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COMPLEX PRONOMINALIZED LANGUAGES.

Many of them are only known through the materials published by Hodgson. Compare Vyu go, I; ang-chi, my and his; ung-chi, my and thy; ang-ki, my and their; ung-ki, my and your; Bhing go, I; g-si, I and thou; g-sk, I and he; gi, I and you; g-k, I and they, and similar forms in other dialects such as Thksya, Rngchhnbng, Nchherng, Wling, Thlung, Lhrng, Lmbichhng, Blli, Sngpng, Dmi, Khling, Dungmli, etc. Some of the dialects which fall within the scope of this Survey probably possess a similar system of pronominal forms. Our materials are not sufficient to judge about the matter with certainty. Compare however Limbu n-ch, I and thou; n-ch-g, I and he; n, I and you; n-g, I and they. In Khambu we find kei, we; i-mi, our; o-khi-pi, of us. Compare Bhing gi, I and you; i-ke, my and your; wa-ke, my and their, and so forth.

　Hodgson has collected most of the complex pronominalized languages of Nepal under the head of Kirnt, and it has become customary to distinguish those dialects as the Kirnt group of Tibeto-Burman languages.

　According to the same authority, the Kirnt country in the larger sense is sub- divided into three different tracts, viz.:-

　1. Wallo Kirnt or Hither Kirnt, inhabited by Ykhs, Limbus, Lhrngs, and Chhingtangs.

　2. Mjh Kirnt or Middle Kirnt, comprising Bontwa, Rdng, Dungmli, Khling, Dmi, Sngpng, Blli, Lmbichhng, Bhing, Thlung, Klung, Wling, and Nchherng.

　3. Pallo Kirnt or further Kirnt, inhabited by the Chourasyas.

　Hodgson further states that Kirnt in this larger sense comprises the country of the Khambus, or Khambuwn, and the country of the Limbus, or Limbuwn. The former is situated between the Sun Kosi and the Arun, the latter between the Arun and the Singilela Range. The Ykhs and the Limbus are, however, he says, often alleged to be not Kirntis. Mr. Gait, on the other hand, states that he has been informed by an educated Ykh, that strictly speaking Kirnt is the designation only of the Ris, i.e., of the Jimdrs and the Ykhs. The name Kirnt should properly be written Kir1at. It has long ago been identified with the Kirtas of Sanskrit literature. It is not, however, of any importance to speculate on the history of the word. Suffice it to state that it is used in different senses by different authorities, and that the dialects of the so-called Kirnt group are closely related to dialects spoken by tribes who have never claimed to be Kirnts. I do not, therefore, see any sufficient reason for retaining the denomination Kirnt in this Survey.

　The dialects belonging to our group which will be dealt with in what follows are Dhml, Thmi, Limbu, Ykh, Khambu, and Ri. Some other Nepalese dialects such as Vyu, Chpng, etc., will be added as a kind of appendix.

　Dhml and Thmi are comparatively simple languages. The higher numbers in Dhml are counted in twenties; compare n bsa, five twenties, hundred.

　The person of the subject is distinguished by adding pronominal suffixes to the verb; thus, k l-ng-k, I come-shall-I, I shall come; n l-ng-n, thou come-wilt-thou, thou wilt come; kyl l-ng-kyl, we come-shall-we, we shall come, In other respects Dhml does not show any traces of the complicity characteristic of other dialects belonging to the group.