The Language of the Modhupur Mandi (Garo), Volume 2

5.1 Farming

ha˙-, ha, a˙-, ha˙-a, a˙-a n. earth, ground, soil. ha˙-, a˙- cp. categorizing prefix for land, soil, countryside: ha˙-kin-te lumps of earth; ha˙-ba fields; a˙-gil-sak world.

ha˙-ba, a˙-ba n. agricultural land, land used for either wet rice cultivation or for slash and burn.

ha˙-tot, a˙-tot n. land allotted to a single individual to use, often to a young person; property of an individual, including land, goods, rice, etc.

ha˙-ba git-dal, a˙-dal n. first year slash and burn fields.

ha˙-dal, a˙-dal, ha˙-ba git-dal n. first year slash and burn fields.

ha˙-pal, a˙-pal n. wet rice land, in contrast to slash and burn fields; plains, lowland; specifically: the region of north Mymensingh where Mandis live.

ge˙-a, gi˙-a vt. plant into a hole, plant seeds individually or a few at a time, for maize, trees, etc., plant rice seedlings; contrasts with go-a sew, broadcast.

go-a, gu-a vt. broadcast seeds, plant; throw, scatter; cast fishnet; deal out cards; shoot gun.

ak-a vt. pick, pluck, flowers, fruit, leaves, etc.

pik-a vt. pull out by the roots, plants from earth, rice seedlings for transplanting; pluck, as gray hairs from one's head, down from birds.

5.2 Crops, Cultivated Plants

gu-a n. areca palm, areca nut.

jam-bu-ra n. pomelo, a large citrus tree and fruit.

mo-du n. papaya, honey. <B

na-rang n. orange tree, orange fruit.

na-ri-kel, nai-rol n. coconut. <B

nai-rol, na-ri-kel n. coconut. <B

te˙-brong, ti˙-brong n. jackfruit.

te˙-ga-chu, ti˙-ga-chu n. mango.

te˙-rik, ti˙-rik n. banana.

a-na-ros n. pineapple. <B

ak-ka-ru n. a kind of squash.

al-u-gu-ta n. white potatoes (A˙A chik al-u). <B

ba-dam n. peanut. <B

ba-ring n. eggplant, brinjal.

bil˙-ik n. short green beans with narrow, edible pods.

dail, dal n. pulse, dahl. <B

deng-ga n. a red spinach-like vegetable of which the leaves are eaten, larger than lal-sak. <B

e˙-ching, i˙-ching n. ginger.

ga-jur n. carrot. <B

ge-na-si, gi-na-si n. a green bean with a broad pod that is eaten along with the seeds.

go-min-da, gu-min-da n. a round squash that lies on ground when growing.

gom n. wheat. <B

i˙-ching, e˙-ching n. ginger.

jal˙-ik n. chili pepper.

ka˙-rek n. beans with a long narrow edible pod.

kil n. cotton.

lau, rau n. gourd, a long edible squash that hangs from a climbing vine. <B

mul-a n. a large radish; the plant has four-petaled white or slightly lavender flowers, and edible greens in addition to the white or reddish edible root. <B

me-ga-ru, mi-ga-ru n. an edible grain, Job's-tears or pop sorghum.

me-kop, mi-kop n. maize.

me˙-a, mi˙-a n. edible bamboo shoots.

men-du n. a yellow flowered pea with edible seeds.

mi-si-mi, mi-si n. millet.

ro-sun, ro-sin, ra-sin, na-sin n. onion, garlic. <B

ro-sun gip-bok, na-sin gip-bok n. garlic.

ro-sun git-chak, na-sin git-chak n. onion.

sil-so, sil-su, sul-so n. mustard, mustard seed.

ta˙-a n. any of several edible tubers.

ta˙-bol-chu, ta˙-bil-chu n. manioc, cassava.

ta˙-mil-ang n. sweet potato.

ta˙-ring n. huge-leafed tuber, arum.

to-ma-to, to-me-to, to-mo-to n. tomato, (same as ba-ring bel-a-ti. <E

jal-a n. rice seedling during stage when it grows in a seedbed. <B

me-rong, mi-rong n. husked rice.

mi n. rice plant, unhusked rice, cooked rice.

mi-mil n. sticky rice that has been cooked by steaming, cooked mi-mit-im.

mi-mit-im n. a variety of sticky rice before it has been husked, the kind of rice that, when cooked, will be called mi-mil, a traditional rice from slash and burn times, one kind of mi-man-de.

mi-rong, me-rong n. husked but uncooked rice.

5.3 Animals, Domestic

do˙-, do˙-o, do, du˙-, du˙-u, du n. domestic fowl, more broadly any bird at all. Combining form: do˙-, du˙-). cp. prefix for varieties of birds: do˙-pi-sa chick (A˙A chik do˙-bi-sa); do˙-bi-ma hen, female bird; do˙-bi-pa cock, rooster, male bird.

ma˙-su n. cow, bull, cattle, (A˙ chik: mat-chu).

ma˙-su gen-da, ma˙-su pi˙-sa, ma˙-su ba-sur n. calf.

a-chak n. dog.

do˙-mok, du˙-mok n. goat, (A˙ chik: do˙-bok).

meng-gong n. cat, (A˙ chik: meng-go).

wak n. pig.

5.4 Cooking and Eating

na˙-kam n. dried fish of the ordinary kind.

wak be˙-en n. pork, (lit. pig-meat).

chu n. rice beer: chu-bit-chi undiluted rice beer, the first rice beer from the pot.

mu-ri n. puffed rice. <B

chi-ni n. sugar. <B

gu-ru-ma n. locally produced dark sugar, made by boiling the juice of sugar cane. <B

hol-di, ol-di, hel-di, el-di n. turmeric, turmeric colored, yellow. <B

ka-ri n. soda that is used in cooking, and that is either purchased or made by filtering water through ashes.

kai-sim, ka-ri-sim, ka-sim, sim n. salt.

ro-ti, ru-ti n. bread. <B

cha n. tea: cha-git-chak tea served without milk, (lit. red tea). <B

chi n. water, liquid: mik-chi tears; han˙-chi blood; bit-chi juice.

ja-ba n. curry, side dish eaten with rice.

sok-bit-chi n. mother's milk, breast milk, (lit. breast-juice).

a˙-bol, ha˙-bol n. firewood.

ching˙-a vi. shine, not necessarily brightly, of sun, moon, fire, candles, hurricane lamp, flashlight, TV screen, gold; light up, flame up.

cho-ka, cho-ka a˙-kol n. fireplace.

ha˙-bol, a˙-bol n. firewood.

ha˙-dip-u, a˙-dip-u n. ashes.

hang-a vt. hold hands up to the fire to warm them; warm or dry objects such as cloth or paper by holding them up to the fire.

mes n. match. <E

kam-a vi. burn, blaze.

kim-it-a, sik-kim-it-a vt. extinguish, put out, as a fire or match; turn off, hurricane lamp, flashlight.

net-a vt. turn on, shine with light, candle, burning sticks, etc. in order to see; shine on, illuminate: lait-cha net-e ni-ing-a, chau˙-kok-ko see the thief by shining a light.

si-a vi. go out, of fire, lamp, (lit. die).

so˙-a, su˙-a vt. burn, ignite, light fire, candle, etc.; feed fire with firewood; singe a pig over fire to remove hair.

wal˙-, wal, n. fire, (A˙ chik wa˙-al). wal˙- cp. prefix for things connected with fire.

wal˙-ku-a n. smoke. vi. to smoke, of a fire.

dik-ka n. an earthenware pot together with its cane sling that is used for brewing rice beer.

dik-te, dik-ti n. smallish pot, often but not necessarily earthenware, for water, etc., smaller than a gim-bi.

dik-tom n. large round open mouthed earthenware pot, used for brewing rice beer. Does not include a cane sling.

gim-bi n. large water pot, bigger than a dik-te.

me˙-dik, mi˙-dik n. rice cooking pot.

rang-tal n. plate, dish.

rong-dik n. earthenware storage pot with no neck and a large mouth, used to store rice; the thick part at the base of a banana trunk, (lit. banana-round pot).

sam-dik n. curry cooking pot.

bal-ti n. pail, bucket. <B

cha-mos n. spoon. <B

cha˙-am n. mortar for pounding rice.

dang˙-kep n. tongs: sil-dang-kep iron tongs; wa˙-dang-kep bamboo tongs; bol-dang-kep wooden tongs.

pong n. ladle made from a gourd and used esp. for rice beer.

rim-ol, rong˙-te rim-ol n. the smaller (upper) grindstone that is held in the hand; rice-pounding pestle.

wa˙-sing, wa˙-ni wa˙-sing n. bamboo cup, bamboo tube used for storage or for blowing up fire.

cho-sam-a vt. winnow.

mi-pal n. rice portion, serving, share, esp. when wrapped in a banana leaf.

dit-a vt. filter water through ashes to obtain soda; filled with liquid, as water behind a barrier, breasts filled with milk.

git-ting vi. uncooked, green, unripe, raw.

jo˙-a vt. fry, without water but sometimes with oil, as meat, cakes, cracked rice, etc.

rit-a vt. boil.

song˙-a vt. cook; brew rice beer.

cha˙-a vt. eat, nurse; eat away at, by water or by a disease; live by means of; erupt, come out, of a skin disease; receive monetary compensation as as a result of a legal case.

chik-a vt. bite, by people, mosquitoes, etc.; bite by mit-i (spirits) when they cause disease; biting cold; cause rash; attack, of laziness.

min-ok-a vt. swallow; eclipse of sun or moon.

ring-a vt. drink; take medicine orally, both liquids and pills; smoke tobacco.

du˙-a vt. feed solid food, such as rice, to a child or invalid; feed at a festival by putting food directly in someone's mouth; feed domestic animals, bait birds.

kan-a vt. feed, of liquids, including breast milk.

ok-ka-a vt. satisfied by, eaten enough of, full of, drunk from.

ok-kri-a vt. hungry, hungry for.

pek-a vt. intoxicated from, surfeited from; the feeling of having eating or drinking a lot, feeling after eating pork fat: ang-a wak-mit-im-ko bang˙-e cha˙-e pek-a having eaten a lot of pork fat, I am surfeited.

5.6 Buildings

ba-ri n. group of buildings built around a courtyard, compound; the group of people who live in these buildings. <B

chi-dik n. bird coop.

jam n. granary, storehouse.

nok n. house, building, household, family. -nok dns. buildings: wa˙-si-nok house built of split bamboo; tat-nok building where weaving is done; skul-nok school building; ran-a-nok kitchen building. nok- cp. prefix for types and parts of houses: nok-pan-te young men's house; nok-kap house site. nok- cls. classifier for families, households, for what is held in a house.

nok-pan-te n. house for adolescents and unmarried young men.

rik-a vt. build, esp. for houses.

am˙-pang n. thatch, thatching grass.

nok-king n. roof.

krong n. post.

do˙-ga, du˙-ga n. door, especially a bamboo lattice door.

be-ra n. the fence, as around a garden, esp. a fence made from bamboo matting, grass, or stems of sam-sim-a-ri plants: be-ra ka-a build a fence, (lit. tie fence). <B

chi-kol n. well of the type that has a hand pump.

a˙-til-a, ha˙-til-a n. courtyard, space between houses and buildings of a homestead.

nok-sil n. neighbor, neighboring houses.

jal˙-ang n. narrow foot bridge made with a log or pieces of bamboo.

ra-ma n. road, path, way, means.

so-rok n. road, highway. <B

5.8 Objects, Tools, Artifacts

am˙-pok, ham˙-pok n. low stool.

bi-pong n. handle of tool, such as a knife, etc.

cho-ki n. bedstead, wooden platform. <B

jol-oi n. cloth cradle that is tied between posts of a veranda.

git-chi n. a small, narrow-bladed hoe, for weeding and digging up roots.

at-te, at-ti n. large, machete-like knife that is used especially for cutting bamboo but also for general cutting and chopping.

kat-chi n. sickle, rice cutting knife.

ru-a n. axe.

mil˙-am n. traditional ceremonial headhunting sword.

spi, sep-pi n. warrior's shield.

am n. mat.

gin˙-chi-ra n. sieve, tool for sifting.

ru-an n. winnowing tray with curved up sides and back, but a flat and open end.

to-ra, tu-ra n. basket, (A˙A chik kok).

wat-a vt. weave basket, work bamboo.

bas, bas gari n. bus. <E

ben-ga-ri, ben-riik-sa n. flat-bottomed rickshaw, 'van' rickshaw for carrying goods. <B

ga-ri n. cart, bus, auto, vehicle. <B

riik-sa n. peddle rickshaw. <B

sai-kel, bai-si-kol n. bicycle. <E