B as in English. C never used alone. Ch as in “church.” Chh as ch, but with more aspiration. Sometimes approaching “ts” in sound. D as in English. F as in English. G never used alone. When it follows n it is pronounced as the g in “singer,” not as the g in “finger.” H as in English “hen.” Aspirates the consonant with which it is combined. J not used. K as in English. Kh as in “funk-hole.” L usually as in English, but sometimes pronounced almost like n. M as in English. Mm like m, but with the sound held longer. N as in English. A final n often only gives a nasal sound to the vowel it follows. Nn like n, but with the sound held longer. P as in English. Ph as in “tap-house,” not as f. Q not used. R as in English, but rather more rolled. Rr as r, but much rolled. T as in English. Th as in “hot-house.” V as in English. W as in English. X not used. Y as in “year.” Z as in “zebra.” Grammar. [Article.] For the indefinite article mătsanga is used both with persons and things, and nchyua with persons only. The article is, however, usually omitted unless there is some special emphasis on the singleness of the person or thing spoken of. The place of the definite article is taken by demonstrative pronouns. [Gender.] There is no distinction of gender except in the case of animate objects. For human beings epue, “male,” and elue, “female,” are added when the sex is not otherwise indicated; e.g. ngāro, “infant,” ngaro epue, “little boy,” ngaro elue, “little girl.” In the case of animals, ōpong, “male,” and ōkhu, “female,” are used; e.g. wōkō, “pig,” wokopong, “boar,” wokokhu, “sow.” [Number.] The plural termination is “ang,” affixed to the demonstrative pronoun chi or shi. “The men have gone”: “Kyonchiang yichaka.” The word “ōni” is used as a form of dual. “We two,” eni (i.e. e-oni). “My father and your brother came yesterday”: “Āpo nā nīta oni nchü roa.” [Case.] The subject of a transitive verb takes the suffix nā, which is also that of the instrument. In the case of two or more subjects the suffix is attached to the one nearest the verb. When the subject is followed by an adjective qualifying it, the suffix is attached to the adjective. Etsi-na sōko yūchaka. The Sahib “madhu” has drunk. The object immediately precedes the transitive verb governing it and is not inflected. E-na soko yuka. We “madhu” will drink. The direct object precedes the indirect. Ōtsi Chongsĕmo pia. Rice to Chongsemo give. The noun is not inflected for the genitive. The possessor precedes the thing possessed. Yănăsao ’tsi Chongsemo pia. Yanasao’s rice to Chongsemo give.