508 BURMA, ITS PEOPLE AND PRODUCTIONS. 



possible, from the viiriuhle and inconstant practice of English spelling and pronuncia- 

 tion, to tell, where the word is not known or familiar, what is the pronunciation 

 intended. The name ' Tenasserini ' may be instanced as a case in point, how verna- 

 cular names become metamorphosed when transliterated or otherwise rendered into 

 English by men unacquainted with Burmese, as the familiar ' Tenasserim ' is no 

 other, properly speaking, than ' Ta-myen-tha-ra-kyen,' or Ta-nen-tha-ri-kyeing, a 

 species of calamus common in that Province. Many of the names, therefore, are 

 open to correction, and the list is merely given for what it is worth, and invites 

 correction from those in a position to do so. 



I have intentionally eschewed the solecism (which so mars the appearance of the 

 British Burma Gazetteer) of spelling Burmese words with an " r " in place of a "y," 

 though the inability of the Burmese to pronounce the letter ' r ' is well known, 

 and is a veritable ' shihhuhth ' to the people of Burma (exclusive of Arakan), as it is 

 with the Chinese. However convinced scholars may bo that the Burmese should 

 pronounce their ' r's, that letter can find no place in any attempt to reproduce 

 phonetically the language as spoken. 



The following simple rules must be attended to in pronouncing the name in the 

 Roman character : — 



The vowels a, e and o are always short, save where marked as long. The vowels 

 i and u are always long : y stands in place of the short i : g is always hard, and 

 j like a soft y. For example : 



ii in maji as a in ffmorica. i y in thyt as y in syncope or 



a ,, nga ,, a ,, father. \ i in s/n. 



e ,, hnet ,, e ,, net. 1 o ,, tor ,, o ,, pot. 



e ,, ye j. '^ !> s^me. u ,, bok ,, o ,, pope. 



i ,, mijoung ,, / ,, p;'ano. j u ,, lu ,, u ,, supreme. 



The following words being in frequent use in composition, arc given together 

 with their signification. 



Ben or Byn, a tree. Khyoung. a stream, ^[youk, a monkey. Shor, slide. 



Bo, male'. Kyoung, a cat, Kga, fish. Thyt, wood. 



Ma, female. Kha-u,"a shell. Ngo, a cry. Tanyot, sugar. 



Hma, hard. Khwe, a dog. Ngu, a green pigeon. Tor, wild. 



Goung, head. Kyu-weh, a buffalo. Nadoung, an earring. Toung, hill. 



Gale, small. Kyan, a rliinoeeros. Nyo, blue. Thwe, blood. 



Gyi, large. Eyan, sugar-cane. Ni, red. Thamen, the Panolia. 



Net, black. Kye, a parrot. Nwch, a creeper. Tsek, a goat, 



Hnet, a bird. Kyet, a hen. Pyn or byn, a tree, -^r- j yellow, or a 



Hpyu, white. Kyouk, a stone. Pok or b5k, stinking. '' ( bamboo. 



Hpa, a frog. LCk or ) . Pyn-leh, sea. Wet, a hog, 



Hsyn, an elephant. Leik, j ^ to"oise. p^,-^^ ^^ ^^.^^ q^^^^_ -^y-^^^ ^ ^^,,jj._ 



Jio, a dove. Lu, a man, Seng, green, Yo, a bone. 



Kya, a tiger. Mye, earth. Sa, food. Ye, water. 



Khoung, hollow. Mywe, a snake. Shwe, gold. 



A-pyaik-net Schorl Black tourmaline. 



Aw-yaw Graculus Cormorant. 



Ba-siiu-nga Alosa toll Malay shad. 



Bok Ccntiopus intermedium . Crow-pheasant. 



Bahan-kyouk Iron pyrites. 



Bong-ma-di Citrpophaya Fruit pigeon. 



Bu-yit Dolium Tun shell. 



By-aing Ardea Heron. 



By-aing-hpyu Ilerodias Egret, or white paddy bird. 



By-aing-ouk Ardeola Grayi .... Brown paddy bird. 



Clui Tcrmes White ant. 



Clia-bo Uimex lectularim . . . Bed bug. 



Chyn, or Khycn Mosquito. 



