1849.] valley of Asam and its mountain confines. 197 



Abl. Chyim-la, from a house. Chyim-nam-la, from houses. 



Ace. Chyim, house. Chyim-nam, houses. 



Instr. Chyim-gyi, with or by a Chyim-nam-gyi, with or by houses. 



house. 

 Loc. Chyim-du, or Chyim-la, in Chyim-nam-due, or Chyim-nam-la, 



a house. in houses. 



Of Adjectives. 



Adjectives generally stand after the nouns they serve to qualify ; as 

 in Mi ngam, a bad man ; Khang zang, a good house. Lung nag, a black 

 valley. They are sometimes used before the noun, but in the latter 

 case have the definite particle in the genitive form annexed ; as in 

 Zang mi, a good man, or Zang poi mi. 



When an adjective is used substantively, so as to denote the abstract 

 quality, it takes after it the particle, Nying. Thus, Nag, black, Nag- 

 po, the black; Nag po-nying, blackness. Sla, easy, or Sla-po ; and Sla- 

 po-nying, easiness. 



Adjectives are formed from substantives by the addition of the geni- 

 tive sign. Siring, wood ; Shing-gi, wooden. Ser, gold ; Ser-gyi, golden. 

 Mi, man ; Miyi, human. 



Negative adjectives are formed by the addition of med, ma, mi, mida, 

 mi-mang, ya, &c. Thus, Nor, wealth ; Nor-med, destitute of wealth. 

 Tha-ya, without end. Tshul-med, irregular. Mi-rung-po, inconve- 

 nient. Ma-min-po, unripe. 



Comparison is expressed by prefixing the words je, more, and rab, 

 most, to the adjective ; as tho, high ; je-tho, higher ; rab-tho, highest. 

 More commonly however, the terms la, pa, or ba, signifying than or 

 more than, are put after the name of the person or thing to which com- 

 parison is made ; Nga-pa-khyod-che, Those art greater than I. Di-la- 

 de-zang, That is better than this. The superlative, or a comparison 

 with totality, is expressed by tham-chad-la, or kun-la, than all. De 

 kun-la che-o, or tham chad-la che-o ; that is greater than all, or that is 

 the greatest. 



The numeral system, of the Bhotias, consisting of decades, is exceed- 

 ingly simple. The cardinal numbers are as follows : — 



1. Chi. 4. Zi. 



2. Nyi. 5. Nga. 



3. Sum. 6. Tu. 



