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NG GROUP

THE NG-BODO SUB-GROUP.

　The Western Ng Group of languages is bounded on the south by the Kuki, and on the west and north (so far as concerns Tibeto-Burman languages) by the Bodo Group. In each direction there is a transitional linguistic area. That is to say, between Angmi Ng and the Bodo languages there is a group, which I call the Ng-Bodo Group, bridging over the difference between the characteristic features of the two forms of speech, and similarly between Angmi Ng and the Kuki languages there is another group which I call the Ng-Kuki. At present we have to deal with the former,- the Ng-Bodo Group. This consists of two main languages, viz., Mikir, whose head- quarters is in the Mikir Hills in the east of the Nowgong District, and Kachch Ng or mpo, which is spoken in North Cachar and in the adjoining tracts of the Nga Hills. Subordinate languages, closely akin to, but not dialects of, Kachch Ng, are Kabui Ng and Khoiro Ng. These last two are mostly spoken in the western hill country of the State of Manipur. As might be expected, the Bodo language, with which they show the most important points of kinship, is the eastern one,-Chutiy,-while Angmi and Lht are the two Ng tongues to which they are most closely allied.

　The following is the estimated number of people who speak the various languages of this group,-

Mikir...	89,516
Kachch Ng...	10,280
Kabui...	11,073
Khoiro...	15,000
	125,869

　The close connexion which mutually exists between these four languages will be evident from a perusal of the list of words and sentences on pp. 432 and ff. It must, however, be confessed that in regard to Kabui and Khoiro the classification is some- what arbitrary, for, though they have undoubted connexion with the Bodo languages, they also show many points of contact with the Kuki ones.

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