1855.] Notes on the Languages spoken by the Mi-SJwds. 309 



Nkoe karii, a dog- — nkoe tassi, a bitch. 



Macliu karii, a bull — (bos) machio tassi, a cow. 



The only exception to the general rule is in the case of the do- 

 mestic fowl — inteo. 



Inteo tala, a cock — inteo tassi, a hen. 



Of Adjectives. 



Adjectives do not alter their terminations to express either num- 

 ber, case or gender. The position of an adjective in a sentence is 

 invariably after the noun it serves to qualify. 



JNye-chi che-bwa, sweet milk. 



Machi ji-eh, a broad river. 



Phaji a hungya, a ripe plantain. 



As the language rejects terminations of every kind, it of course 

 has none to make the degrees of comparison. The deficiency is in 

 some measure supplied by shortening or prolonging the adjective in 

 articulation. For example ; ka-jem katyoa, a short cloth. When it 

 is intended to convey the idea of a very short cloth, the qualifying 

 word katyoa is uttered with a short and abrupt sound. 



Alyim kalong, a long road. By lengthening out the sound of the 

 adjective, kalong, the idea conveyed would be that of a very long 

 road. 



The mode of numeration that obtains among the Taying and 

 Me-me Mi-Shmis, presents us with a few interesting peculiarities. 

 The system is emphatically a decimal one. 



1. 



E-Khing. 



11. 



Halong Khing. 



2. 



Ka-ying. 



12. 



Halo-kaying or Halo-raying. 



3. 



Ka-chong. 



13. 



Halo-rachong. 



4. 



Ka-prei. 



14. 



Halo-raprei. 



5. 



M-angu. 



15. 



Halong manga. 



6. 



Tharo. 



16. 



Halong tharo. 



7. 



Uwe. 



17. 



Halong uwe. 



8. 



Ely em. 



18. 



Halong elyem. 



9. 



Konyong. 



19. 



Halong konyong. 



10. 



Halong. 



20. 



Halong-halong, vel 

 Kaying halong. 



30. 



Kachong halong, the unit 



following the decade in regular 



order 



t 





i 



2 s 2 



