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The Lhota Nagas

John Stuart Mill · en
Place and time are rendered by postpositions such as i, “to,” “in”; na,
“from,” “with”; lo, “to”; theni, “with,” “from,” and many others.


    Shi-na   ora-i     wo.      Ā-ki-lo   woa.  Eng-iya-thang-na.
    He the jungle-to will go. My-house-to go.  Sun-coming-time-from

    (i.e. “from dawn”).


[Adjectives.] Adjectives follow the nouns they qualify and take the
suffixes instead of the noun.


        Ōtūng săpo-lo.
        Tree  tall-on.


When a noun is used as an adjective it precedes the noun it qualifies.


         Ora kyon.
        Jungle-man.


To form the comparative an adjective takes the suffix “wo” or sometimes
for euphony “mo.”


        Yanasao    Asao       sapowo.
        Yanasao (than) Asao (is) taller.


In interrogative sentences the adjective plus the comparative suffix wo
is repeated first with the interrogative suffix alo, and then with the
interrogative suffix ela.


        Yanasao sapow’alo Asao sapow’ela?
        Yanasao  taller   Asao  taller?

        (i.e. Which is taller, Yanasao or Asao?)


The superlative is formed by adding the suffix “wo” to the adjective as
in the comparative, and putting some word meaning “all” before the noun
representing the things among which comparison is being made.


        Lănga ’tung shi  sapowo. (i.e. This is the tallest tree).
         All  trees this taller


[Numerals.] The cardinals are as follows:—


         1.   Ēkha (only used in counting, otherwise matsanga or
              nchyua is used).
         2.   Ēni.
         3.   Ēthăm.
         4.   Mēzü.
         5.   Mungo.
         6.   Tĭrok.
         7.   Tiing.
         8.   Tīza.
         9.   Tŏkū.
        10.   Tāro.
        11.   Tarosi ekha (lit. “ten-with one”).
        12.   Tarosi eni.
        13.   Tarosi etham.
        14.   Tarosi mezü.
        15.   Tarosi mungo.
        16.   Tarosi tirok or mezüna mekwi mpen (lit. “by four
              twenty not making”).
        17.   Tarosi tiing or ethamna mekwi mpen.
        18.   Tarosi tiza or enina mekwi mpen.
        19.   Tarosi toku or ekhana mekwi mpen.
        20.   Mekwi.
        21.   Mekwisi ekha.
        30.   Thămdro (i.e. etham taro).
        40.   Zūro (i.e. mezu taro).
        50.   Tiingya.
        60.   Rokro (i.e. tirok taro).
        70.   Ekha tiing (i.e. “seven times once the sum of
              fingers”).
        80.   Ekha tiza (Liye), Zaro (Ndrung).
        90.   Ekha toku.
       100.   Ekha taro.
      1000.   Thanga.


Fractions:—


      ½  = poko.
     1½  = matsanga-si poko.
      ⅓  = Echu etham chuche matsanga (i.e. “One part of three parts”).


Counting is done on the fingers, and reckoning is kept by little
bundles of sticks. It is a common sight to see, say, five little bits
of bamboo stuck up in a prominent place in a wayside granary, or five
notches cut in a log. This means that the owner will claim Rs. 5 from
whoever damages the granary or misappropriates the log.

There are no true ordinals.