Linguistic Survey of India- Vol.III, Tibeto-Burman Family, Part-II. 

Abstract

These languages have vocabularies which are evidently closely related, and their grammars have also a number of special points in common. To illustrate this, I here quote Mr. Gait’s account of the salient peculiarities of the grammar of B&ra or Plains Kachari,1 nearly all of which applies, mutalis mutandis, 'to the other languages of the group. "The following short outline of Kachari Grammar is given for comparison with that of other languages of the other group. In Kachari inanimate objects have no gender; that of animate objects is denoted' by a qualifying word placed after the noun, the particular word used varying according to the class of objects referred to. There are only two numbers, singular and plural, the former being sometimes made more emphatic by the addition of a word meaning ‘ one’ ; the latter is denoted by the postposition fu r or fra. Case is denoted by affixes 'J^ich. are added to the nominative form, the only modification being the occasional insertion of an euphonic i between the stem and the termination. Adjectives sometimes precede, but usually follow, the noun th(?y qualify, the case-ending in the latter alternative being attached to the adjective, and not to the noun. They undergo no change in termination to make them agree with the gender or number of the noun they qualify. The comparative is formed b^ adding some word meaning 1 than ’ to the dative of the word with which tho comparison is made,-and sin to the adjective which immediately follows it. The superlative is formed in the same way, some word signifying ‘ all ’ being placed before the word compared. The numerals only run up to ten, higher numbers being expressed by the use of the word zakhai, meaning ‘ a group of four.’ Thus, fifteen is three groups of four, •plus three. Different prefixes are used with numerals according to the class of noun referred to, sa being used for human beings, via, for irrational animals, gang for flat things, and so forth.There are three personal pronouns which are used without distinction of gender, and are declined in the same way as nouns. Possession is denoted simply by the use of the genitive. There is no relative pronoun ;2 its place is usually supplied by tho participle. Thus, the man whom I saw yesterday has run away, is expressed in Kachari by the yesterday seen man has run away. There are interrogative and demonstrative pronouns which are declined in the usual way, except that the former seldom take the plural affix. The imperative is the simplest form of the verb, the different tenses being denoted by affixes, tvhich remain unchanged for all persons, numbers, and genders. Potentiality is expressed by the use of the infinitive with the auxiliary verb hd-i\u, to be able. Tho past participle is frequently used as a noun, and in such cases is declined' as such. The passive is formed by prefixing the past participle to the different tenses of the verb zaanu, to be, and the causative by conjugating hu-nu, to give, with the infinitive of the main verb. Negative verbs are formed by inserting a. 3between the stem and the termination, except in the imperative, when da is prefixed to the stem. Adjectives are often conjugated like verbs, and verbs are frequently compounded with other verbs, the latter only being declined in such cases. Adverbs are often separate words, but are also frequently formed from the corresponding adjeotive by adding h iii or ui. Sometimes they are declined like nouns. The relations of space and position are expressed by postpositions. Conjunctions are very sparingly used, their place being largely taken by participles. I saw and called him, for instance, would be expressed as ‘ I seeing him called.”