Opuscula: Essays chiefly Philological and Ethnographical

by R. G. Latham

The Papuan vocabularies were for the Louisiade Archipelago; wholly new as data for a very important and interesting area.

The following paper, connected with the remarks on the incorporation of the possessive pronoun with certain substantives, though on an Asiatic language may find place here.

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ON A ZAZA VOCABULARY.

READ
BEFORE THE PHILOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

MAY THE 23RD.

The following vocabulary is one taken by Dr. H. Sandwith from a Kurd of the Zaza tribe, one of the rudest of the whole Kurd family, and one for which we have no philological specimens.

English.	Zaza.
head	sèrè-min.
eyes	tchim-emin.
eyebrows	buruè-min.
nose	zinjè-min.
moustache	simile-min.
beard	ardishè-min.
tongue	zoanè-min.
teeth	dildonè-min.
ears	gushè-min.
fingers	ingishtè-min.
arm	paziè-min.
legs	híngè-min.
father	pie-min.
mother	mai-min.
sister	wai-min.
brother	brai min.
the back	pashtiai-min.
hair	porè-min.
cold	serdo.
hot	auroghermo.
sun	rojshwesho.
moon	hashmè.
star	sterrai.
mountain	khoo.
sea	aho.
valley	derèi.
eggs	hoiki.
a fowl	kerghi.
welcome	tebèxairomè.
come	bèiri.
stay	rōshè.
bread	noan.
water	āwè.
child	katchimo.
virgin	keinima.
orphan	lajekima.
morning	shaurow.
tree	dori.
iron	asin.
hare	aurish.
greyhound	taji.
pig	khooz.
earth	ert.
fire	adir.
stone	see.
silver	sém.
strength	kote.
sword	shimshir.
a fox	krèvesh.
stag	kivè.
partridge	zaraj.
milk	shut.
horse	istor.
mare	mahinè.
grapes	eshkijshi.
a house	kè.
green	kesk.
crimson	soor.
black	siah.
white	supèo.
sleep	rausume.
go	shoori.

The meaning of the termination-min has been explained by Pott and Rödiger in their Kurdische Studien. It is the possessive pronoun of the first person = my = meus = [a]ἐμὸς], &c.; so that sèrè-min = caput-meum (or mei), and pie-min = pater-meus (or mei).