03-03-192

192

HALLM.

　Hallm is spoken in Hill Tipperah and Sylhet. In Sylhet 1,600 individuals were returned as speaking Kuki. A few words which have been translated in different parts of the district seem to show that three dialects, Thdo, Hallm, and Langrong, have been brought together under this denomination. We may, therefore, provisionally put down 533 as belonging to Hallm. To these must be added about 8,000 individuals who were returned as speaking Tipur. Most of these latter are immigrants from Hill Tipperah and speak Hallm. Their language is mixed up with Aryan words to a greater extent than is the case with the Hallm of Hill Tipperah. We thus arrive at the following total for Hallm:-

　 I am indebted to Mr. A. Porteous, I.C.S., Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet, for two specimens and a list of standard words and phrases in this language. They have been prepared by Babu Padmanth Bhachryya with the aid of an educated Hallm. A translation of the Parable of the Prodigal Son and a list of words and phrases in Hallm have also been received from Hill Tipperah. The two versions of the parable differ in so many points that I have thought it best to print both. The specimen received from Hill Tipperah is, however, carelessly done, and must, accordingly, be used with caution. The list of standard words and phrases printed on pp. 292 and ff. is that received from Sylhet. Where the Hill Tipperah list differs, and where the Sylhet list is wanting, the words of the former are given within parentheses.

　The name Hallm may be connected with Mr. Damant's Khelma, which tribe he says lives in North Cachar. The short vocabulary which he publishes agrees with Hallm. The same is the case with the vocabulary of Sakjaib or Shekasip which Mr. Soppitt has published. Sakjaib has been returned as the language of 315 individuals in North Cachar. By adding these 315 speakers of Sakjaib to the estimates given above we arrive at a total of 26,848 for Hallm.

AUTHORITIES-

　CAMPBELL, SIR GEORGE,-Specimens of Languages of India, including those of the Aboriginal Tribes of Bengal, the Central Provinces, and the Eastern Frontier. Calcutta, 1874. Hallamee of Tipperah on pp. 204 and ff.

　HUNTER, W.W.,-Statistical Account of Bengal. Vol. vi, London, 1876. Short note on the Hallam tribe on pp. 488 and f.

　DAMANT, G.H., M.A., M.R.A.S.,-Notes on the Locality and Population of the Tribes Dwelling between the Brahmaputra and Ningthi Rivers. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, New Series, Vol. xii, 1880, pp. 228 and ff. Account of old Kuki on pp. 237 and f., Vocabularies, Khelma, tc., on p. 255.

　SOPPITT, C.A.,-A short Account of the Kuki-Lushai Tribes on the North-East Frontier (Districts Cachar, Sylhet, Nga Hills, etc., and the North Cachar Hills) with An Outline Grammar of the Rangkhol- Lushai Language and A Comparison of Lushai with other Dialects. Shillong, 1887. Account of old Kuki tribes on p. 3; Vocabulary and Sentences, Sakjaib, etc., on pp. 79 and ff.

　As far as can be seen from the scanty materials at my disposal, Khelma and Sakjaib are identical with Hallm. According to Mr. Soppitt the Sakjaibs are an off-shoot of the Rngkhls, and their languages differ very little. In the few instances