1855.] Notes on the Languages spoken by the Mi-Shmis. 307 



Notes on the Languages spoken by the Mi-Shmis, by W. Robinson, 

 Esq. {Communicated by the Government of Bengal). 



The mountain tribes, known to the inhabitants of Assam under 

 the general appellation of Mi-Shmis, occupy those ranges at the 

 north-eastern extremity of the valley, that stretch in the form of a 

 crescent from where the Di-bong debouches into the plains, on the 

 West, to the mountains inhabited by the Singpho tribes, on the 

 East. 



"Whatever may be the origin of the term Mi-shmi, as applied to 

 these mountaineers, it is not recognized by themselves, except in 

 their intercourse with the people of the plains. 



Like most other mountain tribes they are divided into a vast 

 number of petty clans, each of which has a nominal head, but these 

 seem so intimately connected with each other, that it is difficult to 

 ascertain in what consists the difference that separates one clan 

 from another. Their lingual peculiarities, however, separate them 

 into three distinct divisions, and, adopting the name of the three 

 great tribes among whom these differences of language prevail, we 

 may class them as the Nedu Mishmis, the Taxing or Me-me 

 Mi-Shmis, and the Mijhtj Mi-Shmis. 



The Nedu or, as the Assamese generally designate them, the 

 Chuli-Kotd Mi-Shmis, from the circumstance of their weariDg their 

 hair short, are the most western of the Mi-Shmi tribes. They 

 occupy the mountains on both banks of the Di-bong, and speak a 

 language peculiar to themselves, yet bearing some affinity to that 

 spoken by their neighbours the Abors and Miris. 



The Taying (Taen) or Me-me Mi-Shmis, extend eastward from 

 them to the right bank of the Lohit — 'the Brahmaputra, while those 

 tribes on the left bank of the great river, are known as the Mi-jhu 

 or Mai-jhu Mi-Shmis. These latter possess many vocables in 

 common with the Singphos, showing the existence of an affinity in 

 the two languages that might have been expected from the geogra- 

 ghical position of the tribes speaking them. 



At the close of the year 1844, Capt. E. A. Rowlatt, undertook a 

 tour into the Mi-Shmi hills, and his Report of the Expedition was 



2 s 



