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PNKH.

　Pnkh is spoken in the Chakma and Boh Mong chiefs' circles in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

　The following are the numbers of speakers:-

　Further particulars and a list of authorities will be found under Banjg.

　A translation of the Parable of the Prodigal Son and a list of standard words and phrases have been received from Chittagong. They are full of mistakes, and I have not been able to correct them satisfactorily. In the list of words I have added the corre- sponding forms from Captain Lewin's list, within parentheses. The interlinear transla- tion has been added by me, and is, in a few places, very uncertain. The notes on Pnkh grammar given below are founded on the forms occurring in the specimen and in the list of words. They are given with the utmost reserve.

　Pronunciation.-The spelling, both in the specimen and in the list of words, is so inconsistent that it is impossible to make any definite statement with regard to the pronunciation. , for instance, seems to be interchangeable with e, i, o, and u; thus, k and ke, my; n, ne, and ni, thy; -m and o-m, he that; chm and tsm, hair; and un, in, etc. Ei is interchangeable with ; thus, ngei and ng, many; e with i; thus en-j-en and in-j-in, many, all; chhia-lo and shea-lo, servant; and a with ; th and en-t, to sit; rat and rt, to consider, etc. It is clear that such inconsistencies can only be due to want of precision in the perception of the sounds. The same remark holds good with regard to the occasional writing of euphonic letters; thus of w in -no-w-in, besides -no-in, his son; and of y in sheyalo, besides shea-lo, servant. Concurrent vowels are occasionally contracted, thus -pn and -p-in, his father, etc.

　The same inconsistency prevails with regard to consonants. Thus ch, chh, ts, sh, and s, are all interchangeable. We find for instance chng and chhng, in; chhm, tsm, and sm, property; chhia-lo and shea-lo, servant; r-chi and r-si, star; cha-pi and sa-pi, brother, etc. Chh is probably only another way of writing s, and this sound or sh is probably the sound intended. Ch and ph are interchanged in char-n and phar-n, sister. J is probably pronounced z, and sometimes z is also written. Thus, jel and zel, to strike. The pronunciation of tl cannot be ascertained. It is occasionally interchanged with kl and lh; thus, tlang and klng, to come; lhng, to arrive. In Southern Chin according to Mr. Houghton, kl regularly corresponds to tl in Lushi, and the occurrence of both in Pnkh may be due to the double influence of the two former languages. The sound tl is also interchangeable with kl in Lai.

　The writing of aspirated letters is also very inconsistent. The prefix pa in the first numerals is generally written pha; thus pha-kt, one. In the same way we find the male suffix p written ph in no-ph, younger brother; but -p, elder brother. The sound is probably the same as that of the English p. In other words ph seems to be written for f; thus, phar-n, sister. In the same way k is interchanged with kh; t with th; n with nh; l with lh. Thus, pha-ni-k and pha-ni-kha, two; en-to and th, to sit; nhi and ni, two; n-lh and in-lh, far, etc.