444 SYSTEMS OF CONSANGUINITY AND AFFINITY 



a special notation for the Karen schedule filled by him, with appropriate characters 

 to indicate the high, low, and middle sounds of the vowels, but it was deemed 

 advisable to reduce it to the notation adopted in the schedule, for the sake of 

 uniformity. 



It is now proposed to take up the Karen system of relationship, and pass through 

 the several lines for the purpose of comparing it with other forms. 



The lineal line in the descending series is distinguished, as to its members, in much 

 the same manner as the Burmese. The whole series, beginning with grandfather, 

 and ending with great-great-grandchild, is as follows : j^hu, jjci, ijlio, le, Id, and la. 



" 2. Additional Letters. 



6, as o in note. au and oy, as pronounced in English. 



n, as pronounced on the continent. LIi, like the German ch, or the Scotch in 



eit, " " " loch. 



eij as pronounced in German. gh, like the Northumberland r. 



" 3. Terms of Consatiguinitij. 

 " The only independent terms which distinguish diiTerence of sex are 



Father, Pa. Mother, Mo. Son-in-law, Ma. 



Grandfather, Phii. Grandmother, Phze. Daughter-in-law, Day. 



Uncle, Fhii-tie. Aunt, Mu-g/ia. 



The other primitive terras are 



Pho, a child, male or female. Way, an elder brother or sister. 



hie, a grandchild, male or female. Pu, a younger brother or sister. 



Lo, a great-grandchild, male or female. Mue-pgha, a father or .mother-in-law. ■ 



Lii, a great-great-grandchild, male or female. Ta-khwa, or Dan-ta-khwa, cousin. 



" Cousins are distinguished, as first, second, third, as in English. 



"Words of common gender are made masculine or feminine by affixes. Po-khwa, or khwa, mascu- 

 line ; po-niu, or mu, feminine. Dan denotes relationship, and is prefi.\ed to some of the compound 

 terms. For instance, as in the Indian languages, there are independent words for elder brother and 

 younger brother, but none for brother or sister; so the words for elder and younger are inverted, 

 da'n prefi.xed, and the compound is used for brother or sister. Thus, way, elder brother or sister, 

 becomes dan-pu-way, a brother or sister younger or older. 



" 4. Karen Tribes. 



" The Karens are broken np into many tribes, but nothing like the tribal organization of the Ame- 

 ricafi Indians is known among them. The names of some of the principal tribes are 



Sgnu. Mop-gha. Sho. Ka, or Kay. 



Pa-ku. Klm-hxa. Bghai. Hash-wie. 



" It is remarkable that no satisfactory signification of any one of these names can be given. 



" 5. Marriage Customs. 



" In the matter of marriages the rule among the Karens is diametrically opposite to that among 

 the American Indians. Marriages must always, among the Karens, be contracted by relations. First 

 cousins marry, but that is deemed undesirably near. Second cousins are considered the most suit- 

 able matches, but third cousins may marry without impropriety, though that is considered undesir- 

 ably remote. Beyond third cousins marriages are forbidden. 



" The.se rules are not carried out very strictly, but sufficiently so to produce a \veakl3' people, 

 owing to the intermarriages of near relations." 



