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SIYLGIR.

　The Siylgirs are a criminal nomadic tribe, numbering about 120 souls, in the Dantan Thana of the Bengal District of Midnapore, where they are found in the follow- ing villages:-

　A few Siylgirs are also found in Suga and Simla in District Balasore. The tribe seems to have immigrated into its present habitat some 150 years ago, and their language shows that they have come from Western India. It is, therefore, probable that they entered Bengal as camp-followers to the Bhonslas, who invaded Bengal in the middle of the eighteenth century.

　 Their features do not give any clue as to their origin. They now look like ordinary Bengali peasants.

　Most of the preceding remarks have been taken from the following,-

AUTHORITY-

　GRIERSON, GEORGE A.-Note on a Dialect of Gujart discovered in the District of Midnapur. Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. lxvii, Part i, 1898, pp. 185 and ff.

　Siylgir is derived from a dialect closely related to Gujart-Bhl, and the tribe has probably originally come from the border districts between Central India, Rajputana, and the Bombay Presidency, the stronghold of the Bhl tribes. On their way towards the east they have come into contact with various tribes, and the results can be traced in their speech, which now presents a mixed appearance though the original base is easily recognizable.

　The only source of our knowledge of Siylgir is a version of the Parable of the Prodigal Son which has been forwarded by Babu Krishna Kisor Acharji, Secretary to the Midnapore District Board. See the paper quoted as Authority above. The materials are not sufficient to solve all the problems connected with the dialect. There cannot, however, be any doubt with regard to its general character. The ensuing remarks are entirely based on the specimen.

　Pronunciation.-In many Bhl dialects an s is regularly replaced by a sound which is something between s and h, somewhat like the ch in German 'ach'. In Prdh is used instead of this h; thus, pai, money; , twenty, etc. Similarly is usually substituted for s in Siylgir. Thus, ab for sab, all; d for ds, country; mly-n, Gujart sbhalw, to hear (compare hmln, having heard, in the Bhl dialects of Jhabua and Kotra); bara, Gujart varas, a year; -hun having become awakened (compare hamki, thought, in the Bhl dialect of Ratlam).

　We have no information as to the pronunciation of this . It is, however, probable that it is pronounced in the same way as in other Bhl dialects. For we occasionally find h and even g used instead; thus, kahabin, a harlot; rig, anger. I have therefore substituted the sign for the of the original.

　The ksh in hksha, share, is probably due to the influence of aa, share, in the Bengali text from which the translation was originally prepared.