MI. 03-02-205
WESTERN SUB-GROUP. ANGMI.
205
theory would derive it from n
g, snake. However, be this as it may, the
term is quite foreign to the people themselves: they have no generic term applicable
to the whole race, but use specific names for each particular group of villages.
Thus, the men of Mezom, Khonom, Kohim, Jotsom, and their allies,
call themselves Tengims; while others, if asked who they are, would reply
simply that they were men of such a village, and seem to be quite ignorant of
any distinctive tribal name connecting them to any particular group of villages,-
a strange fact, which, I think, is in a great measure accounted for by the state
of constant war, and constant isolation, in which they live. The Kachr
s,
I may add, speak of the Ngs generally as the Magams, and of the
Angmi Ngs in particular as the Dawns.
Mr. Damant on page 245 of his Notes quoted below, says,- This tribe, i.e.,
the Angmi Ngs, the most warlike, and probably the most numerous
of all the Ng tribes with which we are acquainted, occupies the centre
of the great range of hills which divides Assam from Manipur. Their country
is about 50 miles long from north to south, and about 80 or 100 from east to
west. They are bounded on the west by the Kach Ng, on the north
by the great uninhabited forest which covers the valleys of the Dhansiri and
Doyang rivers, and by the Rengm and Lh
t Ng, on the east
by the Sem and naked Ng, and on the south by the Mao, Tangkhul,
and Luhup Ng. They are generally separated into two divisions, known
as Eastern and Western Angmi, the boundary between the two being the Sijju
river; they are essentially the same tribe, but there are slight differences
in dialect and dress. The Western Angmi hold forty-six villages, containing
about 6,400 houses. ... Their principal villages are Jotsom, Kohim,
Khonom, and Mezom. Of the Eastern Ng we have no accurate statistics.
... Among themselves, the people who inhabit the central part of their country
are known as 'Tengim,' the remainder being called 'Chakrom.' They are
a fine set of men, very warlike and enterprising, taking freely to trade, and
possessing in themselves the material for forming a fine nation; but they are
blood- thirsty to a degree, village fighting against village, and clan against
clan, and in their fiercer quarrels sparing neither age nor sex.
A consideration of the above will show that there are two main dialects of
Angmi,- a western, spoken by the Chakrom and the Tengim, and called
after the latter tribe; and an eastern, spoken by the Chakrim. The language,
however, varies over the whole area from village to village. Chakrim has
three sub-dialects, viz., Dzun
, Kehen, and Nli or Mim, the last
of which is spoken only in one village (Mim). Besides this there are many
other Chakrim dialects, concerning which I have failed to obtain inform-
ation. The figures reported are as follows:-
| Tengim... |
26,900
|
all reported from the N
 ga Hills District. |
| Dzuc... |
1,430
|
all reported from the N
ga Hills District. |
| Kehen... |
6,490
|
all reported from the N
ga Hills District. |
| Nli or Mim... |
590
|
all reported from the N
ga Hills District. |
|
TOTAL.
|
35,410
|
|
Lists of standard words and sentences have been obtained in all these dialects.
There are also two specimens in Tengim. The version of the parable of the
Prodigal Son in that dialect has had the advantage of being revised by Mr. Davis
himself, and I am also indebted to that gentleman for the preparation of the
second specimen. I must also express my indebtedness to Captain A. E. Woods
and Lieutenant W. M. Kennedy for the share they have taken in the preparation
of the version of the parable, and to the latter gentleman for the list of words
in all the dialects. The Dzun, Kehen and Nli lists were only obtained
with great difficulty.
The following is a list of the authorities which I have seen dealing with
Angmi:-
AUTHORITIES-
HODGSON, B.H.,-Aborigines of the North-East Frontier. Journal of the Bengal
Asiatic Society, xix, 1850, pp. 309 and ff. Reprinted in Miscellaneous Essays
relating to Indian Subjects, Vol. ii, pp. 11 and ff. London, 1880. Contains
an Angami Ng Vocabulary by N. Brown.