03-01-518

518

　BYNGS.

　This is the dialect spoken in Pai Byangs, in the north-eastern corner of Almora. The Pai of Byangs is bounded on the north by Tibet, on the east by Tibet and the Kali River, on the south by the Kali River, and on the west by the lateral chain culminating in Yirgnajung and Pai Chaudangs. The inhabitants are Bhis, who occupy seven villages. The revised estimate of the number of speakers is 1,585.

　Two specimens and a list of Standard Words and Phrases have been prepared by Babu Gobind Prasad, B. A. They are the only foundation of the notes on Byngs grammar which follow.

　 Byngs in most characteristics agrees so closely with Chaudngs, that it seems probable that both represent the same dialect. The materials at my disposal are not, however, so trustworthy as to allow us to settle the question with absolute certainty.

　Pronunciation.-The phonetical system is, broadly speaking, the same as in Chaudngs. I shall only mention some few features where the two dialects apparently differ.

　'Merry' is gvaisi, gvsi, gvausi, or gsi. The word is probably borrowed from the Aryan khush. There are no other instances of a similar interchange of vowels.

　The prefixes ka and pa also have the forms kau, kab, and pab, respectively. Thus ka-l-n and kab-l-n, became; kau-n-n, was; pa-jyng-n, had died; pab-jyng-t, killed.

　K and g are interchangeable in the suffix k (ai) or g (ai); thus, hva-k, hva-kai, leaving; d-gai, giving.

　In a similar way, ch is sometimes interchanged with j; thus, j pa-chyng-y-s and j pa-jyng-y-s, I am killed.

　Such interchange between hard and soft consonants seems to show that the soft consonants are pronounced with a strong aspiration. Aspirated soft consonants are not, however, marked in writing.

　Parallel forms such as hv, ha, and h, leave; gng, gr, and g, other, and so forth, are due to an inaccurate marking of the sounds. They show how cautious we must be in drawing conclusions from the spelling of the specimens.

　Articles.-The numeral tig, one, and the pronouns un, kham, and g, a certain, are used as an indefinite article; thus, tig m, a man; kham b, a father; un m-gai, of a man; g sang-kh, in a village. An n is often added to kham and un in the list of words; thus, khamn cha-m-s, by a daughter. Instead of tig we occasionally find t; thus, t-jy, a certain day.

　Nouns.-Gender is distinguished by using different words or by adding words denoting 'male,' 'female,' respectively. Thus, l, bull; rai, cow: rng, horse; m- rng, mare: ni･kh, dog; chhai-ni-kh and m-ni-kh, bitch.

　Number.-The usual plural suffix is mng as in Chaudngs; thus, cham-mng, daughters. The list of words also gives forms such as b titt, and mat b, fathers.

　Case.-The case suffixes are the same as in Chaudngs. Thus, b-s, by the father; md-s, by the younger; rs-s, from envy; b-j, to the father; pach-j- khar-ch, from with a shopkeeper; b-g, of a father; sir-gai, of the son; chim-j, in