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Nora
The Noras are only found
in the Sibsagar District of Assam.
The Nora language is undoubtedly akin to Khamti, but not
exactly the same as it share more features in common with
the Northern Shan of Burma. It has also a large number of
Burmese loan words. The alphabet used is the same as that
of Burmese Shan.
Nora possesses the vowel a8,which is not apparently,in Khamti.
As in the other tai languages mentioned above Nora also
has the scheme of attaching the sound sequence of wa
after each and every consonants. In a compound word
when the last consonant of one number is the same as that
of the first number of the next, the consonant is usually
written only once. For example-khu_n-na#ng-kau,is always
written khu_-na#ng-kau,similarly when the imperative particle
ta# is added to the root hich, it is then realized as he#t,
For example-he#-ta# for he#t-ta#.
In regard to Substantives, the suffix mai is regularly
used to make a kind of oblique from when a nun is governed
by a preposition. For example- na-khau mai (to good).
The Dative case is formed by prefixing ha#ng or ka#.For
example-ka# kau (to me).The Dative is also formed by prefixing
ti.hang is sometimes used for the accusative.
For example-po-ta# ha#ng ma,(beat him).
The Genitive usually follows
the governing noun without any suffix or prefix. Sometimes,
the relative pronoun a#n is idiomatically prefixed . For
instance a#n po# kha#, the slave of the father.
The ablative has the usual forms.There are also luk-ti in
phrases. For instance, luk-ti man (from him).
To form the plural, na-khau is used as well as khau. For
instance ha#ng luk-kha8 na8-khau mai (to the servants).
In the case of the Adjectives, the participle suffix
se is frequently added. For example ta#ng lung se (all).
As regards Pronouns, the respectful suffix chau occurs constantly
in specimens, For example mau_ chau,(you)
The use of the Relative pronoun a#n is also very
common. The demonstratiuve pronouns are written a-8nai and
a-nan.
In verbs, the past tense is frequently formed by kwa#-jau.Sometimes
kwa#-se- jau, se, is used. For the future both the ti and
tak are used. For instance ti-ka-#wa# (will say).
An instance of the infinitive of purpose is ka#-pau_, to
feed , a pure dative. The participle suffix shi of Khamti
becomes se in Nora.
The negative is ma8,and also mau. The assertive word ho
is often added to the end of a sentence as in Shan.
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