03-03-214

214

AIMOL.

　Aimol is spoken by a small tribe in the hills round the valley of Manipur. There is also a small settlement at Aimol, a village in the southern part of the valley. There are stated to be only small remnants left of the tribe, and the total number of speakers is estimated to be between 500 and 1,000. The Aimols, who assert that they have come from the direction of Tipperah, are mentioned by Messrs. McCulloch and Damant. Compare the Authorities quoted under Km, Chiru, etc. But no authority gives a de- scription of the tribe or an account of the language. The remarks on Aimol grammar which follow are, therefore, entirely based on the texts printed below. These comprise two specimens and a list of standard words and phrases, prepared by Babu Bisharup Singh in the Aimol village in the valley of Manipur. The second specimen, an Aimol folk-tale, gives a very good idea of the language. I have hyphened out the single words and altered the translation in several points. Aimol is apparently less influenced by Meithei than most other dialects of the Manipur State, and this influence is almost entirely confined to the vocabulary. In all essential points of grammar the dialect is closely related to Rngkhl and connected languages.

　Pronunciation.-The marking of long vowels is not consistent and apparently not always correct. U is always marked as long, and o as short. In other cases we find the same vowel sometimes marked as long, and sometimes as short. Thus, ka and k, my; kr and kra, among; a-tr and a-tar, old; ngi and ngai, many, used as a plural suffix; mi-kng-am and ma-ton, before, etc. The vowels of prefixes are sometimes dropped. Thus, a-rmai, his tail, but ka-ra-mai, my tail; na-ming i-mo n-ti (i.e., na-ti), thy-name what thou-callest? Some vowels are interchangeable. Thus, the intensifying suffix ko is also written k and k; the indefinite particle om also occurs as m. Ai and are interchanged; thus, a-laik-om and a-lk-om, he was. A, o, and ao seem all to denote the sound . Compare hang and hong, come; khaom and kham, a certain fruit; chok and chok, to buy. Concurring vowels are often contracted. Thus, a-m-in and a-mn, he; chng-ka-ta, i.e., ch-ing-ka-ta, going; a-ta, saying; from ti, to say, plus the suffix , etc. The form tng, in, which occurs beside tiyng and tiyang, is probably of the same kind. The y in tiyng is euphonic, while ya in tiyang is probably written for . The diphthongs and o are usually written w and wo. Thus, khw, village; pwon, cloth. Y and w are also euphonic in words such as a-ch-y, going; a-m-w, seeing. D is euphonic in an-d-rng- = an-rng-, all. W is probably written for in swok, slave; nwom, wish, etc. W, v, and b are interchangeable, and probably all written for w; thus, won and bon, belly; ha-w and ha-v, that. L and r interchange in l-fi, rupee; r-fi, silver. Final consonants are usually softened when a vowel is added. Thus, chk, eat; chg-, eating; lt, enter, come; a-ld-a, coming. Final consonants are sometimes silent. Thus, mak and ma, not; alk, far, but i-dor-mo la, how far? Final ng seems often to be very faintly sounded. Thus, kan-tho-in-ka-ta, for kan-tho-ing-ka-ta, arising. N in a-sn-p-yoi, he divided, is probably only written for m, before p. Compare va-sm-ro, divide. Cham, word, command, seems to be identical with chang, word. Both are probably written for chng. N is often doubled between vowels. Thus, inn-, for in-, house-in; ka-n-n, for ka-n-, I examining, etc.

　Prefixes and Suffixes.-Most of the prefixes and suffixes which occur in Aimol have a distinct meaning of their own and will be dealt with below. Only a few prefixes