Waddr bad u kftun, Id la id^, The councillor and his son are dead. (3) V nonghikai bail kl khynnah, ki'm ]>nt Idol, The teacher and the children are not yet ready. 131. When the second of two singular nominatives comprehends the first, although connected by lad, ' and,' the verb should take the singular article of the second ; as, Ka xluiOi'irj bad lea muhik /tr la pynprah ia ka jing- ker, Either the cow or the goat destroyed the enclosure. (2) Lyiune ka massi, lymne ka blang Icn'ni- shym pynprah ia k:v jingker, Xeither the cow nor the goat has destroyed the enclosure. lo-j. When nominatives of different numbers are separated by In.in', m-, or /////(-/'', the plural nominative should come last, and the verb will take the plural arti- cle ; as, (1) r l-ulai la-nc li nonfj Idinu^j, l-i',; /,-// ,',i 1;>>. mem, The pony or the coolies will carry the lady. (2) Umytifliyna lane Id Wang /,-/' /" l;hlw I" l-> r h<'i ll} Either the gyal or the goats have dug up the potatoes. 136. Collective nouns which convey the idea of unitv or oneness take the singular article ; as. 144 KHASSI GRAMMAR. Ka muluk baroh ka la khih-win, THE whole state was disturbed. 17 soli n'-m kynrei ha kane ka snein, The orange is not plentiful this year. U paitbah u wan nguh ia u sirn, The people have come to pay their respects to the king. 137. Collective nouns which imply plurality take the plural article ; as, Kl byuriw /'Tin jiw iamut kajuh, Men never think alike Ki paifbalt, lujllin, lit In, bilcl ia L Jl*u, Great multitudes followed Jesus. 138. Gender. When two or more singular nomi- natives of different genders are separated by lane, ne, or lymne, the verb (which should always in this case either precede or immediately follow the first nominative) takes the article and therefore the gender of that first nomi- native ; as, (1) Kit'u iathuh ia phi Jin. kymi, lane u kypa, Either his mother or his father w r ill tell you. (2) Ka diug'im /./<. bam ia ka blang lane u khla, Either the bear or the tiger will devour the goat. Or the verb in this case may remain anarthrous; as, Yii In'dn liit diiKj'ini lam; 'It Ichla in, It'!, l>ln.,//A' = a district, a province, a country. Or, n m n1uk = the people who form the community in general. K x/(//o//// = lit., a village, a collection of houses ; llu'ii the village in the sense of ( inhabitants ' or the village community. n xjn)0)i, as Kiij /inj j/mtj u xi in, The chief's house. Kvr /mifj I:! lii'lu', Other people's garden. Kit, my n siin jong ncja, My spirit. 141. The particle /o//;/ (of) is often omitted, as Kl'>i, The Word of God. Ka Viintt'm u W.'i, The Spirit of God. Ka imj Jii l/riu', Other peo])le's house. Ka tug injU', My house. This mode of expressing possession by mere juxta- 146 KHASSI GRAMMAU. position of nouns should be avoided when it would cause ambiguity ; e.g. u *oh pJti would be inadmissible, as it is also the name of a particular fruit. Euphony also (which has great influence on the Khassi language) would often require the form with jony. 142. la is the Khassi reflexive possessive pronoun always referring back to the subject, as IT la leit *li la iiig, Me went to his (own) house. UBlei U ladl ia la U Khun, God gave His (own) Sou. Remark. Those acquainted with Bengali, &c., will see that this particle la in Khassi is equivalent to the Bengali ^^T, and the Hindustani lL) (dpitd). See 50. 143. Various prepositions and phrases often require the possessive with Jo/?;/ after them, as, shaphung, 'con- cerning/ italor, ' besides/ hiLmai', ' about/ natnar, ' on account of,' na l;a bynta, ' for the sake/ &c. L 1 Jircn thaphaiKj joiiy /'Jii, He speaks of you. Ntdor jony phi i/m dun >/*"//, ]3eside you there is no one. L sngoivsih naiuar jony n(). 145. The objective particle in, is never used before anarthrous nouns ; hence it is often dispensed with in the objective case, as U Miet u pyniap iiin.xxi, Miet kills beet'. U Housing u siioh In-lia, Rousing is beating people. 1 lb'. When objectives are aiM,i'tlti'un.n they are used indefinitely, and are generally plural U Sim u'n ai hriw inynta, Tlie chief will give men to-day. Ka tyuieu ka kit x'in.i-, The old woman carries fowls. See 118. 1 L7. Wlieii the objective case [>m<:e/ti i' if iii' i/'jtt, 1 know that you love me. Kt OIKJ IKI lea la ///;/ k. This case often represents the remoter object of certain verbSj and is preceded by the particles in, and ha, ' to/ ' for ' ; an application of ia different from that explained already. (1) Nga la ai ia ka kitab ia u saheb, i gave the book TO the gentleman. (-) Nga la ai ia ka kitab ha phi, 1 gave the book TO you. (')) U khyunah u pan khaw in u kypa, The lad is begging rice FOR his father. (!) Ka massi ka bat ka dud ia la u khun, The cow withholds her milk FOR her calf. Note.Ia denotes the object 'for which/ or the person ' to,' or for irltoxc *alce, anything is done or 150 KHASSI GRAMMAR. given ; 7m merely implies that something has been done ' to/ i.e. in the presence, or in the hearing, but not in the interest of that person. Example 2 simply means that the book was left with, aud not given for a posses- sion. 153. The. Instrumental Case. 1. The instrument used in performing any action is distinguished by the particle da (by, with, through). 2. The material with or out of which anything is prepared is also indicated by (fa (with, of). ( 1) Xgi jiw pyniap sn'iang da ka tari. We kill pigs with a knife. Ki Khassi ki jiw pyniap sn'iang da u speh, The Khassis kill pigs WITH a pointed bamboo. La pynrcm ia u briw da ka jingbishar ba hok, The man was condemned BY just trial. La pyllait ia phi da ka jing ia sait Jong 1 nga, Yon were released THROUGH my intercession. (2) U R'iang u thaw la ka ing da. ka surkhi, Riang builds his house WITH mortar. U Riang u thaw la ka kynroh da u maw, Riang builds his wall OF stone. 15k The Locatli-f. The idea of location or posi- tion is expressed by the preposition // (in), and some- times by *Jta, though the primary meaning of the latter is ' to/ with verbs of motion. Ka kitab ka don JKI nga, The b< ok is WITH me. TIIK A1UKCTIVK. U kulai u thiali ka scin,, The horse is lying IN tlic stable. U Tr;ii ii'in ]>ut don /(" i"g, Th" master is not yet al home. U'm put don N/m u,* lie is not yet at home. I\i blang Jong 1 nga ki labam kynbat .>/* klil;i\v, My goats are eating meclk'inal herbs IN the jungle. CHAPTER III. The Adjective. ^ Io5. For the position of the adjective and article, read again the sections in the etymological part of this Grammar, and ^ 90, 97 of the Syntax. 156. When the adjective precedes (N/C) its noun, it is predicative, and not a mere attribute. The verb ' to be' (Jong) is understood, see ^ 97: as (1) U Ixtlha n lii-la-, is nut, A good man, but lit. Good (is) the man = The man (is) good. (2) Ka la*lii'.*Jia kit Idiu U Hid, is not, The true Word of God, but, True (is) the \Yord of U oil = The Word of God (is) true. s: l-">7. Care should be taken not to confound the * The French cite /) Ka pyrthei bciroli />Juii' ka sniw.] The world is cor- Ka pyrthei ka suiw bicroJi /iJuLr.j rupt all over. (4) Ki briw bun ki la iap.l T ^. i , -, * i Many people died. Ki la iap bun briw. j (5) Kit spiili biii/ Jia la dub. ] 7 Much wealth was Lost. Ka in Mih bun sjj>ah. } (6) A a HI mil- shibun l:a mib nanyla, JNTuch wealth comes from there. (7) Ki brio- sliibun Jet ia/'oni. Many people are fiarhtinu 1 . TIM: AIUKCTIVK. 155 VV/o Degrees of Comparison. 161. }' THAN the apple. 106. Sometimes the particle /,//">// (more) m;iy Lc 150 KHASSI GRAMMAR. dispensed with, the simple positive with ia being sufficient, but the order of the words is changed ; as (1) la u soh poh. thiang u sohmon, The pear is sweeter than the apple. (2) la ka ba'n suiw, hlid ba ; n iap, It is BETTER to die Til AN to be wicked. 107. Kham is oi'teu used to express a quality iu its highest degree, without any comparison implied with any other specified object ; as Uue u briw u A: /torn rimar shisha, This man is VERY cruel indeed. Ka t'/ xliil>n)i, The man is not much better. U5 ( .>. From the examples given of comparison between two objects, it will bo seen that our f than ' is represented by in in Khaasi ; as (1) Uno u khynnah u kham bha ia la u kypii, This lad is better THAN his father. (2; L' Tirut ulalong khanishluriaJii sim Khaasi Lar1i f Tirot was more courageous than all the Khassi chiefs. 170. The ordinary SUPERLATIVE, or the SUPERLATIVE RELATIVE, as some would call it, is expressed in two ways, either by the simple positive, or the comparative with a noun in an oblique case governed by na the Bengali ^^(i^s and Hindustani ^. Or by the simple positive or the comparative with the prepositional phrase Jm />ydde/nj,t}\o Ht'ii'/rili TTJ*H and Hindustani ( ^~> ^>^ (ku, l>icli men] ; as (1) Na kine ki maw rit une (positive), This is the smallest of these stones. Na kine ki maw, khmn rit une, (comparative), This is the smallest of these stones. Na kine ki lynti, jing-ngdi ka lynti Shillong (positive), Of these routes, the furthest is the Shillong route. 158 KHASSI GRAMMAR. j\ r a klne hi lyuti, kham jing-ngat ha lyuti Shillong, (comparative), Of these routes, the furthest is the Shillong route. Remark. This evidently corresponds with the Bengali and Hindustani idiom, with the ablative ^j^ and <** respectively ; thus, ^-{ff^ ^\ ^T, o* ^ ^ ^ Y- (2) Ha pyddeng ki inrad baroh xhltn- u sing (positive). Ha pyddeng ki mrad kham .Mar u sing (com- parative), Of all the beasts, the lion is the MOST courageous. Remark. This construction with lia pyJdcng (among) corresponds with the Bengali idiom, ^t^tZTr^ ^TS*fI "^fa ~ofa TdJidder madhye tumi IJialo, You are the best of them. 171. The particle ia is also used in the superlative construction for our ' of ' as well as ' than ; ' as la kine baroh blia maphi, You are the best OF them all, or, You are better THAN all these. 172. The SUPERLATIVE ABSOLUTE that is, the highest or lowest degree of any quality is expressed in various ways, by the addition of any of the following words or phrases : tarn, ch, xlillc-kadci,, khant tn m, tarn eh. Ka 1/Ji.o turn, Boiled rice is the best food. Ka aliin'i hn long kajingdie kaba thiang tani, Sugar is the sweetest commodity. Tin; Ab.iKC'im:. 159 Ki nil' to liit xftcri/ti lea j liar hn Inildkamj / i a la him tii In I; a I'or, The chief has exceeded his power. Kane L'<<: dunj Ji'i, fa ni s/ti />i'u/i, This stick exceeds or is over one cubit. This particle fai/i is probably the Bengali sullix 37J (t'l.iii-). Wiiile it is very probable that in an earlier stage of the (Bengali) language it was used as an independent word, though now reduced to a mere suiiix, it is interesting to note that in Khassi it still retains more or less its original force both as a particle of comparison and as an independent verb. T'li/i sometimes signifies ' too much/ as the Fieiich tfo. ; as U khynnah u la kren. tu.ni, The lad spoke TOO MUCH. TI.HII sometimes signifies ' more ' ; as- 1(50 KHASSI GRAMMAR. Phi da sugowbha ba'n ai tarn ia kaba u la ong ? Will you kindly give MORE than he ordered ? CHAPTER IV. The Pronouns. 173. When the articles u, ka and ki are used alone in a sentence, they are strictly Personal Pronouns as U la h'iar sha thor mynhynne, HE went down to the plains this morning. Ki la ia wan-ruing bad u phan, THEY returned the same day with potatoes. Pemark. The article was originally a Demonstrative Pronoun, of which character the Personal Pronouns of the third person still often partake. 173. The article thus employed must agree in number and gender with the noun it represents in a sentence. U nonghikai Jong ng'i, v hikai bha eh, Our teacher teaches very well. Ka ing-massi kti la pluh noh, The cowhouse (IT) is burnt down. J71. Two or more nominatives, though of different THE PRONOUN. 101 genders, connected by had (and) require the pronoun to be in the plural ; as, U Saheb bad ka mom lei long Plmreng,* The gentleman and his wife (THEY) are English. U k.sew bad ka iniaw, kl iadat, The dog and tlie eat (THEY) are fighting 1 . 175. When these nominatives are personal pronouns, one of which is in \\\e first person, the personal pronoun which will represent them as the direct nominative (in, apposition] of the verb, should be in the first ]><;rfion plural ; as, (1.) Ma-nga bad ma-phi, nyi'n. ia leit-kai sha shnong, I and you, (WE) will go 011 a visit to the village. (2.) Ma-n bad ma-nga, ngi'n ia leit noh ryugkat, He and I, (WE) will go away together. (3.) Xyi'n ia iap loin, ma-nga bad ma-ki, Both I and they, (WE) will die together. 176. When the personal pronouns thus connected by bad are of the second and third person, singular or plural, the pronoun which represents them should be in the second 2)Gi'*on plural ; as, Ma-u bad ma-phi, J?/M'H ioh shitom,0;-, Pld'n ioh shitom, ma-u bad ma-phi, You will come to trouble, both he and you. P/ti'ujot noh th'iaw, ma-me bad nia-ki, You will be utterly ruined, both you and they. * A corruption of ' Feringhi,' lit., Frenchmen, the first known to the natives, from f^f^x n 102 R'FIASSI GRAMMAR. 177. The pronomial article is omitted before a verb in the past tense after personal pronouns separated by lane, ne, 'or* lijmne, 'nor/ unless the verb comes between these nominatives, which is often the order followed ; as,, Manga I aim mn-/>ht la <>n]ii, Or, N(/a la one/ ia kata manga, lane ma-phi. Ym shy ni ong ia kata, 1 1/ nine ma-uya li/mnc ma-pJt /, Neither you nor I said so. The same rule applies when the verb is in the future ten*e ; as, Yn ioli bainong 'iiin-n lam- ma-j>lii, Either ho or you will have wages. Or, Ma-u, K'II ioh bainong, lane ma-plii, U'n ijm inli baino'ity, lymna ma-u lymne ma-phi, Neither he nor you will have wages. 17rc^nt tcnxe, the nominatives separated by In in; .should not follow in immediate succession, or, the verb should precede the pronouns, with the first pronoun for its direct nominative. (1.) Mci-u 11 jtainj lane, ma-phi, or, (2 ) U pang IIKI-H, lane. /t/a-/>ki, Either he or you are ill. (1.) M//i, or, (2.) ^f/a sliitom w. The f'onu ol' the personal pronoun with //m- aiv in tin" majority of easos used fl) >l i^/mirfir,-! // like t,h<> French /HO/, /<)/', ////, & ., to add emphasis ; Cl) Inuiorij!- caUij, l)tit (')) iu a few instances cn/ihonicnJli/ ; as, (1.) Nga la ong, m-t-)i He HIMSELF said. U In oitg ma-n hi. J The student would do well to write out these forms with other verbs such as ivcm, ' to come/ kren, ' to speak/ angow, 'to hear.'' 181. The much disputed idiom ' It is me' in English should be rendered as follows iu Khassi : Ka long ma-nga, It is me. French, C'e*t mot. Ka long ma-phi, It is you. ; , C'est voti*. Ka long ma-u, It is him. G'est lui. lie/narks. hi and ma-u At, ma-ka lei, &c., are analogous to and even identical with ^jt-pff^ and c_jl (aj>) in Bengali and Hindustani. Wtfa 'artlfa ^^r fpfSTt^I I mvsrlf answered. Vjj L-J! ^x, I mySL'li said. 182. The Po**cssii'c Pronoun. Tlio usual particle of possession Jong is often omitted in certain set phrases, as Ka ing nga, Ka ing >hi, Ka tug u, for Ka ing Jong nga, fyc. My house, Your hous;^ &c. But the rule is to employ Jong before personal pronouns. TIIK 1'KOXOTN. 165 Ka wait jong />]i! kn In. liiin t-h, Your cleaver ((Inn-] is very blunt. Ka ing jong n ka xa, noli *h.n ////, His house will fall over the precipice presently. The omission oijong before nouns is both regular and elegant. (See 1 U.) 183. The article has sometimes the force of a possessive pronoun. (See 122.) U saheb u la khein kn kujat, The gentleman has broken ins leg. Phi la khein ka byuiat, You have broken YOUI: tooth. 1 84. When the article separates the possessive from the object possessed, then the clause is an assertion ; as, Ka ing, ka jong nga, The house (is) MIX?:. Ka jong nga, ka. ing, MINE (is) the house. The prefix ////;/ of abstract nouns is only another form of this jong, ' of/ 185. The reflexives la, la kajong, la ujong, In hi, la ka jong hi, la u jong 'hi, which all mean, ' his/ ' her/ ' its/ &c., 'his own/ 'her own/ ' its own/ &c., refer to the nominative of the principal verb, and differ essentially from the con- struction vriilijong. When hi is added to la, la kn., la >>, la ka jong, fyc., it is equivalent to our word ' own ' in English and to ^f 1 ^' ^J 0'/ /a?J > /'""') ^ n Bengali and Hindustani, and the Latin suns, sua, suum ; as, U In die-noh la ka ing, lie sold nis houso. O KHASSI GRAMMAR. Ka Id thci la ka ing, She has built HER house 1 . Ka kjmi Jong- phi ka pyujot ia la ka ing hi, Your mother is ruining HER OWN family. Nga la khein ia la ka kyjat, I have broken MY leg. _Ar/a la khein ia la Tea Jang ka Tcyjat, I have broken my own leg. Remark, Tijong had been used here, the possessive would refer to some person other than that represented by the nominative. 180. The absolute possessives, ' mine/ ' thine,' ' his/ ' her/ ' yours/ ' ours/ &c., formed by prefixing the proper article of the thing possessed before the ordinary possessive case of the personal pronoun, is a very common construction in Khassi ; as, Kane ka long ka juny nga, This is MINE. Kane ka dei ka jony nytt, This is MINI:, or, belongs to me, Shaphang kata ka ing, ka long ka joiiy {>hi, As to that house, it is yours. Ka kyper ka'm jiw la dei ha Jung i>ld, The garden was never YOURS. 187. The reflexive ' self ' is also rendered in Khassi by lade or luJn In. U la shukor ia lade, He deceived HIMSELF. Ka la klieiu duh ia lade, She gave HERSELF up for lost. Plii la riam bi'eit ia ltifl<>, You have foolishly entangled YOURSELF. Tin: PRONOUN. 10 / (1.) Prepositional clauses are made reilexive by means of l,i .- U la phot, da lit ka nion hi, lie went away of his own accord. U la leit noli sha la ka ing, lie went away to ins OWN home. (2.) Sometimes, us in English, this construction may be ambiguous ; as, U Daroga u lakcmia u briwhn In ing hi, The Inspector arrested the man in HIS OWN house. To ;ii noli ia nga In ka Jong, (live me .MY OWN. Might = Give me YOI i; own. (3.) When the verb is transitive, the emphatic ///, ' self/ when it refers to the subject should follow the latter or the verb, and the object when it refers to it. U Sim lii, u la pyniap ia u uongtuh, The chief him- self killed the thief. U Sim u la pyniap ia u uongtuh /(/, The chief killed the VKKY thief. ^ 188. Tin- Ji'lalire Pi i on. The forms n.l><(, I'dlxi, liiLd, commonly called relatives, are in reality both antecedent and relative, for (1) Ixi is often and elegantly used alone ; (2) the compound forms hula, v.ln. &v., may also be the subject of a principal sentence. 108 KHASSI GRAMMAR. (1.) Nga ihthuh ia ubriw ba phi la mudui, I know the man WHOM you have sued. The Relative here is evidently la. (2.) Kaba la jia sha shnong, ka mih na ka jingshun, A\ r HAT happened in the village, arises from enmity. From this example it is evident that Jcaba contains the antecedent Jia and the relative ba. So that ula, kaba, &c., in all cases meau 'that which/ f he who/ &c. Another proof that the article was originally a demonstrative. 189. The article prefixed to bit in the formation of the relative in many sentences is only the article repeated according to the rule already explained ; as, Ka samla, I- aba wan mynhynnin, ka la iap, The girl THAT came yesterday is dead. 100. The relative generally follows immediately its antecedent ; as, Ka lyngkha, ba nga la bet, ka sei soli b'iang, The field which I sowed, bears fruit well. U lum, it.ba paw hangta, u jerong oh, The mountain WHICH appears there is very high. Caution. Care, however, should be taken not to con- found the relative ba with the conjunction ba, though originally identical. TITE I'RONOl'X. 109 (I.) Nga tip fin, phi l:i leh ia kata, I know THAT you have done that. (2.) Nga ihthuh ia phi, ha la leh i;i kata, 1 know you who liavt! done that. 191. When the relative is in the accusative case, it often takes ia before it ; as, (1.) Nga sngowthuh bha ia kola phi <>ng, I under- stand well wir.vr you say. (2.) .iV/a wan tliang ia n Lrni\ in nlxt l /lyniaji, cK.-e., I have been burning 1 the man AVHO was killed, &c. Remark 1. Tlie Khassi language beinu; 1 devoid of inflection, in the strict sense of that word, it cannot have what Greek grammarians call atfrcn'fion. We have, however, several instances in the version of the NOAV Testament, of this peculiarity of Greek grammar being introduced. When the relative in the original, though itself the sub- ject of its own verb, agrees, for example, in the accusative case with its antecedent, or is in the genitive by attrac- tion, the relative in Khassi, in order to preserve a literal (?) rendering, is put in the same case ; but contrary to usage. John v. 23, is a case in point ; and when rendered into English would translate l< -wltom hath sent him." The verse should be rendered thus : U'm burom ia u kypA via la phah ia u, lie honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. 170 KHASSI GRAMMAR. Remark 2. To use the so-called relatives u-l>a, ka-ba } ki-ba, which signify 'he who/ 'she who/ &c., as substitutes for the Greek article is unwarrantable both by grammar and practice. 192. THE DEMONSTRATIVE PRONOUNS. The article has often the force of a demonstrative ; as, U briw u la lah poi, THE man has arrived. Nga'm ioh ih ia ka ing, I do not see THE house. 193. The demonstratives are formed from the simple article by the addition of suffixes to denote near- ness or remoteness ; as,, ka-ne, u-ne, ki-ve, in which -tie denotes 'here' (this, these) ; ka-ta, u-ta, ki-ta, where -ta denotes l there ; entirely out of sight ; but -to, -tai, different degrees of distance, to witliin sight, as k/to, kitai. (See 53.) 194. The demonstratives^ like nouns, always require the article to follow them in a sentence : (1.) Uto u k'idal u la dykhoh, That horse is lame. (2.) fne i star i la xyduny khd-pylleng, This chicken has commenced laying eggs. (3.) Lehse kita, kiba poi mynsngi, ki-tip baroli, Perhaps those who arrived at mid-day, know all. (-I-.) Nga'm sngowthuh ia kinc, k! ktni Jong phi, I do not understand THESE WORDS of yours. 195. The JJistri-Lufii-cx.- We- shall here merely give THK l'i;o\orN. 171 xamples of their use. .For mode of their formation, sec ->i. (1.) /'/'' i-mi'i i u'u ioh la ka bainong, KAMI will have his w a g es. Xga'n ])vllait i;i ki kynthei kan-i /-/,v/ ;/(,/, I will let go the women, OXK MY O\K. (-.) Distribution is expressed by iimr, ' e;;ch.' 7v / noii'/fi'i ! lei' n ioli iniii'-i*hi tymjktt, The workmen will have one rupee each. Ki ii'iinjf i-i i hi I mni' ai'iicjnt-in'iicjut, They followed the corpse two-by-two. (o.) J!y the insertion of -y/-. Xgi'u ia bud ia -phi incri-ji//-inrri } (masc.), A\'e will follow yOU OXE-JJY-ONE. Ki kyntliei ki la iakren liawel-^ci-kciwcl, (fern.), The women spoke OXE-BY-OXE. Ki la ia kyll'i ia Id uwei-jia-kcnL-i i, (masc. and fern.), They asked them OXK-ISY-ONE, (both male and female.) (4.) rult (also) appended. Uii'ei-uwei-ruh ii')t io/< in kri which soo under ^ ^^> ina y 1 )0 illustrated by the following examples : Ki hi sugowsih eh Imrolt. lia ing, They were ALL very much displeased at home. Ki khynnnh ki la sngow bukhoh eh l>aroh nr, The lads were BOTH very much disappointed. La ing ka ing buroli kawi4, The WHOLE house was burnt. U la win 11 li'un IxifuJi ntcci, The WHOLE mountain shook. Uwei-pat u'n bujli ia u, ANOTHER will take his place. Uno-uno-rnli u da lah ba'ii leh ia kata, ANY ONE could do that. Uno-ruh-uno u lah ba'n leh ia kata, SOMEBODY OK ANOTHER may do that. Kino-kino- nth ki'n ia wan wad ia u ksow, SOME (persons) will come after the dog. Kino -ruh-liino ki'u ia wan wad ia u ksew, SOME PERSONS OK OTHER will come after the dog. La poi shano ii'< i-ruli-wei myuhyuue mynstep, SOMEBODY OR ANOTHER came here this morning. La j'ia ci-ruJt-ci, nga'm tip shuh, Something has happened, 1 don't know at all what. Uicei u la kren, te uwci pat u la batai, One spoke, and the other explained. Ki ba'n wad ia u ksew ruh don kein, SOME (people) will come after the do"' also of course. 174 KHAS51 GRAMMAR. Tang khipuliat ki wan ia song mynta, Only a FKW came to the meeting to-day. Bun ki la wan ia seng mynhynnin, Many came to the meeting yesterday. Nga'rn don soh, to ai katto-katne ho, 1 have no oranges, do give me some, will yon? Ei-ei-ruh-em nga'm lah ong shuh, I can say NOTHING at all. Ei-ci-ri/Ji -i'm ym don ha ing, There is nothing in the house. Contrary to other languages, we have in the two last examples, two negatives used to express a negation. ^ 198. Tli^ Interrogative Pronouns are underlined in the following examples. Ei ba kren ? Who speaks ? Ei ba iathuh ? Who said ? Uei ba'n leit wild brnv ? Who will go for coolies? Mano ? WHO is there ? Kaei phi ong? What do you say? Kid ba'ri kit jongkit ? Who are (to be) the coolies ? Aiuli phi kren ? or, Phi kren aiult? What do you say? Phi kren shaphuug aiuli ? What are you talking about ? Yn kren U Sim. Uuo ? The king will speak. WHO i' TIII: vi'.iMi. ] / > To sliim i;i kane. l\nn<>'.' Take this, will v<>n. \Vincii ? Kane k;i jonii in*.' Whose is this'' hum phi la in kren baroh shi k-itta ? Or WHOM were you speaking all that while'.' lhni ])lii la ai iakata ka kitab ? Tn WHOM did von 3, phi la i"/f iii L-I/IH- L-II iii'f '.' From or Of whom did you get this house? Xga'n leit hih sliemphang aiuli ia kata baroh ? \Vif.vr can I know of all that business ? l>/i-i! plii'u thaw ia la ka ing':* WITH or OF WHAT will you build your house? Knm kuri long kata ka ling-tydem ? \Vn \ i SOI:T (of a thing) is that steamboat? (See ^ 215.) ^ 100. Tin- Coinjiv'tml Ui:ltt;,;: We shall give here a few example.*:, merely to illustrate the list given under ">- Uno-umj-riih nlxt ngc'it, u'n ioli jingiin, WHOSOEVEI: believeth will have lii'e. In,- ulxi. ugeit u'n ioli jingiin b'ym jiw-kut, \\'HOSO- EVKR believeth will have life eternal. Ia u kulai, la' " long // joiKjua-jouyno ruli, yn die noli, The horse, WHOSE-SOKVKI; it i>, will be sold. Uno-uno-ru/t, u.lxi ka dohnud Jong u ka sniw, yn long sniw ka kain j(>ng u ruh, \\' HOLVKI; ha^ a bad heart, will also have bad actions. Ha niio-iri/n-rf'// lia phi slian'ia. ia uta phi'u ieit keiu; 170 KHASSI GRAMMAR. Uno-uno-ruh ha uba phi shania, ia uta plii'u ieit kern, IN WHOMSOEVER you trust, him you will love of course. la kaei-kaei-ruh la me leh, to leh katba me lah, WHATEVER thou doest, do with all thy might. Jaid ba kylla jingmut shibun, ym lah shauia ha u, WHOEVER changes his mind often, (he) cannot be trusted. Note. From the above examples it will be observed that the compound relative is formed by combining the indefinite pronouns with the simple relative la, or with uba, kaba, &c. CHAPTER V. The Verb. 200. The verb ' to be/ or long, is often omitted or understood in Khassi ; as U lam Rab-leng u'm da jerong eh, Rableng mountain (is) not very high. Ka sngi lea likatn Ichrdw slt/bim ia U Syndi, The sun (is) much larger than the moon. U Ich'ij una/i u tipsiifji eh naduh ba, u ^koiifj xlcur, The lad (is) very well behaved since he is at school. Note. This feature might perhaps bo explained by maintaining that the adjectives as well us the adverbs Tin-: VI-:I:B. 177 becoiuo in monosyllabic languages virtually verbs by COltsf I'lll'.tlifllt < '201. \'i<-<. Some verbs, on'u'inallv inl i-n.n,-;'il ir, , are otten used ti'nnxtt'n'c.lij, but with a change <>| meaning ; as, (1.) Mfk = ' to rise/ ' to spring/ or ' to accrue.' (Intransitive). r phlang 11 la m/'// kloi eh lia kane ka snem. The grass has sri;uxo up very early this ^jivin^. Ka sno;i ka. //;,/// lia iiiih-'n^i, The sun I'.iSKs in the ea^t. Mih (transitive) = ' to ]iroduce/ ' to yield.' Kane ka lyngkha ka niili- ])han shibi'in, This field YIKLDS a good crop of potatoes. Une u him u mih dewiong shikkadei, This hill VIE IDS a great deal of coal. (2.) lent/ (intransitive) =' to stand. 3 r khynnah u 'imnj ha rud lynti, The lad is STANDING on the road-side. L'tnj (transitive) = ' to possess/ ' to guarantee.' U Montri Jong u sim hi n'n 'icnij shi liajar 1 vngka, The king's chief adviser will himself guarantee 10(10 Rs. (o.) JJn (intransitive) = f to be/ Nga'm shym Jon hajan myukata ; I WAS not near fit that time. x 178 KHASSI GRAMMAR. Don (transitive) = ' to have/ ' to possess.' U Saheb u don lai ngut ki khun, The gentleman HAS three children. (4.) xnyon- (intransitive) =' to feel,' ur, 'to be/ Nga x'lUjowlilia shibun eh, I am very much pleased. U f-ii'j'jiu suk shibun eh, He FEELS very happy. Sii'jow (transitive) = ' to hear.' U tymen u'm mnjuw sat'ia ia phi, The old man DOES not HEAI; you at all. U kypa joug nga u .s^/oif-pang dik-dik, My father FEELS acute pain. Man has the meaning of ' to become.' Ka samla ka'm man bha sat'ia, The girl does not IM- PKOYE at all. Or, like milt =' to yield/ or, ' to produce.' Hi when compounded with an adjective or adverb ; as, iji-'ijti/f ' to be probable/ and ' to see.' /7i-x/// = f to be ugly, hateful, &c./ and ' to hate.' il,-li:iit = ' to be despicable/ and ' to d:\-pise.' 'ih-lilin, ' to l)e handsome/ and 'to take a fan'/y to.' $ 202. The verbs Imrj and don, ' lu be.' These two verbs are often confounded by foreigners. The distinction does not inallpoints correspond with that between $$ and :srfc m Bengali. ~Lnn, ir, (Jod exists. U Jilt'i r (///? M x///} !'/'/, That 111:111 exists merely. Utii u brhv 11 ilon, That man is I'I;KSKNT. In all descriptive phrases ln,i,ion in all such cases is inadmissible. I. o,i(>a'l ao-n,in ^ ij7 ...... A ^ hen the agent, or material,, or the instrument with which an a<-ti.m is (lone. is expressed, it should be governed b\- it*/ nr Im,/. 180 KHASSI GRAMMAR. 1. Present. Damj t/ulw to, ka in.<<t, The bov is working hard with his books. II kliyniiah n dn tivi bad la ki kot, The boy is working with his books. U khyimah u dniiij trei ha lyngkha, Tlie lad is (STILL) working in the field. I It/i i/i/ ini/i a ixtit'/ lit id nil n xli i /i'} tinny and nutnj were originally adverbs ; dmnj connects present action or state with the /xtxf; nli gentleman, he WAS SI'IOAKING harshly. Hynda ngi la pynih ia n, n'm dun ci-ei ba'n ia ihuh, 182 KUASSl GRAMMAR. After we had explained to him, he HAD nothing to say. Ha kaba lasliai U Joan, u iult-ik ia U Jisn, ba u wan, The next clay, John SEKTH Jesus coming, &c. John i. 29. Ha kito ki sngi te, U waii U Joan,, not la wan ; In those days COMETH John, &c. 20G. In the active voice only, the present expresses future time, sometimes ; as, ^at, bail riff a' n pyddiiiny in plii, I am coming again, and I will receive you. The Imperfect Tense. 207. In narration the past imperfect is often ex- pressed by the present with da ; as, U'niang thliw u ia u, Jiehold angels came, and they \VEKE UELPING him. Matt. iv. 11 (see also Matt. xiii. s ? where the same construction would apply with more elegance). 208. An inchoative act, that is, something commenced but not actually carried out, should be expressed by the past imperfect with dn() ; take, p.//., Hcb. xi. 17. TIIK VKKIl. 18 ; ) /'// nli/t In lii/i in/i HI ki, Don't go by any means. 211. The verb li/it (to go) is used as an auxiliary to express what is about to take place, or likely to take place ; not unlike /LteXXw in Greek grammar, and ulh'r or <;. in French. LI dang I fit thaw ing, He is GOING to build a house. Phi If'it iap noli, You WILL STRELY die. 212. The l-'utui-t; P>v/>'<-/ is rarely used in compound sentences ; as, U la Ink jnjntlf'/' ia la ka kam la shai, lie WILL HAVE finished his business to-morrow. U'u la la/1 1'ijii'h'ji, &c., might be used as well. Haba u'n poi hangne la shai,, u In Jtt/i ioli-ih ia u, When he comes here to-morrow, he WILL HAVK SEEN him. Vn la Icli io/t-i/i, kc., might be used. THI: VEIUJ. 185 vj> '2 ]''. )ni/ii, usually translated 'when,' ' after/ is strictly a particle of the futuro tense, tuiil, like /mlm, with a past tense gives the true /'///",< /'/;/'/ in Khassi ; as, Yniht a hi. i<'i/i, in/it'll ''"/' /"'" - S 7"'/', \\hen he will have dieil, I will have much wealth. This is evident from such sentences as t lie following: Nga'// ilii. lit. hili i/i.in hangta, haba phi'n pi, 1 will have heeii there, when you shall iii'i'ive. For .\i/n',/ ihi,= .\,/ii i/, i - or norist has often the force of the jirewiit and j'dxf coin- r letc. Lh_ le is used also for the ia kylli ? Who is it that asks ? Kylli menu ? Who asks ? Kunutu uga'u tip ? How will 1 know ? II (if n, L'U)iino }hi kren ia kata ka ktin ? J how do you speak so P 187 (2.) I5y the tone of tho voice. I'ln'ii leit noli ni//n/n '.' \Vill you go away NOW? Ka liukuin k;i long /ein la u lnji>n jomj j'lii tno.'' I have spoken disparagingly of your father have I ? (5.) All aflirmative reply is given by means of a negative question, thus : Phi'n wan? JJah't ///// wau ? AVill you come? WHY NOT ? rhi'm kloi ? Bald ijm hlo't? Aren't you ready? WHY NOT ? (G.) A negative reply is given by means of an affirmative question : 188 KHASSI GRAMMAR. Eiba sJiovg hangne? Who lives here? Nga'n leit tip shano ? How can I know? I DON'T KNOW. Phi leli liymman, You do wickedly. Nga leli bymman Mo ? I do wickedly DO I ? Of Negative*. (See 65.) 216. Put and sat'i-a are used only with negative verbs, also xhi/m (with verlm in the past tense}. U'm. wan sat'ia, He never comes. Nga'm tip sat'ia, I do not know AT ALL. Ki'm put poi, They have not YET come. Ki'm-'j/nf shym *nc/ow, They have not YET heard. Other particles are often used witli negative verbs, but they are not necessarily and exclusively negatives as some have maintained, <> 72 : U'm wan xliuli, He will not come AGAIN. U'm tip xJtuJt', He docs not know AT ALL. U'm_//H<- wan xhuli, He NEVER comes AGAIN. U'm. slnim wan sl/uJt, He NEVER came agnin. U'm x]ii/m shong *]mh, FTe NKVEI; stopped ANY LONGER. The Imperative. 217. The particles of command arc In, lio, and kit!/; with leif, ' to go ; ' as, To Ivan pat Idoi *lui> In !'i/i/ / Return home soon. Tin: VKI;U. 1*0 TI'I I, -it ki/lli iii, lii, n L-IJ^I'I ' Go and ask your father. To fur/I. Inn- mi n . nt li" ! Ask permission from the chief, will you ! J\ ///> I'i'i/i 1m ! Stand on one side, will von ! Ni/j/'fyi /in .' Listen, <, Silence, will you! K/iii' hit ir/'il iii kit li/injL',1 It, i .' Go for the monev, will you ! JChie It-it mil/ x/ii *ij nli ! Let us be going ! TIJ a i, -iii/i'ii in mill n nh ! Let us be away ! T<'i xlin'li, inja/t ii-i'ii I'dt ! Let me come buck ! TI'> t''?/t mi/lit" .' Let alone for the present ! VJ 220. After t<>, l;li/<', the present participle with <(K is often employed ; as, T<> A 1 ///'. 1 , '/" /'/////' f/fiiinj lia u'n led noli, ka long kaba xliixlia- lii, That he will go away, is true enough. (2.) The object of the principal verb ; as, Nqa tip, ba u la kl/aui koit mynkata, T know that he was better then. IT la ioli-ih, ba n'm lull sJtitJt pfirnlcp (pres. for past), He saw, that he was not able to fulfil. U la ioli ih,l>a u'n ym lull jii/na /iji/'ii 'la wftn lii (future), The Sirdar thought that you would come yourself. Sometimes the conjunctive ba. is omitted; as, IT la, flia.rai, />]/i'n van lit, He Thought, you would come yourself. U la tliarai, /ili/'u, da. la n-an It't, He thought, you would have come yourself. THK VK.I.'M. I'.'l sj '22'2. ( )f condit itiiinl aii", ' wh.-ii ' (]>ast) ; we distinguish (") 7'Asr n-liii'/i x//yym.vr )'' ///, or /nut iii'lir. in both metubers ; a-, Linbi H I'I-IH, H'/it jili' shaJi-isJiJiiJr /'<' u, If he speaks, I always listen to him. Lii'/ii it In Ici'i-'it xlii'tj, iif/'i i'ii/i //'/'/ /<' in/i Hii'/nir, If he spoke out, I also (must have) heard him. (A) Thnxc ir/ii'-li xiip/'uxc /' tliiu*t' ii'It/cl imply uncertainty. These are introduced by 1ml n't and require the auxiliary of contingency d<< before the verb in the future in both members, the P,-Qiluxi*. Lathi it, In la/i kren, nga'nym da la lali. konyuk ? If he had spoken, would I not have obeyed ? Lada u la lah Ttonguli, rnja'n n.- I'lii ? If he were dead, would you not have heard ? Lada u la. Ink f/iair i,nj /iamjla, n, Id -It'! *lia ftalira, If he had built his house there, I would not have gone to Clicrra to live on any account. Lafla 'I' la lali Id/ ia>li } ha lali l>a, nfja'n da [a lah Idt noli ma-inja // / ,->.'. li, It' ho had gone away, it is possible that I would have gone away myself as well; or, I might h;ive gone, &c. Lada n In Idf noli, n(ja /<( y9, 22~>. 22o. Intentional clauses, or sentences expressing purpose, are introduced by la, ' that/ ' in order that,' or by Ji/niany la, 'in order that; ' as, I' la ong in, kata baroh, la'n jihi'x, ioh fi/>, Ho said all that, in order that you may know. U la nmj !a kata larolt, kkna-n>j la, j>hi'n wh> ///', He said all that, in order that you may know. U la ong ia kata baroh, ba phi'n nJe lint, This lad is come to study. (Lit. ; to read books.) U Syi'r slionld n n In: ilon //" if/r nii/n/'i, lit., It is believed by all that lie was in the market lo-day. He is believed to liave been in the market to-day. 227. The infinitive (u-it/i ur without /'/.-> nliji-ct] may be either the subject or the object of the principal verb ; as, 7>n'ii ni/i'/f id li((i>i l-lii. Fie would like to persuade you. 228. Our verbal noun in imj is formed by prefixing 1 the feminine article kd to the (verbal) adjectives formed from verbs thus, o 2 196 KHASSl GKAMMAU. bam, c. to eat ; babdm, eating ; kaba bam, to eat or the verbal nouu ( eating/ = ba'n bam. idm, v. to weep ; ba lam, weeping. u bi'iiv baidm, a weeping man (adjective). kaba idm jong u briic, the weeping of the man (infinitive). u briiv babdm, a voracious man. kaba bdm jong u briw, the man's eating. In many cases the verb in its simple form will have the same meaning, but in others euphony demands the form with kaba. Kal> a, i>ulc kot ka pynshai ia ka mynsini, READING enlightens the mind. Bat,, U la wan ia ka ba'-n j_mlu kot, He came to read (purpose). 229. The infinitive of purpose, or our gerundial infinitive is used in lieu of the form explained under 223 (with ba) that is, the form ia ka ba'n; as, Don bun ing in, ka lia'n icdi shane, There are many houses roi; JUUK here. U la khreh ia ka ba'u di tyngka, He is prepared TO ADVANCE money. U pynsngow-is'nei da kaba ium, He excites pity, by weeping. TIIK I'Airncii'LK. 107 The Participle. ^ 2:>0. The present participle in /////differs from Ihe infinitive in /'//;/ in tliut it aa- u mnt sniii-, u la phet noh, The father, SUSPECTING, escaped. Sotc. When these and other prepositions are used with the form kaba, such as da Italia idm, ' by weeping/ )ia kal>a snyowsih, ' from grieving/ ia ka ba'n thie/i ia lartic!j>le rendered into Klwssi, as models to follow : (I.) I saw the letter \VIMTTKX, Xga la, ioli-ih i;i ka shitti, /ii/inln lit tlitili. ('!.] I saw tin; letter m:ix<; \VI;ITTK\, Xga hi ioli-ih ia ka sliitti, Iniliit itiniy f //"//. (o.) I heard the order I;KIX<; UK AD, Xga la ioli-sngow ia ka huktim 1ml KI hi a Idx'iat ha kane ka snem ki khyudiat eh. (('.) lie saw the house I;KIX<; PAIXTKII, U la iuh-ili ia ka ing 1 India- lit limit/ nn'iil rSt>lira, leh kuinjnh hangiie. CHAPTER VI. Adverbs. '2\V.}. l'\ir the usual position of the adverb, see 98 and examples there given ; the following are exceptions to the general ride, /7/c///, 'rather/ *]//ii/. ' brisklv/ ' constantly/ /^'(m', * frequently/ ./'//', ' ever/ ///,' yet/ 200 KHASSI GRAMMAR. shym, 'not/ Most of these were originally used as independent verbs, to govern the now principal verb in the infinitive, e.g. jiw, lit. means ' to be in the habit/ so lisdw, sliaii, ' to be strong/ ' to be fond of/ U'm/iw wan, He never comes,, lit., He is not USED to come. U jiw leit, He makes a habit to go, =He is in the habit of going. U sJiait bam doh, He is ALWAYS eating flesh meat. U sluait iam, He is ALWAYS crying. U khla u Jisdw bam briw, The tiger OFTEN devours men. U'm nJnjm sngowthuh, He did NOT understand. U sim u Jiham sngowsih, The chief is SOMEWHAT offended. 234. By mere juxtaposition, a feature characteristic of the Turanian languages, most verbs and adjectives, and even nouns, are converted into adverbs; as, U nongbylla u trei-shitom, The labourer works HARD. U khynuah u hikai-Wm, The boy learns WELL. U Saheb u iaid-wi'ttn, The gentleman walks SLOWLY. U Mahajon u die-dull, The merchant sells AT A LOSS. 235. Adverbs have degrees of comparison like adjectives. U 'riw-ling u trei Jilt am vtinot bad la ki jar, The boatman works JIOT;E DILIGENTLY at his nets. TIM: ri; hiro.smox. 201 U 'riw-ling u trei klnrni ni.ii/n/ fam bad ki jar, Tho boatman works MOST DILIUKNTLY at the nets. / ' ritt'-l IIHJ u. fi'i'i iii/iKit t'inL r/i L/id /./ j(tr t The boatman works MOST I>ILK;K\TLY OF ALL with the nets. CHAPTER VII. Of Prepositions. ^ 230. Propositions are distinguished from adverbs in that they govern nouns or their substitutes. Ki iatrei naduJt mynliynnin, They are working SINCK yesterday. Nga'm tip ei-ei skaphany kata, I know nothing ABOUT that matter. 237. Some prepositions, when they do not govern and stand alone, are adverbs. Iva kyper ka don ar phew pruh pynkiang, The garden is twenty cubits broadways. Ka ing ka la pyddang *//i.) Il'/i'l, 'even/ is used /)><'/**// /'/.-///, cither alone or with nt/i. \\'tul haduli inyuta nth, u'm put ieh noli, KVKN up to the present, lie has not left (it) oil'. (!.) JTinrci, 'but/ /ii/nbaii, ' yet/ 'notwithstanding/ fudnt, ' nevertheless/ are used post-positively sometimes. Nga'rn ji\v la don hangta Itinrfi, ]$rr, I have never been there, or, 1 never was there. This is a mode of giving an emphatic denial or contra- diction. Nga la sngap jar, u sngowsili pan, I kept silent ; he is offended NOTWITHSTANDING. U la ong ba phi'n ym wan; phi la wan j_jn1>an, He told you not to come ; YI;T you have come. 213. 'Both . . . and 'are expressed by bad . . . bad; as, Nyi la ioJt-tk la. u, bud nia-ixja ba.'I i/ni-^/ti, I5oth i and you, saw him. J\f// la titled bi.ii'uh, bd iiifj bad jingbuh, We bought all, both house and furniture. 244. Ba, ''that/ has various functions. (1.) To introduce apposition and object clauses. Ka lon'j I; aba *hisha lit, /"' " I a ijiil(tn. Llii 1>c.t l:nmt<( /iJti'ii- ?>t, As you sow, so must you reap. ' Xot only . . but also ' by i/m innhi } The chief gave me more THAN (he gave) to yon. 1'IIK INll.Ul-X'llO.V 20'.' lia'it in ktine, bha katn, That is butter THAN' this, lit., THAN this good that. lia'it i there, it i> better to stay hero. CHAPTER IX. The Interjections. ^ iM 1 . 1 . 1'itiK/i ilc! is ol'ton nscd lor fl What's the use ! '"' I'lii'n x/tiiii la tuic tt ?uli? luuui j>/i/! "\\ill yen take these oruiigck, '' \\'hat j s the use ! Jclt, ' Let alone ! ' ' Leave it thc-rc- ! ' To tltic'J in kam. ka jaiu alii tijiujku. L.-lt .' Buy this (.loth (i'or) a rupCH'. JSo, leave- it there. ERRATA. Page ~>, liue -, aitii' 'and Page (!, liue 2, /-/ *ft LONDON : pi;iNTi-: IIY GILUKKT AMI KIVINC i ON, I.D., ir. .IOIIN'- novsi:, ( LI:HKI .NWI.LL i;o.vu. i:.c. L 005 489 946 3 AA 000021850 3