03-01-530

530

JANGGAL.

　Janggal literally means jungle-language. It has been reported as the dialect spoken by the wild Banmanush, i.e., wood-men, who inhabit the forests of Chhipula in Askot Malla, The number of speakers was estimated for this Survey at 200.

　It has been found impossible to prepare specimens of the dialect of these wild people. A list of Standard Words and Phrases has, however, been forwarded from the district, and it will be reproduced on pp. 535 and ff. It is too corrupt to allow us to classify the dialect with certainty. On the other hand, it clearly shows that the Janggal of Askot is a Tibeto-Burman form of speech.

　 It is impossible to give a sketch of Janggal declension and conjugation. In the declension of nouns there are several Aryan forms, and the dialect is on the whole of a mixed character. The pronouns n, I; ng, thou, must probably be compared with Mgar ng, I; nang, thou, etc. It is possible that the dialect is more closely connected with the Tibeto-Burman dialects of Nepal, than with those spoken in Almora. Consider- ing the corrupt state of our materials, I have, however, thought it safest to print the Janggal list after the other Almora lists, and to leave open the question of the closer relationship of the dialect.

　This much it seems allowed to state that it has few, if any, characteristics in common with the other Almora dialects.