1903.] E. H. Walsh— Tibetan Language , Sf 'Recent Dictionaries. 
85 
It is perhaps necessary to note here that there are in Tibetan, wliat 
are practically two distinct languages running side by side, and each 
in current and regular use. The common, in which one addresses an in¬ 
ferior, and which the lower classes speak amongst themselves, and the 
Honorific ^ ) zhe-sa, in which any one addresses a superior, and in 
which the educated classes politely address one another. It is necessary 
to know both these, as in speaking of himself the speaker always uses 
the common form. It is not that the same word is employed but has a 
different respectful form, such as occurs, for example, in the case of verbs 
in Urdu. In Tibetan an entirely different word is used, and this equally 
as regards nouns, verbs, and adjectives. Thus, if I say to an inferior, “ you 
have a fine horse,” I would say khyod kyi rta 
yag-po red, but to a superior or politely addressing an equal 
Cs — X 
*£• p]’ eBwq- qacr q-^- nyid rang gi chhibs-pa bzang-po red, from 
which it will be seen that there is not a single word the same in two 
sentences. 
I give below one or two common words to shew how complete the 
difference is. 
Common. 
Honorific. 
eye 
mig 
§1 
spy an. 
nose 
f 
sna 
shangs. 
mouth 
P 
kha 
ep 
zhal. 
ear 
* 
or j-'sq 
rna 
na-chhog 
| & 
snyan. 
Similarly 
to see 
q* 
thong-wa 
q - 
gzigs-pa 
to smell 
f*rcr 
snom-pa 
CJ- 
shangs snampa 
to eat 
a-q* 
za-iva 
q<^r q' 
bzhes-pa. 
to hear 
qfq- 
or sprq- 
*N 
qo-iva ) 
b 
thos-pa ^ 
gsan-pa. 
