138 Notes of the Karen Language. [No. 2. 



Khlie, tha seed, fruit „ tlia fruit. 



Me-oo, pha7isa fire, ashes „ me-oo fire. 



Mag, Tiau sand, earth „ may sand. 



KJioolau, bleulau, dig, immerse ,, khoolau dig. 

 Miemaw, plauthau, dream, be in a 



reverie „ miemau dream. 



Ay, Icwie love, covet „ ay love. 



Sometimes the couplet is a foreign word signifying the same 

 thing, as 



Klau, nwa, the bos genus, where nwa is Burman. 

 Htie, noung, water „ noung is the Siam nam. 



Heuphlong, heuhliaung man 

 Ta-u, tamyau, monkey 

 Maulitau, para, pagoda 

 Apo, ahau, to speale 



hhaung „ „ khon. 

 my an is Burman. 

 para „ 



liau „ 



Occasionally the secondary word appears to have been chosen for 

 euphony, as 



Phomu, pliomew, daughter, where meu has no signification. 



Lie, lay, book „ lay „ „ 



Tamu, tala happiness „ la „ 



Sometimes a couplet regarded as destitute of signification, proves., 

 as our knowledge of the language extends, to be a significant word, 

 thus : 



Htsoo the couplet of Tisa to be sick, was regarded as of no signifi- 

 cation until the Bghai was acquired, where it signifies fever. So 

 la the couplet of ta-kapau, or hseuphang light, is probably the Bghai 

 lie. > 



This feature of the language suggests a probable etymology for 

 many words ; thus le way word, where way the non-significant term 

 is probably of common origin witli the Sanscrit "3^ 



The dialects exhibit some singular irregularities in the use of the 

 personal pronouns. At Tavoy, sd or seu is the first personal pro- 

 noun, singular number in Sgau and is in much more common 

 use than ya or yeu, which is also used ; but in Bghai it is the third 

 personal pronoun, singular and plural, he, she, it, they ; and is used 

 exclusively in some Sections, but a few villages near the Pakus 

 use wa. 



