The Mikirs

by Edward Stack

Verbs.

to pour out	bu, bup	bauk, bō (L. buak,[13] bun)
to put	bī	bī (to clap, pat)
to jump	chòng	dong (L. zuang)
to die	thī	dü, dī (L. thī
to kill by cutting	thū	thük, tük
to pound	tòk	dut″
to open	ing-pu	hü
to sleep, lie down	ī	ī″ (Burmese ip)
to hinder	khàng	khā
to fall	klō, klī	klauk (Burmese krā, L. tlā, tlāk)
to grind	koi-ī	kluk
to be bitter	hō	khō (L. khā)
to bend	kekèk	kòk-lök, khü-ī
to tie, fasten	kòk	khun
to laugh	ing-nèk	hlek; also noi (Meithei nok, L. nui)
to arrive, hit	lē	leng
to be distant	hē-lō	hlō (L. hlā)
to get, obtain	lòng	lö-ē
to lick	ing-lèk	m-lē-ē (L. liak, hliao)
to be happy	mē	moi
to extinguish	pe-mèp	hmyit (L. ti-mit)
to smell	ing-nim	nan (L. hnim)
to be yellow	èt	oi (L. eng)
to speak	pu	pauh (a word, language)
to give	pī	pèk (L. pèk, pē)
to be full	plèng	plē
to reach, touch	phō	phō (L. pawh, phāk)
to pull out	phu	phuk (L. phoi)
to work, labour	sai	saih
to wash	chàm	shau (L. shuk)
to beat	chòk	shö
to pierce	chàng	shün, hsün (L. chhun)
to begin	chèng	sī
to explain	thàn	hsin
to be wet	chàm	sō
to know, perceive	thèk	thàk, thē
to be fat	ing-tu	thau (L. thao)
to itch	ing-thàk	thauk (L. thāk)
to rise, get up	thur	thö, thü (L. tho, thawh)
to send	toi	thō
to weave	thàk	tō-tàk (L. tah)
to rot	thu	thü (L. toih)
to be sweet	dòk	tü-ī
to cover, veil	up, òp	ün″ (L. hup)
to throw	vār	wo″ (L. vorh)
to hear	ār-ju	yauk
to sell	jòr	yi″ (L. zuar)

A few words from Lushei may be added, for which Southern Chin does not appear to possess corresponding terms:—

English.	Mikir.	Lushei.
buffalo	chelòng	cheloi
bear	thòk-vàm	sa-vom, vom[14]
deer (sāmbhar)	thi-jòk	sa-zuk
snake	phi-rui	ma-rul, rul
monkey	me-sàng	zawng
frog (“the jumper”)	chòng-hō	chung-u
mosquito	timsik	tho-shī
water-leech	ing-lit	hlit, sai-hlit
crab	chehē	chak-ai
devil	hī-ī	huai

These close and numerous correspondences between Mikir and the Kuki-Chin family appear to warrant the conclusion that the former is intimately connected with the latter. The institutions of the southern tribes, as already pointed out, confirm this conclusion; and it may be asserted with some confidence that no such extensive affinity can be proved between Mikir and the Boṛo family. As regards the Western Nagas, while the institutions largely correspond, the coincidences in language, though more numerous than those with Boṛo, are much fewer than those with Kuki-Chin. The Southern Nagas, and especially the Tangkhuls, who form the group intermediate between Naga and Kuki, have a considerably closer affinity with Mikir. Possibly if the inquiry were pushed further into Burmese than is within the power of the present writer, more correspondences with Mikir might be discovered in that language.

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[1] Reference may here be made to a summary of the Gospel history in Mikir entitled Birtā Kemē, “Glad tidings,” published by the American Baptist Mission Press, Tika, Nowgong, in 1904. [↑]

[2] This seems to have taken place in or about 1765 A.D. See Gait, History of Assam, p. 181. [↑]

[3] Words resembling kèp are found for ten in some of the pronominalized languages of the lower Himalayas of Nepal; but these do not enter into our present field of comparison. [↑]