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ARTICLE : For the definite article, the prefix a# is used . For the indefinite
article, the numeral me#,
one is employed.hash
GENDER : The only suffixes of gender identified
are tse# for the masculine and
le# for
the feminine. Thus metu
tse# me, a bull; metu
le# me, a cow.
NUMBER : The usual suffix of the plural seems to
be dang, as in metu tse#-dang, bulls.
CASE : The nominative takes the suffix le#, much like the Ao# e. This is used before both transitive and
intransitive verbs. In one case, apparently,
e# is used instead of le#.
The termination, as in Ao, is omitted when no ambiguity
will ensue. The relative participle, corresponding to the
Angami u is apparently gu_, as in a#-nche-gu_, the younger ; peshi-gu_, the elder.
The Accusative takes no termination, as in a#-hong
a#-pui
un-ke#-la#-le#, wasted the whole of
his property. The Genitive takes no termination, and precedes
the noun that governs it, as in the-bd chu, swine’s food.
Other suffixes of case are ka#
or ki,
to; ki, from; ka#, in; nyu_,in; ghenyu_,from; zanho, with. Adjectives follow
the noun they qualify, and in that case, case-and number-suffixes
are added to them, and not to the noun, as in reni
kaje-ki,
to a far country. They take the prefix ke
as in Angami, thus, ke-gwa#, good.
PRONOUNS: The first and third person personal pronouns
are identical in form. It is possible that in such cases
the two words, which are the same in appearance, are distinguished
by being pronounced with different tones, but no concrete
information is available on this matter.
(a) First
Person: Nom, a#-le#; a-n#yo, we; a#-no, to me ; a#,
my. The syllable a#
is used as a pronominal prefix, meaning my, me, to
me. Thus, a#-pfu_, my father; a#-tsu_-ta$, give to me.
(b) Second Person:
Nom-sing. ne#. The general sing. is
un or u@, as in un-si#-ka#zang,
thy brother; u@-hong, thy property.
© Third Person:
The Nom. sing. is a#-le#. Other cases are a#-ka#, to him; and a# common as a prefix, as in a#-pfu_, his father; a#-khu-lo-ho, seeing him. For the plural the list of words
gives apu_renyi
and also ha
ghu-ne#.
hi-le# is ‘this’.
tsu_-ge#,pl. tsu_-nyu, that. tsu_-renyi-ka#, in that village. sage#-ho, who? ngute#-ho,what? ta#-me#, anyone. The interrogative
participle ho
is placed at the end of the sentence.
VERBS:
These present many points of uncertainty. As in Angami,
the suffixes of the present and of the past tense are the
same, and the meaning of the verb must be concluded from
the content.
The most common
verb substantive is bi-ne#, is or was. bi-nyong is also common with the same meaning.
azang-he-le#, thou lives with me.
In the case of
the other verbs, the most usual suffix of the present is
le# or
ne#. In te#-bi-nyong, was doing, nyong apparently gives a continuative or durative
sense.
An example of
the simplest form of a past tense is zo#-le#, said and the simplest
form of the future is vu_-ti, will strike.
The Genitive takes
no termination, and precedes the noun that governs it, as
in the-bd chu, swine’s food.
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