Part 15

Mòn-Recho-atum theràk-lo ingringlo: mòn-duk mòn-sa hèm Mon-Raja's people were ashamed, were disgusted: grieved and sorry home

chevoi-lo. Ànsi H. K. pèn Bari-the-Recho asopi they returned. Then (of) H. K. and great palace King's daughter

pàngri-lo pàngdòn-lo. they celebrated the wedding.

Ànsi ningkàn-isi ningkàn-hini do-dun-si tiki-lo So year-one year-two living with them he laboured in the fields

inghoi-lo, ànsi puru-krehini phàndar-krehini lòng-lo. Ànsi H. K. and worked, and granaries-twelve barns-twelve got. Then H. K.

apeso aphàn chipulo: "Ai nàng pi! ili-ta vo-phri asòn his wife-to said privately: "O my dear! we two also sparrows-like

vo-thung asòn e-tar àn-ke do, e-thòn an-ke do; doves-like a nest at least have, a roosting-place at least have;

apòtke chedàm-po-nàng: ònghai pèn anihai therefore let us go away together: father-in-law and mother-in-law

arju-nòn." Ànsi aningve H. K. apeso ape apo ask." So that night H. K.'s wife her mother her father

cherjulo: "Ai pe pèn po! nàngli osa kepu-ke: asked privately: "O mother and father! your son-in-law says:

'ili-ta vo-phri asòn vo-thung-asòn e-tar ànke do, 'we two also sparrows-like doves-like a nest at least have,

e-thòn ànke do: ònghai pèn anihai a roosting-place at least have: father-in-law and mother-in-law

arju-nòn: chedam po-nàng'-- pusi pu: Nàngtum kopi abida-si ask: let us go away together'-- so he says: Ye what order

ne phar-dun-po-ma?" Ànsi Bari-the-Recho pulo-- "Che pe! me will command?" Then palace-great-King said-- "O daughter!

lo-thui asòn hànthui asòn eboi-si nàng a bundle of greens like, a bundle of vegetables like, once for all you

chochòk-palar chothèng-palar tàng-dèt-lo-le-ma. Minàp-le given away, or in exchange (doublet) completely I have. On the morrow

dàm-tha chidun, mini-le dàm-tha chidun." Ànsi apo pu-thu-lo: go away together, to-day go away together." Then her father said again:

"Kopisi nàngtum kari-ma? bàn-ma? sòt-ma? armo-ma? "What do you desire of me? male slaves? female slaves? ryots?

òkso-ma? ser-ma? rup-ma?" Ànsi H. K. che-thàn-dàm lo: "Ai nàngpo! husbandmen? gold? silver?" So H. K. she went and told: "O my dear!

ne-pe pèn ne-po kepu-ke-- 'mini-le dàm-tha minàp-le my mother and my father say-- 'this very day go away to-morrow

dàm-tha chi-dun-ta-me; aphuthàk, bàn-ma? sòt-ma? armo-ma? go away together if you like; moreover, slaves? handmaids? ryots?

òkso-ma? ser-ma? rup-ma? Kopisi nàngtum kari-ma?' pusi pu." Ànsi cultivators? gold? silver? What do you desire?' they say." Then

H. K. pulo: "Thàngta nàngne." Ànsi adàplo. Ànsi H. K. H. K. said: "Anything I need not." So it became morning. Then H. K.

anipi pèn ahupo ardòm-lo ardi-lo. his mother-in-law and his father-in-law saluted respectfully (doublet).

Ànsi ahupo pulo: "Kopisi nangli kari-ma? bàn-ma, sòt-ma, And his father-in-law said: "What do you desire? slaves, handmaids,

armo-ma, òkso-ma, ser-ma, rup-ma?" Ànsi H. K. pulo "Thàngta nàngne." ryots, cultivators, gold, silver?" Then H. K. said "I need nothing."

Ànsi H. K. atum pèngnànso tàngte asopo So H. K. and his wife the wedded pair and also their son

hèm chedàm-lo ànsi hèm chile-lo. Recho cholo kethe started for home and arrived there. A king he became, a great one

cholo, jo-arni me, jo-arni the, ànsi he became, night and day he was happy, night and day he was great, and

arecho akethe thirlo. his kingdom was great and stable.

NOTES.

This story is a much more elaborate piece of composition than the last, and may be said to exhibit distinct marks of literary style. Its vocabulary is copious and varied, and it makes large use of a device which is employed in Mikir, as in Khasi, [42] to give amplitude to the phrase by duplicating the leading words; nearly every important term has its doublet, with the same meaning, following it.

Amehàng-kethèk-pèn-apara: amehàng-kethèk, "to see the face," is equivalent to "being born"; pèn and apara, the latter borrowed from the Assamese para, have the same signification, and the latter is really superfluous. Phàk-lèng, shortened for phàk-belèng, "wild boar"; see the explanation of the term in the notes to No. I, p. 94. Tiki-ke inghoi-he: notice that both verbs are given in the negative form; this is unusual.

Màn, "perquisites"; Assamese loan-word.

Kove, "betel-nut," Khasi kwai, Ass. guwa. Chidhir, "spirit," the doublet of aràk (itself a Hindi loan-word) is perhaps the Khasi kiad-hiar. Notice how, instead of using the ordinal numbers for second, third, fourth, and fifth brothers, the father employs clumsy periphrases to indicate the sequence. Phàndar, "store," Ass. loan-word (bhandar).

A-bàn a-sòt: in this doublet the second member, sòt, properly means "female slave"; a similar use of a word of different meaning as a duplicate term will be found below (p. 129), where a-mèk "his eye" is followed by a-no "his ear," the meaning being "his eyes."

Kado-kave, literally, "being-not-being," a periphrasis for "all of them." Miso, "a black ant," used verecundiæ causâ for rèk, "louse." Notice the idiom pe-ma-pe-lo, where the insertion of ma between the repeated roots indicates the time during which an act is done.

An-tàngte, "and also," literally, "so much not finished." Phere nàng-ne: nàng is the verb of necessity, ne the negative particle: "there is no need for fear." Promàn, "proof," Ass.

Chitu, the plant called in Assamese puroi-sak, Basella lucida; its fruit has a red juice.

Arlèng ki-i, "a sleeping man": observe that arlèng here evidently means a human being in general (see note, p. 4). Àn-cho-mèk-bur: see note, p. 96. Vàng-noi; noi is a variant of nòn, imperative particle. Chir-epàk: "one spear"; notice that the generic class-word for flat things, pàk, is used with chir, a spear, referring of course to the head only.

Da in Da-nàng seems to be a shortened imperative of dàm, to go. Arlu-ra tòk-dàm-nòn: notice how arlu, usually a postposition (= up in), becomes a verb when necessary; similarly, further on, in e-kòr tàngdèt, kòr, "brother," is furnished directly with the suffix for the past tense; e- and i- are used interchangeably for the pronoun of the 1st person plural inclusive; the second is perhaps employed when the vowel-harmony calls for it. Tòng-ràp-chòm: ràp, "to help," is employed as an adverbial supplement to indicate that two persons do the same thing together; chòm is a doublet of ràp. Patèng, paju, words for a second wife.

Bhin kali, bha kali: bhin is Ass. bahin, sister; bha, must be Ass. bhai, brother, but is used as a doublet of bhin.

Notice the energetic reduplication of the negative in plàng-ple-ple-le. Pinso, male, virile, "worthy of being called men."

Kopi tàng-a "what are you saying?" tànga is only used in this way as a question, as tàngho (see above, p. 100) is used in carrying a message, for pu, to say.

Bòr-i-dèt-si "with great difficulty"; bòr-i-bòr-a, "by hook or by crook."

Arlen-thu-ròng, matha-thu-ròng: arlèn is "to aim at," matha "to think about"; thu a particle meaning "again," and ròng one of the affixes indicating the plural. Chiru-rap-jo-si: jo is an affix indicating the plural.

Nàng-bàng-do? "are you there?" lit. "is your body (bàng) present?" Kopi kevàng ma po? po, "father," is used as an endearing word in addressing a son, or as here a grandson (see ante, pp. 99, 101).

Sòk is paddy, rice in the husk; sàng is rice freed from husk and ready for cooking; àn is boiled rice; te, a verb, "to spread out paddy to dry."

"Harlo," a verb, "to turn over" (the spread-out paddy); rèng, a verb, of the spread-out paddy, "to become dry"; oi, a verb, "to collect into a heap" the dried paddy. Làng-thàk nàng-dàm-si nàng-làng-dàm-ji-làng: in this sentence the word làng, which occurs thrice, has three different significations: the first làng is a noun, "water, river"; the second is a verb, "to see, look at"; the third làng is an auxiliary verb, "to continue doing, or being," used here pleonastically.

Ser, rup, "gold, silver," see note, p. 111, ante. Notice the rare form nèng for ne, "I"; nasals seem occasionally to be added or dropped at will at the end of words: e.g. da and dàm, "go"; òng and o, "much, many"; la and làng, auxiliary verb. Komàt-ching-a-lànghe ne: ching is a particle strengthening the interrogative komàt,--"who-ever?" lànghe, a ghat or watering place: ne the interrogative particle borrowed from Assamese, = ma in Mikir.

Bari-the Recho, "king of the Great Palace"; bari, "a large house," loan-word from Assamese: the, "great."

Nàng-klo-èt-jo "there they descended beautifully"; klo, "to fall or sink down from a height"; èt a syllable indicating beauty or charm; Mr. Stack notes that it is perhaps connected with the word ètpi, "yellow, golden"; it is also used as an affectionate form of address in èt-mar-li, "my dears!" jo, plural affix. Kàn, a ceremonious word for clothes; the ordinary expression is pe or ri. Sun-phit: phit means "all at once," "suddenly." Tur, "the brightness, splendour" (of the moon and sun).

The syllable jin in arni ingsàm-jin-lo indicates the day gradually drawing on to evening. Apòr-lo: notice the verbal affix -lo appended to the noun pòr, "time." Bèng, "to house animals for the night." Hijir, "to shake out," as a bird its wings before starting to fly.

Phlum-phlum, onomatopoetic adverb imitating the sound of flapping; i, "to put on one's clothes": a-ri kachi-i, "he is putting on his dhoti"; pini kachi-i, "she is putting on her petticoat"; in this sense the verb i takes lòk as its constant adverbial supplement: when it means "to lie down," "to sleep," it takes lòt. Observe how the distributive force of the sentence is expressed by repeating the whole phrase. Angphun chepekèk-koi "he made his neck (ingphun) crooked (kèk-dàng or kèk-juk)"; koi, a particle meaning "completely, altogether." Èn "take," and kim, "build," both mean "to marry"; the latter implies the building of a separate house for the newly wedded couple, or perhaps the wedding bower.

Arlèng-aso: notice that here the word arlèng evidently means a human being, opposed to arnàm-aso, the child of a divine person. Pàn, "to cut down and clear the jungle for cultivation." Làng-ding "continue to watch": ding a particle of continuance (cf. keding, tall, long). Pàn-dèt pi-dèt; here pi has the sense of "to cut down" (a tree, or something thick): so also thi. Màm, "the jungle." Further on, in thi-ròk-re, thi means "to lie": Pisi dàk-le kethi-ròk-ma? "why are you lying here?" ròk is an adverbial supplement.

Arche is used of sowing or planting many things together, as here: to sow or plant only one thing is e: thèngthe ke-e, "he is sowing maize"; sòk ke-rik, "he is sowing rice broad-cast"; sòk ke-e, "he is transplanting rice." Mir-phèk-e: mir, "flower," phèk-e, "rice-husks": "a flower that grows out of heaps of rice-husks; has a long narrow leaf and a flower which is red and white mixed" (Stack); tado, "a kind of white lily or arum with a yellow style" (id.). Keme-thèk-the-òng puke: "so (puke) beautiful (keme) excessively (òng) as never was seen (thèk-the)." Vàng-phlòt: phlòt: a particle indicating suddenness. Teràn, an individual plot, as distinguished from the rit or general field. E-kòrpo H. K. ateràn-le-ma: kòrpo, "cousin (mother's brother's son)," also indicates the relationship between a woman and her sister's husband; here of course it is used in the latter sense, proleptically; it is characteristic of this story-teller that he discloses the dénouement of his tale well in advance. Notice the idiom -le -ma, "it must be," an indirect question = "is it not?"

Pòngsi, Ass. bansi, "a flute," made of a piece of bamboo; èt, to bore a hole. Che-èt-o "he (cut and) bored holes in a number of flutes"; o seems to be a shortened form of òng, many: hem kim-o, "they built a number of huts"; ne vo nàm-o-lo, "I have bought a lot of fowls."

Ju-me-òng, "it is very good to hear": ju is shortened from arju: the prefix ar- is separable in this word and in arni, "day, sun," arlòng "stone," and several other words, which appear in composition as ni and lòng, etc.; it seems probable that it is connected with the Tibetan prefix r-, to which the Mikir relative particle, a-, has been prefixed. Notice nitum for netum, possibly by vowel-harmony with the following words mir and chilòk. Chilòk-pòn ningke-ma: observe that this phrase stands both for the request and its answer--ningke, "willing"; ning, "mind";--ma is thus not only the interrogative particle, but also indicates its corresponding affirmative reply. A-mèk, a-no, "eyes and ears" = eyes only. Mini, menàp (minàp), alternative terms for pini, penàp, "to-day, to-morrow."

Do-àngse-lo = do-koi-lo, "have all got."

Mòn Recho, probably shortened for Tomòn-Recho; tomòn, "wind." Rai-dun, special verb for "to ask in marriage." Bòng, "gourd for holding beer"; te, doublet. Thàk, "to weave." Thàn chèk, "to explain"; chèk strengthens verbs for imparting information. Aning aròng kedo: ròng, "delight," Ass. loan-word.

Notice again amèk ano for "eyes" only.

Tòk, a verb with the general meaning "to thrust, poke"; used already above (p. 116) for thrusting with a spear; here for pounding the rice with a long pestle (lèngpum) in the mortar (lòng); another sense is "to write" ("to poke with a pen"). Sèt, "to give the half-cleaned rice a second pounding." Dàng, "to serve up the cooked food." Be "to heat the fermented rice"; sòr, "to press out the beer" from the grains, mixed with warm water, which have been put in the conical strainer of woven bamboo, si, by pressing down upon them a gourd, bòng.

Rèp seems to be a variant of ràp (explained above, p. 118), and indicates that all of them have been married together. Chàn-jai, "to have several children."

Pangri-re-dèt-làng-le-ma; here again two verbs each have the negative affix, pàngri and làng, the latter an auxiliary signifying "to continue to be." Pàngri in the sense "to marry," is the causal of ingri, "to drink copiously of liquor"; the description of the marriage ceremony at p. 18 shows the important part which is taken in it by alcoholic drinks. Ingting-po, "it will be dark": observe the impersonal use of the verb, without a substantive: we may say ajo kàngting-par, "the night is very dark."

Nàng-làng-phròng-si-do-po; phròng is one of the particles used to indicate plurality: "they will all be looking out for (làng) us there (nàng)." Bòm, one of the verbs indicating continuance may be rendered "from time to time."

A-ri su-ri-tha, a-kèng su-ri-tha: this injunction not to touch the hand or foot of the fairy princess has different parallels in other lands; in the Celebes version referred to on p. 72 it is the hair that is not to be touched. Pe-re, causal of re, "to be knowing, clever." Ur, a platform or screen for drying flesh in the sun; ràp includes also a shelf in the house.

Krèng, to be dry, bears the same relation to rèng, dry (ante, p. 122), as klàng (p. 99), to perceive, does to làng, to look at; in both the prefix ke- has apparently been incorporated in the root.

Chedàm-ta-me "You can go if you like": observe the force of me, "well, good." Che-me-me-làng: the verb me here seems to be the Assamese mel, "agreement," not the Mikir word for "good." Observe the idiomatic expression ningkàn isi-lo-le-ma thi, in answer to an objection: so one says, in reply to a request for payment, ne nàng pi-tàng-dèt-lo-le-ma-thi "but I have paid you already!" Observe that in nàng che-me-me-la the last syllable = làng without its nasal. Aso Arnàm pi-lo, "God gave a child": possibly this phrase is due to the narrator, who it will be remembered was a Christian. Ti, a particle = "not yet reconciled." De, a particle of asseveration, "indeed," probably the Assamese dei.

Hèt, a particle used with verbs meaning to tie, bind, in the sense of "firmly, securely." Dut, a particle used with verbs of scratching or cutting. Tòng, a particle indicating hurry or haste. Emoke, "in a little time": mo, "space or interval of time," e-, particle of unity, as in e-jòn, e-bèng. Pulèm, "to say in joke": pu, "say," lèm, "seem, pretend." Pràn, Assamese. Pu-pa-na, "don't have to say": na, Assamese. Nàng-ta-me, ne-ta-me, idiomatic, "it will be well with you or it will be well with me," i.e. "either you or I will come off the better." Dohai, "an oath"; probably the Assamese dohai, "call for justice": seme (the Khasi smai) is also used.

Bòp, to shoot a bird or animal; àp, to let off a bow or gun.

Dòk-dòk, particles used to indicate that an event has nearly happened (with ji, future affix). To, imperative particle borrowed from Khasi, and prefixed, as in that language.

Pai-a-re "beside the hedge (pai)" = pai-a-kung. Cho-phi; the Mikirs scorch (phi) every bird or animal before preparing it for cooking. Chònghoi, reflexive form of inghoi, "to do," = "to do by themselves." A-ri-e-hòng: hòng is the generic class-word for a limb (see ante, p. 79). Ingthàn, "to cut up fish or flesh, whether raw or cooked." Chingnèk reflexive of ingnèk, to laugh, "laughing together." Chingni, reflexive of ingni, doublet of ingnèk; the verb also means "to sit."

Puthòt-adàp-lo; puthòt, "next": cf. le-thòt in adàk-vàm a-dun-lethòt on p. 114 above; the time-affix -lo is joined directly to adàp, "morning."

A-ràt, a-dèt, both Assamese loan-words; ràt is raiyat, "ryots," dèt, deh, "country." Chethòr-pre, vàng-pre, are both used for "continually coming and going, of many people"; the former expression indicates greater numbers and frequency than the latter. Pòng-ting, "a gold drum, worn on the breast, strung in the middle of a set of strings on which black, coral, and gold beads are arranged in alternate rows six deep" (Stack); in Assamese madoli. Ni, nèng, te, pinu: see the table of terms of relationship on p. 20. Apar-ta-so-se-làng: this sentence appears to be made up thus: apar, "greatly, much," ta, corroborative particle: so, diminutive particle, negatived by se, làng, auxiliary verb, "continue"; the force of it, then, would be--"the effect would not be only the poor result you see, fine though that is, but ever so much more!"

Konàt-tòng = konàt-ching, "wherever?" Kopi-athe = kopi-apòt.

Pai-pe-lo: this idiom is illustrated by the following phrases: klèm-dàm pai-pe-lo, "he is not working gratis, for nothing"; là aklèng pai-pe-lo, "he is not the elder for nothing"; i.e. he can do better than his younger brothers. Ingjar-èt-dàn-lo: the element dàn gives the force of returning to her own place whence she came. Jo, verb, "to bend a bow," ràng, particle of continuance. Tha, "wait!" Assamese loan-word. Pho, verb, "to touch, arrive at," as a boat comes to the shore with chi, "to touch one another, to meet" (see p. 112, lines 1 and 2).

Akhi-lo-du; akhi, "something to eat," lo, "leaf," du, "wrap up," = "so much food as can be wrapped up in a leaf," a morsel.

E-joi, "one draught"; joi is perhaps Ass. jol, "water." O, verb, "to leave, set down."

Mòn Recho-atum; notice that here tum has its original sense of "company"; "Mòn Raja's company, or following."

Pu-hur-lo: hur is one of the particles indicating plurality.

Ne dun-ik-nòn: ik, "elder brother," used as a respectful form of address; observe its place in the compound imperative. Matha-thuròng, lit. "you had another (thu) meaning" (viz. to make me lose my life). Notice how -si, the mark of the conjunctive participle, is affixed to the reported utterance of H. K. Cherbàk = che-arbàk; arbàk, the lap or bosom; also a verb: oso karbàk, "she holds the child to her bosom." Kràp is said to be used only of a child climbing up into its mother's lap.

Ingring, used as homonym of theràk, "to be ashamed," also means "to be afraid, disturbed in mind."

Cherju-lo = che-arju-lo. Phar, "to order"; nàng ne kephar aling-lo, "as you order me"; ne phar-dun peme-sèn-lo, "I gave him careful instructions." Bida = Ass. bidai, "leave to depart."

Che pe; notice that pe, "mother," is used as an affectionate term of address to a daughter, exactly as po, "father," is used above to a son or grandson. Lo-thui-hàn-thui, "a bundle of vegetables, with a leaf wrapped round it." Chòk and thèng mean literally "to beat," but are here jocularly used for getting rid of a person. Palar causal of lar, "to be changed or exchanged," also apparently used jocularly of giving in marriage.

H. K.-atum: notice the plural affix used to indicate H. K. and his wife. Cho-lo, "he became"; this seems to be a different verb from cho, "to eat." Notice a-recho "his kingship"; recho stands for raj as well as raja. Thir, Ass. thir, "steady, stable."

ADDITIONAL NOTES.

Divisions of time. On p. 95, note, the divisions of the day are given. To these may be added those of the year, as recorded by Mr. Stack. A year is ning-kàn (cf. Lushei kum, Shö kun, "year," and Lushei ni-kum, Thado ningkum, Shö yan-kun, "last year"). A month is Chiklo, "moon"; but the Assamese months, which are solar divisions of the year, not lunations, appear to be followed. The days of the month are not generally counted, and there is said to be no week. (This is borne out by S. P. Kay's English-Mikir vocabulary, which gives hopta, the Hindustani hafta, as the word for "week," with ni-thròksi, "seven days," as an alternative. In the Mikir Primer published by the American Baptist missionaries in 1903, however, rui is said (p. 21) to be the word for "week.")

Kechung-apòr (chung, to be cold) is the cold season. Ning-krèng (krèng, to be dry) is the dry portion of winter. Chung-phàng-òk (chung, cold; phàng-òk, hot), is the spring, merging into summer. Barla is the rainy season, followed by Chung-jir-jir ("becoming cold by degrees") autumn. The following are the names of the months, with the corresponding Assamese names, as set down by Mr. Stack:--

Literary form. As pronounced in Assam. Mikir names.

Chaitra Soit Thàngthàng Vaisakha Boihag There Jyeshtha Jeth Jàngmi Ashadha Ahar Aru Sravana Srabon Vosik Bhadra Bhadur Jakhòng Aswini Ahin Paipai Kartika Karti Chiti Margasirsa Marg Phre Paushya Poh Phaikuni Magha Magh Matijòng Phalguni Phagun Arkoi

According to the Mikir Primer, however, the Mikir names (which agree with those given by Mr. Stack) correspond with periods earlier by at least a month, Thàngthàng being the equivalent of February, instead of Chaitra (which begins at the vernal equinox), and the other months in ordinary sequence (There, March, Jàngmi, April, etc.). Thàngthàng is said by Mr. Stack to be called Chànglachòng-ròng-do, "the stay-at-home month." There is the month in which the jungle is cut and strewn to dry (this would agree well with the equivalent of the Primer, rather than with Boihag, April-May, when the firing would take place). Vosik ("sprout") should indicate the month of vigorous growth, when the rains have set in. Phaikuni seems to be borrowed from the Sanskrit Phalguni, but does not correspond with it. The other names are not explained.