320 Languages of the various tribes inhabiting the [Aprix^ 



A Singpho noun admits of no change to indicate the plural number. 

 Except where the noun itself expresses a plural idea, a numeral adjec- 

 tive is usually added. 



Nor are there any traces of a distinction of gender by the use of 

 terminal affixes. Yet the language is not entirely destitute of substan- 

 tives descriptive of the gender. In the case of human beings gender is 

 usually distinguished by distinct terms : as in 



Singpho, man. Numsya, woman. 



Wa, father. Nu, mother. 



Mang, boy. Siw), girl. 



In the case of the inferior animals, the words Lasa, male, and Num- 

 sa, female, are added to the specific terms. 

 Of Adjectives. 

 The position of an adjective in a sentence is invariably after the noun 

 it serves to qualify. 



Ncin punglum khou, pour (in) hot water. 

 Singpho kunkhan galoui-mung nsu-a. 

 An idle man never can be rich. 

 As the language rejects terminations of every kind, it of course has 

 none to mark the degrees of comparison. Comparisons are therefore 

 made by particles expressive of number or quantity. 

 Ngai sindi baha, I am very weary. 

 Ndai latai graudai, This is the greatest of all. 

 Numerals. 

 The Singpho numerals are — 



1. Aima. 3. Masvim. 5. Manga. 7. Sinit. 9. Cekhu. 



2. Nkhong. 4. Meli. 6. Kru. 8. Macat. 10. Si. 

 After which the ordinals are repeated and compounded. 



11. Si-ai. 100. Lat-ca. 



12. Si-nkhong. 200. Ni-ca. 



13. Si-masum, &c. 300. Masum-ca. 



20. Khun. 400. Meli-ca. 



21. Khun-aL 500. Manga-ca. 



22. Khun-nkhong, &c. 600. Kru-ca. 

 30. Tumsi. 700. Sinit-ca. 

 40. Meli-si. 800. Macat-ca. 

 50. Manga-si. 900. Cekhu-ca. 

 60. Krusi. 1000. Hing. 

 70. Sinit-si. 10,000. Mun. 

 80. Macat-si. 100,000. Sen. 



90. Cekhu-si. 



