10 
LADAKHI GKAMMAR. 
Remark. —If compounds are formed of words of two syllables, which 
have no article, the second syllable is dropped, as if it were an article. 
Examples: sengthrng , the lion's child’(a name), formed of sengge, lion, 
and thruggu , child; bartsi, the cow-herd, formed from balang , cow, and 
rtsivo , shepherd. 
2. Optional article. —From the definite article the optional article bo 
or po seems to have developed. It may be added to any word, whether 
it is already provided with the definite article or not. By adding the 
optional article the word is emphasized. Examples: migpo, the eye; i 
shemabo, this lady. 
3. Indefinite article. —The numeral cig, one, assumes three forms, 
when used as indefinite article. Gig is used if the preceding word ends 
in g, d , or b ; shig is used if it ends in s ; and zhig in all other cases. 
Examples: zhagcig, a day; lasshig, a work ; nyungmazhig, a turnip. 
Cig , when placed after a collective or a plural, means some. Exam¬ 
ples : cliuzhig , some water ; phezhig, some flour ; chumigzhizhig, some 
four wells. 
instead of cig , rig is sometimes said, e.g., nyenrig in, it is a friend. 
In Lower Ladakh ig or ik is used as indefinite article, e.g., shaig, some 
meat; meig, some fire, especially w T ith stems ending in a vowel. 
THE SUBSTANTIVE, 
Declension. 
The case endings are the following :— Nominative and Accusative : No 
ending, unless they take the optional article bo. 
Genitive: i, with doubling of the last consonant of the stem, if it ends 
in such. 
Instrumental: is, with doubling of the last consonant of the stem, if 
it ends in such. If the final is a vowel, only s is added. The Instru¬ 
mental is also expressed by dang ) rgonas , and similar postpositions. 
Dative : la ; often a is only pronounced. 
Locative : na. This ending is very rarely used ; instead of it we find 
la, or the postposition nangna, in, with the Genitive. 
Ablative: nas. Instead of this nangnas, out of, and similar postposi¬ 
tions are often used. 
Termiviative: mi, du, su, very rarely used. Instead of these la or 
postpositions, for instance, tsa, near, are frequent. 
