6 SOME NOTES ON THE KELANTAN DIALECT. 
contrary error. An interesting example of the difficulty caused by 
the peculiarities of the spoken dialects of the Northern States is 
that mentioned by Mr. E. W. Birch in one of his articles to the 
journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Straits Branch. In this 
article he mentions. a discussion between himself, Mr. Hubert 
Berkeley, and the Dato Sri Adika Raja on the meaning of the 
name Klian Intan. The discussion was as to whether the name 
was originally Intan or Hitam. It is a matter which can never be 
decided, as in Kelantan at least there would be no difference in the 
pronunciation of the two words. The first -n of Intan would not 
be pronounced, and the first syllable would be undistinguishable 
from the first syllable of . Hitam ; while the nasal pronunciation of 
the finals -am and -an would be exactly similar. 
7. Final -h is frequently pronounced as -s, ¢.g., putes for puteh 
galas for galah, tujos for tujoh. I have noticed this in Perak ; 
but there the tendency is rather to slur the final -s and make it 
approximate the sound of the final -h. 
The Kelantan dialect has some curious clipped terminal 
affixes, tagged on at the end of words, phrases, and even sentences. 
e.y., -dik or -dek often at.the end of an exclamation or interrogation. 
No one appears to be able to explain it. 
-gak is perhaps the most frequently used of all. It seems to 
be an intensive, but to possess little real signification or none at 
all. JI have heard when playing sepak raga the phrase used, 
“ Buleh Haji gak,” intended to call the attention of the Haji in 
question to the fact that the raga had come to his foot. Again I 
have heard the phrase “Mari gak”’ used as a polite invitation. 
-teh is another intensive. When used with an adjective, as 
“murah teh,” “molek teh,’ it acquires something of the meaning 
of “ banar,”’ . 
Another and even more curious expression is keneh’’ I do 
not know what it means; sol shall merely give the example of 
its use quoted to me. It is as follows :— 
‘ Balah ‘tu keneh?” and is interpreted to mean ‘ Bagitu-kah ?”’ 
It is not only used in interrogation, however, a3 it would also be 
used in expressing agreement with the opinion of another person. 
So that the same phrase ~ _Balah ‘tu. keneh,”’ without the interro- 
gation would simply mean “You are quite right.’ One informant 
told me that it was chiefly used in anger, but thatis not so, and 
I only mention this fact to show how difficult it is to get a credible 
explanation of many of these obscure terms. 
A combination which. I have found only in Kelantan i is formed 
of the term sa-rupa’’ followed by the expression ‘lek- lek,” the 
word denoting the object of the simile intervening, * Lek-lek ”’ 
seems to add nothing to the meaning of “ sa-rupa,’’ but simply to 
be an addition repeating without intensifying the. signification, It 
may, . however, have the meaning Olas ‘exactly ” €.g., | Sa-rupa 
harimau lek-lek,’ which perhaps means © just like a tiger: ”’ but 
so far as I know, it does not modify in any way the preceding phrase. 
Jour“ iStraits Branch 
