Kota Vocabulary . [no. 7, new series, 



What I said formerly of the Toda language, that their 

 singular pronounciation cannot be learned except by living 

 amongst the people, is also true of the Kota dialect. The lan- 

 guage of the former with its pectoral low notes, may very often 

 appear to the unaccustomed ear of an European, as if a number 

 of words were only imitations of the lowing of their Buffalos, 

 and the dialect of the latter with its dental pronounciation 

 appears in many instances as if the barking of their nume- 

 rous half wild dogs had had an influence in forming it. I find it 

 not difficult to speak about religion in the deep, often solemn 

 tone of the Todas, but it seems to me like mockery to imitate 

 the Kota pronounciation of the same words. Though none of 

 the Hill tribes are very exact in cleanliness, still the name of 

 Kota is used as a name of abuse, in the sense of filthy, by the 

 Badagas and Todas notwithstanding the great dependence 

 the latter acknowledge towards them; they are their scavengers, 

 their musicians, their gold and blacksmiths, their potters, their 

 basket makers, &c. Industry in these several branches makes 

 them thriving and independent, and they can force their mas- 

 ters to many things, which they are very unwilling to perform, 

 by refusing to make ploughs and pots &c. for them. If Chris- 

 tianity should take root in the other tribes, so that they would 

 no more condescend to pay honour to the Idols made by the 

 Kotas, it will be a great trial for them. At different occa- 

 sions the Kotas, who never were very favourably inclined to- 

 wards our preaching, showed their power very plainly and 

 forced some head men of the other tribes, who were friendly 

 towards the missionaries, to compromise with their own better 

 persuasion. The Kotas honour Siva as the supreme god 

 whom they call Kamataraya and in each of their seven villages 

 there is a temple for him as well as for his wife Parvati. 

 There is a tradition that they emigrated from some moun- 

 tains situated in the present Mysore, which their ancestors 

 knew by the name of Kollimale, on which account the first 

 village they built on the Hills, goes by the same name. In 

 comparing the Toda vocabulary with the Kota words given 



