208 Languages of the various tribes inhabiting the [March, 



cals, so as to prove that an essential affinity existed in their primitive 

 structure, thus affording historical evidence of such a nature as it is 

 impossible for either accident or design to have falsified. 



The Garos make use of no written characters ; and if they at anv 

 prior period had adopted the alphabetic symbols of the Bhotias, it is 

 highly probable that their subsequent removal from all contact with 

 them, together with all the hardships to which an emigrating tribe 

 must naturally be subjected, have obliterated all traces of it. 



Of Nouns. 

 Garo nouns have two numbers. The Plural is formed by the addi- 

 tion of the word rang, signifying all. To this form, in declension, the 

 signs of the cases are affixed as in the singular number. 



The following are the affixes used in the formation of Cases : — 



Nominative, . 



Genitive, ni. Accusative, kho. 



Dative, na. Instrumental, chi. 



Ablative, nikho. Locative, 6. 



According to the above scheme, the noun Nok, a house y may be thus 

 declined : — 



Singular. Plural. 



Nom. Nok, a house. Nom. Nok-rang, houses. 



Gen. Nokni, of a house. Gen. Nok-rangni, of houses. 



Dat. Nokna, to a house. Dat. Nok-rangna, to houses. 



Abl. Noknikho, from a house. Abl. Nbk-Y&ng-mkh6,fromhoiises. 

 Ace. Nokkho, house. Ace. Nok-rang-kho, houses. 



Instr. N(5k-chi, with or by a Instr. Ndk-rang-chi, with or by 



house. houses. 



Loc. Nokd, in a house. Loc. Nok-rangd, in houses. 



Gender. In this language, as in most others, the names of the most 

 common male and female objects in nature, are applied absolutely and 

 without any relation to one another. 



Examples. 

 Masculine. Feminine. 



Mande, a man. Mechik, a woman. 



Ada, elder brother. Abi, elder sister. 



Nono, younger brother. Ano, younger sister. 



Apha, father. Ama, mother. 



