1849.] valley of Asam and its mountain confines. 325 



San-nang lam-6, Put it in the sun. 

 Jd-nang Kien-d, Fill it ivith water. 

 The particles Ma and Pa are frequently used as affixes to nouns 

 singular, but they seem to be merely euphonic, and have no definite 

 signification attached to them. 



The particle He, is employed in the same manner, but only in cases 

 where plurality is implied. It is, however, often omitted ; and then 

 the plural number is distinguished by the collective or plural idea 

 expressed by the noun, or by the addition of a numeral adjective. 



The difference of gender in individuals of the human family is denoted 

 by distinct terms ; in the case of all other animals, the appellatives 

 Pong, male, and Nyong, female, are added to the noun. 



Masculine. Feminine. 



Mi-nyan, man. Dehiek, woman. 



Dela, husband. Tang-ngyu, wife. 



Va, father. I'ng-yong, mother. 



I'phd, brother. I'ng-yah, sister. 



Man-pong, a bull. Man-nyong, a cow. 



Hu-pong, a dog. Hu-nydng, a bitch. 



Kien-pdng, a he-goat. Kien-nydng, a she-goat. 



Of Adjectives. 



In composition, an adjective invariably follows the noun it serves to 

 qualify. 



12 3 4 5 1254 3 



Ira kien ngiu-po asan ko-a, that goat gives good milk. 



Adjectives in this language admit of no variations expressive of num- 

 ber, case, or gender, or even of the degrees of comparison. But as the 

 comparison of one person or thing with another so as to ascertain the 

 relative quality possessed by each, must necessarily exist in every lan- 

 guage, we find that the general mode of forming comparison among the 

 Namsangiyas, is merely by placing the adjective after the noun with 

 which the comparison is made, the noun being put in the oblique form. 

 Ngama, ira mi-nyan-nang aid, I am taller than that man, or literally, / 



that man tall, 

 Ngama iranangma aja ilamang, I want more than that. 



Jo or Linjd is often added to an adjective to express a quality as exist- 

 ing in the highest degree. 



