230 BIG-GAME SHOOTING IN UPPER BURMA 



Tree, thipin 



Teak tree, chun-bin 



True, hman de" (lit. hit it or 



struck) 

 Twice, na-ka 



To understand, na lay de 

 Very, Emitan 

 Was, is, shee de 

 To wait, na-d6 

 To want, desire, Lo-gyin de 

 Wasp, yim-beea 

 Water, yay 

 Wet, so dd 

 What? ba . . . le 

 When, Thaw aka 



When ? bay daw ... lay 

 Where? bemalay 

 Where to ? bay-go-lay 

 Where from ? bay-ga-lay 

 Who ? bay thoo lay 

 Why, ba-pi-lo 

 Wood (firewood), tin 

 Wood [jungle), taw 

 Wounded, hit, hman bi 

 Year, hnit 

 This year, dee hnit 

 Yes, hokt6 



Yesterday, ma-nay-ga 

 You, your, min 



NOTES 



' La ' and ' 16 ' correspond to our interrogative (?). Generally 

 speaking, ' la ' is used when the answer yes or no is desired, 

 ' le ' at other times. 



Ex. — Is this the road ? dee Ian la. 



How far is it? belouk way de le. 



' Yin ' (if) and aka (when, at the time of) always follow the 

 sentence they qualify. 



Ex. — If we find fresh tracks cheea athit twe yin. 



(tracks) (fresh) (find) (if) 

 When I shoot thenat pylt aka,. 



(gun) (shoot) (when) 



In Burmese the answer yes (hok-te) or no (ma-hok-boo) is 

 never given, but the sentence is always repeated. 



Ex. — Are these tracks fresh? dee cheea athit la. 

 Ans. — Yes. athit shee de (they are fresh). 



' Ma . . . boo ' (not) has the verb in the middle. 



Ex. — I don't want to go ma thwa. gyin boo. 



(go) (want) 



