OF THE INDO-CHINESE NATIONS. *225 



cases, nor flections, in its nouns; nor conjugations, 

 moods, tenses, or persons, in its verbs. Many words have 

 asubstantive, adjective, or verbal signification, accord- 

 ing to their position in a sentence; but in general, 

 the names of objects, quaHties, and actions, are 

 sufficiently distinct from each other. The plurals of 

 nouns are formed by numerals, or words expressive 

 of plurality, as lii, a man ; lu-sung-iYiwk, three men ; 

 lu-akiuig, many 7nen ; lu akiing-liing, all men ; mimma, 

 a woman ; m'lmma akung-su, many women. Compa- 

 risons are made by particles expressive of number or 

 quantity, such as my a, or mret-te, much; akrk and 

 hlare, very ; pret, less, U77de7^ ; akwig, many. Cases 

 are expressed by particles equivalent to the prepo- 

 sitions or postpositions of other languages, or by 

 juxta-position, Arhich has often the force of the 

 genitive in the Rukheng languiige. Thus, a man's 

 hand, may be expiessed indifferently by lii-ldk, lii- 

 lima-lak, or lu-chwd-lak . 



The simple pronouns are nga, I, ko, or mong, thou, 

 and yang-su, he ; the plurals of which are foi'med by 

 the addition of ro, 2i^nga-ro, we ; moiig-ro, ye ; yang- 

 sa-ro, they. But in addition to these simple pronouns, 

 there are various others, which indicate rank and 

 situation, as in Malayn, Chinese, and the monosyllabic 

 languages in general, which have all of them paid 

 peculiar attention to the language of ceremony, in 

 addressing superiors, inferiors, and equals. These 

 ceremonial forms in Rukheng are sometimes formed 

 by particles added to the simple pronouns, and some- 

 times they are significant terms, such as servant, 

 lord, highness, majesty, used pronominally, or rather 

 in an absolute sense, without any expressed pro- 

 nominal adjuncts; as in addressing a superior, when 



