1858.] Notes of the Karen Language. 137 



The Karen is remarkable for using words in pairs, in the signifi- 

 cation of one of the two. Thus nau or nang, grass, takes for its 

 couplet mie or meing wild [things] hence. 



(1) Klau [weed,] nau, klau mie, weed the grass. 



(2) Klau nau mie, „ „ 



(3) Klau nau, ,, „ 



where the three forms have by usage the same signification, 

 though literally they read, — 



(1) Weed the grass, weed the wild [things.] 



(2) „ „ the wild [things.] 



(3) „ 



The couplet of plio child, is lie grand-child, and a story com- 

 mences : " There was a man and his wife in former times, and they 

 had no pho no lie," where pJio alone would give the same significa- 

 tion. 



An old man, before the fall, is represented as walking through 

 the forest with his daughter behind him, whom he warns not to 

 pluck the leaves from the trees. He says, " If you pluck the leaves 

 and throw them down, they will become Icaseu, they will become 

 halo ; and when haseu halo come into existence, travelling will be- 

 come very wearisome." Here haseu is the significant word for 

 mountain and halo is the couplet. 



Again he says, " If you throw down the leaves, they will become 

 paumu, they will become paulay," where paulay, signifying sea or 

 ocean, is the significant term. 



The paired word is often chosen from some resemblance or associ- 

 ation with the significant term, as : 



Ta-u, tahliie, cloud, darkness, for ta-u cloud. 



Tafchie, tana, darkness, night, „ tahhie darkness. 



Die, nya, frog, fish ; „ nya fish. 



Tapliie, tanya, skin, flesh „ tanya flesh. 



JELtwie, Ho, dog, hog „ htwie dog. 



Hto, hsau, hog, fowl „ hto hog. 



Thama, payo, crocodile, dragon „ tliama crocodile. 



Hteu, sliie [Bghai] bird, fowl „ side fowl. 



lie, Mie boiled rice, water „ me boiled rice. 



Thwie, litie blood, water „ iliwie blood. 



