r
specimens, and that of Chutiy,
all of which have been very carefully written according to the rules of pronunciation
laid down in this section. 03-02-004
4
BODO GROUP.
Darrang, most of the Gr
specimens, and that of Chutiy,
all of which have been very carefully written according to the rules of pronunciation
laid down in this section.
There is another point. In some of these languages aspirated consonants are
not so common as appears at first sight. In writing them in the Beugali or Assamese
character it is usual to write kh, th, and ph at the commencement of a syllable,
instead of k, t, and p, respectively. How this came about will be found explained
under the head of Gr.
In transliterating the following speeimens, I have, in doubtful cases, let the
aspiration stand, but in every case its presence should be viewed with suspicion.
In dealing with languages hitherto unwritten it is impossible to obtain at once
absolute accuracy.
Throughout all the languages of this group dental consonants are pronounced as semi-cerebrals, as in English.
The following note by Mr. J. D. Anderson on the mutual relationship of the lan- guages forming the Bodo group will be read with interest:-
So far as the vocabulary of the specimens goes, D
m-s,
Hojai and Tipur are nearer
the standard dialect than the others, and Chutiy
is least like Bodo. But many words run through the whole group, and in some
cases afford interesting phonetic changes. I give some instances:
|
English.
|
B
  . |
R
bh. |
L
lung. |
D
ma-s. |
Hojai.
|
G
r. |
Tipur
. |
Chutiy
. |
| get | man | mn |
mn |
mai | mai | mn |
mn |
nim |
| give | h
|
r |
as | r
|
r |
... | ru | re |
| seize | hom | rim | ram | rim | rem | ... | rom | ... |
| cloth | h
|
nen | re | r
|
rei | ... | ri | ... |
| far | g zn
|
... | chla |
jain-bi | kejeng | cheta | kchl |
... |
| go | thng |
reng | l
|
tung | thng |
... | thng |
|
| good | ghm |
nem | ... | h m |
... | nm |
... | ... |
| do | ... | ... | khn |
khlai | khalai | ... | khalai | ... |
| become | z |
chhng |
hng |
j |
j |
... | ch |
s |
| house | n |
nok | na | no | na | nok | no | ... |
| how many | bese | ... | penchek | bishli | ... | bdit |
busuk | ... |
| swine | -m
|
bak | o-a | hono | han | wak | wk |
... |
| goat | bur-m |
prin | barun | burun | brin | ... | purun | ... |
| eat | z |
s |
ch |
j
|
j
|
ch |
ch |
h |
| hunger | ukhu | ... | ... | hukhri | hukhri | okhri | ukhu | ... |
| die | thoi | s
|
th |
t
|
thei | s
|
thai | s |
| see | nu (or nai) | nuk | nui | nai | nu | n |
nug | ... |
| kiss | khudum | khutam | ... | kadom | khudum | ... | matm-su apparently means 'smell-body' |
... |
| put on clothes |
gn |
... | gn |
gai | keng | gn |
kn |
... |
| again | fin | ... | fens |
fini | ... | ... | fi | ... |
| breathe | thng |
kheng | thng |
tng |
... | tng |
... | ... |
| lose | gm |
m |
kamai | gama | kam |
gim |
kam
|
kimng |
| ask | sang | sing | sang | shing | sang | sing | sung | shi |
The words 'give,' 'seize,' and 'cloth' seem to show that Bodo is a degenerate mem- ber of the group and has softened its sounds.