78 A Note on some Hill Tribes, %c. [No. 169. 



Burman. Khumi. English. 



the an- mai f mai " fire" a musket 

 thenaW gel of pauk \pauk "tube" 



{" the an 

 gel of 

 death" 



bhayhneet aye re how many 



htameng bok dinner 



The Bengali terms given in the first part of the above are those of 

 the dialect of Chittagong. With reference to the Khumi and Kydu, 

 there are some that are interesting, as presenting instances for that pre- 

 dilection to onomatopseia so characteristic of archaic dialects. The first 

 we will notice is the term taivo, a sound which may be heard echoing 

 through the still forest, and emitted by many of its winged denizens. 

 The next oak, and w'-d, especially the first, admirably represent 

 " a crow." The term ui "a dog" is uttered with a strong and sudden 

 intonation on the first syllable ; it is a sound constantly in their mouths 

 employed to frighten those animals from their never- varying occupation 

 of pulling every thing about in search of food. It is probable also that 

 the Burman term khwe, had the same origin. The terms m'-e " any 

 thing of the goat species," and auk " a hog," mi-yaung " a cat," are like- 

 wise instances of the same kind. It will be remarked, that in the Khumi 

 dialect the term for •' Sun" enters into composition for that of 

 " God ;" as also that in Burmese, Khumi, and Kydu, the term for "Sun" 

 conveys also the idea of " day," in contradistinction to " night." 



