UQ 





Notes 



of the Karen 



Language. 



[No. 2. 



The vowel eu is 



a favorite ia Bghai 



. It takes the place of seve- 



ral Sgau 



vowels, as : 









Bghai 



Theu 





A tree 



Sgau 



The. 



•>i 



Meu 





The sun 



5? 



Mu. 



» 



3Ieu 





The eye 



JJ 



May. 



?> 



Seu 





A corpse 



53 



So. 



?> 



Uteu, 





High 



JJ 



Utau. 



The most remarkable distinction is found in the numerals. The 

 names for the first five are almost identical with the Sgau, but : 



Six is theu tho literally Three-two. 



Seven „ „ „ ta „ Three-two-one. 



Eight „ Iwie tho „ Four-two. 



Nine „ „ ta „ Eour-two-one. 



The language of the Mikirs in Arracan, has something similar; 

 there 



Seven is thor-chie literally Six one 



Eight „ nu-kep „ Two ten i. e. 10 — 2 



Nine „ chi-lcep „ One ten i. e. 10 — 1 



There is nothing parallel in any of the languages or dialects 

 spoken around. 



There are a multitude of sub-dialects in the Bghai, every village 

 boasting of possessing some peculiarity in its language. In one 

 the letter tha is unknown, ta being always used in its place ; 

 and in one day's walk I have found the common word for speak to 

 be changed from apo in the morning, to hie at noon, and then 

 back towards the Sgau to Icatau at eve. 



Mopgha. The Mopgha introduces several new letters into 

 Karen, some of which, if not all, are found in Shan. 



It has a peculiarly strong/, uttered with a forcible emission of the 

 breath ; as 



Mopgha Few A child, or son, Pwo Pho. 



„ Feu To fly „ You fa 



„ Fu A bird „ JELto. 



Fo Head „ Kho. 



