1897.] W. Haig— Vocabulary of the Gondi and Kolami Languages. 185 
A Comparative Vocabulary of the Gondi and Kdlami Languages.—By 
Captain Wolseley Haig, Officiating Deputy Commissioner , Wun 
District , Berar * 
[Read July, 1897.] 
The following short comparative vocabulary of Gondi and Kolami 
represents the beginning of an unfortunately interrupted attempt to 
study the K5lami language. The only comparative vocabulary of these 
two languages to which I have had access is the long vocabulary con¬ 
tained in the “ Notes ” of the late Revd. S. Hislop, edited by Sir 
Richard Temple when Chief Commissioner of the Central Provinces. 
Mr. Hislop’s vocabulary is copious and instructive, but labours under 
more than one serious disadvantage. One of these is the complete 
absence of any system in the representation of sounds by the Roman 
character. Another is inaccuracy, the vocabulary containing in itself 
evidence that it was never, as a whole, revised and corrected by Mr. 
Hislop. 
The Kdlams are an aboriginal tribe found in the Central Provinces 
and in East Berar, more especially in the Wun District. They are 
classed by Mr. Hislop and by Mr. Sherring (following him) as one of the 
Gond Tribes. That they are a tribe of common origin with the Gonds 
there can be no doubt, but inasmuch as they have, though interspersed in 
the south-western portion of Goiidwana with the Gonds, preserved 
certain distinctive customs, to say nothing of their language, which, 
though allied to Gondi as may be seen from the vocabulary cannot be 
understood by a Gond ; it is hardly safe to assert that they are a sub¬ 
division of the Gonds. Kolams differ considerably from Gonds in 
appearance, and the Gonds, in Berar, at any rate, do not admit that they 
are a Gond tribe, while the Kolams on the other hand shew no anxiety 
to be considered so, but are rather inclined to repudiate the connection. 
The Pradhans (called “ Pathau ” in Gondi), a tribe whose language is 
Gondi, perform for the Gonds offices in many respects similar to those 
assigned to Bhats among Hindus, but they perform no such offices for 
Kolams and do not sing or provide music at their weddings and funerals 
as they do at those of the Gonds. It is not my purpose to attempt to 
