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

6.2 Body Parts

an˙-, han˙-, han n. body, usually used in compounds.

bi-mang n. body of person or thing; shape, form; middle portion of an object, such as a glass.

ging n. nose, snot.

ku˙-chil n. lip.

ku˙-sik n. mouth; language; opening of a pot, etc.; front end of a worm; pal ku˙-sik tip of a plow blade.

mik-gil n. eyelid.

mik-kang n. face; front, front end, of a flashlight, sweater, etc.; top, of a banana leaf. next, in the future: mik-kang bil-si, mik-kang-gip-a bil-si-o next year; mik-kang ja-o, mik-kang-gip-a ja-o next month; mik-kang Ro-bi-bal next Sunday.

mik-on n. eye, (A˙ chik: mik-ron).

na-chil n. ear.

na-chil a˙-kol, na-chil a˙-kil-ok, na-chil-ni a˙-kil-ok, na-kol n. ear hole.

pe, pi, pe-top, pi-top n. cheek.

sko, sku n. head; end of a rice field, long arm of a rice pounder ( teng-ki).

wa n. tooth, teeth on the edge of a cutting tool: ka-chi-wa teeth on the edge of a ka-chi (sickle) blade.

jak n. hand, arm. jak- cp. prefix for parts of the hands and arms. jak- cls. classifier for leaves: i˙-sal jak-sa one banana leaf.

pak-krong n. shoulder.

jak-git-ok n. wrist, (lit. arm-neck).

jak-pa n. palm of the hand; end of an insect leg.

jak-si n. finger; distal segment of an insect leg.

jak-si-bi-ma n. thumb, (lit. female-finger).

jak-skil n. fingernail, claw.

jak-sku n. elbow.

ja˙- n. leg, foot, usually in compounds. cp. prefix for parts of the legs and feet: ja˙-git-ok ankle.

ja˙-chok n. entire leg, upper and lower; leg of bird; one of the four vertical side pieces of a basket; foot treadle of a teng-ki (rice pounder).

ja˙-ping n. thigh, upper leg, thigh of a bird.

ja˙-sku n. knee.

ja˙-git-ok n. ankle, (lit. leg-neck).

ja˙-git-ok-gi-ro n. round ankle bones at the sides of the ankles.

ja˙-pa n. foot; sole of foot; the foot treadle of a rice pounder.

ja˙-si n. toe. a˙-bol ja˙-si n. small bits of firewood, (lit. toe-wood).

ja˙-skil n. toenail, claw.

git-ok n. neck, throat; narrow place, neck of a pot. dns. narrow place: jak-git-ok wrist; ja˙-git-ok ankle; chi-git-ok narrow place in a stream.

jang-gil n. back, back of body, back of an insect; back side of an object; green outer edge of bamboo; bottom of a banana leaf.

ki˙-sang n. buttocks, backside; bottom or back end of an object, as a flashlight, basket, glass, pot. last, previous, most recent: ja ki-sang last month.

bik-ma, buk-ma n. belly, stomach; body of a pot.

chel, chel-gok, chel-tong n. chest of the body.

gan-du-ri n. navel, belly button.

sok n. breast, man's nipple; mother's milk, animal's milk when drunk by a baby animal.

sok-me, sok-mi n. woman's breast.

kim-il n. body hair, fur of an animal, small feathers, down.

kin-i n. hair of the head.

ku˙-sim-ang n. beard; tassel of a corn cob.

chi-kil-ang-a vi. bald, without hair. chi-kil-ang adv.

be˙-en n. meat, flesh, body; meat of a vegetable in contrast to the leaves.

bi-bik n. intestines; inner edge of bamboo that is opposite to the green outer edge.

bi-ka n. liver.

ka˙-rong-ti n. heart.

greng n. bone.

an˙-chi, han˙-chi n. blood, (lit. body water).

bi-gil n. skin of humans and animals, bark, peel, pod, leather.

git-tam-a n. urine. vi. urinate.

ke˙-em-a n. dung; excrement. vi. defecate (A˙A chik ki).

ku˙-chi n. saliva; bubbles.

mit-im n. body fat, grease. mit-im-a vi. fat, fatty tasting. mit-im-mit-im dak-a adv. a little fatty.

6.4 Shapes of the Body

ging-chep-ta adv. flat-nosed, characteristic nose shape of Mandis.

bol-cha-a vi. tall, of people.

chu-a-a vi. high, tall, of trees, people, buildings, hills, mountains; rise, of a sloping road; one of the three spatial dimensions, along with gro length and gip-eng width.

kan˙-dok-a vi. short, of people, animals, string, sticks, posts, days, etc.; short of speaking, briefly.

ran˙-chok-a vi. thin, of people. scrawny, (lit. dry pointed).

mil-a vi. fat.

6.5 Clothing and Adornment

de-bra, di-bra n. carrying cloth for a baby.

gam-cha n. small cloth, towel, napkin, loincloth, woman's top cloth, cloth worn on head, cloth used by little girls as a short skirt. <B

ru-mal n. handkerchief, small cloth.

ko-tip, ku-tip n. man's turban; head cloth wrapped over forehead and tied in back; top of memorial post.

dok-ban-da, dok-man-da n. a Garo woman's wrap around skirt cloth of traditional design.

sa-ri n. sari, woman's wrapped outer garment. <B

lung-gi n. man's tube-like skirt. <B

chin-a vt. wear, put on, get dressed, be dressed, esp. for clothes worn above the waist and for garments that are wrapped, shirt, chador, top cloth; ba˙-ra-ko chin-a drape cloth to provide shade.

ga˙-a vt. wear or put on, of shoes, socks; step.

gan-a vt. wear, put on of clothes, esp. those worn below the waist: underpants, pants, lunggi, loincloth leng-ti, but also sari; put on or wear Page  375jewelry of all sorts, necklace, earrings, bracelet, watch, etc.; wear, dress oneself, in contrast with pat-a dress someone else.

ka-a vt. put on, wear, of a turban; tie; make friends; build a fence, a barrier in a stream.

krok-a vt. put on or wear, of something that requires insertion of a body part rather than wrapping, such as a shirt, sweater, socks, pants, etc.

ok-a vt. take off clothes that require insertion, of shoes, hat, shirt, lunggi; unbutton; pull out, of plugs, corks, plants when weeding; disconnect.

pat-a vt. dress another person; esp. dress someone in jewelry; tie together cattle for a yoke; ku˙-tip pat-a bestow a turban as a symbol of office, create a headman, (lit. clothe with the turban). pat- cls. classifier for things made of cloth, shirts, lunggies, quilts; for units of paper money, takas.

sik-a vt. put on, wear, of a hat, bracelet; insert, put in, stick in, sew, poke, jab: ru-a sik-a plant rice seedlings in mud; give, provide the jang-gi (life, soul) by the creator.

sang-gong n. woman's bracelet, bangle; plant tendrils.

a-bu-a, ha-bu-a vi. bathe, take a bath.

jak-su-a vi. wash hands.

ken˙-a vt. brush, comb hair.

mik-su-a vi. wash face.

sam-pil n. comb for the hair.

su˙-gal-a vt. wash things, such as clothes or dishes.

ba˙-ra n. cloth, clothes.

6.6 Kinship and Family

a-pa n. father.

a-wang, wang-gip-a n. father's younger brother, mother's younger sister's husband, stepfather.

at-chu, at-chu-gip-a n. grandfather.

ma-ma, ma-ma-gip-a, ma-ma-tang n. mother's brother. <B

o˙-bit-e, u˙-bit-i, ho˙-bit-e n. father-in-law.

pa-a, pa-gip-a n. father.

pa-jong n. father's older brother, mother's older sister's husband.

a-jong, ma˙-jong n. mother's older sister; father's elder brother's wife.

a-ma n. mother, mom.

a-ni, ma-ni n. father's sister, mother's brother's wife, mother-in-law.

am-bi n. grandmother.

ma-ni, a-ni n. father's sister, mother's brother's wife, mother-in-law.

ma˙-de, ma˙-di, a˙-de, a˙-di n. mother's younger sister, father's younger brother's wife, aunt, stepmother.

ma˙-gip-a n. mother.

a-da, a-da-gip-a, a-da-tang n. elder brother, mother's elder sister's son, elder father's elder brother's son, elder parallel cousin-brother.

ang-jong, jong-gip-a, jong-tang n. younger brother, mother's younger sister's son, father's younger brother's son, younger parallel cousin-brother.

bo-ning, ang-bo-ning n. man or woman's younger sister's husband, spouse's older brother, reciprocal term between men.

gu-me, gu-mi, gu-me-gip-a, gu-mi-gip-a n. man or woman's older sister's husband.

jo-jong n. little brother, baby brother, affectionate name for a baby boy.

jong, jong-gip-a, ang-jong n. younger brother, mother's younger sister's son, father's younger brother's son, cousin-brother.

jong-sa-ri n. wife's younger brother, husband's younger brother.

nok-cham-e n. parent's of one's children-in-law, parents of a child's spouse.

sa-du, sa-du-gip-a n. wife's sister's husband: sa-du dal˙-gip-a wife's older sister's husband; sa-du chon-gip-a wife's younger sister's husband; sa-du-sa husbands of sisters.

se, si, se-gip-a, si-gip-a n. husband.

a-bi, a-bi-gip-a, a-bi-tang n. elder sister, mother's elder sister's daughter, father's elder brother's son, elder cousin-sister.

a-no, no, a-no-gip-a, no-gip-a, no-tang n. younger sister, mother's younger sister's daughter, father's younger brother's daughter, younger cousin-sister.

ang-jik, jik, jik-gip-a n. wife.

jik, jik-gip-a, jik-tang, ang-jik n. wife.

jik-git-e, jik-git-i n. younger wife, second wife.

no, no-gip-a, no-no, a-no n. younger sister, man's younger brother's wife, husband's or wife's younger brother's wife.

no-gip-a, no-tang, a-no n. younger sister, mother's younger sister's daughter, cousin-sister.

no-no n. little sister, affectionate name for a baby girl.

no-sa-ri n. wife's younger sister.

sa-ri n. sister-in-law, used reciprocally between any sisters-in-law.

ang-de, ang-di, de, di, de-gip-a, di-gip-a n. child as a kinship term, son, daughter, man's brother's child, woman's sister's child.

ang-nam-chik, nam-chik n. man's sister's daughter, woman's brother's daughter, niece, daughter-in-law.

ang-su, su˙-gip-a n. grandchild.

cha-wa-ri, cha-wa-ri-gip-a, cha-wa-ri-tang n. son-in-law.

de, di, de-gip-a, de-tang, gang-de n. child, as a kinterm; son, daughter.

de-me-chik, de-me-chik-gip-a, di-mi-chik n. daughter.

de-pan-te, di-pan-ti n. son.

gri, gri-gip-a, gri-tang, ang-gri n. cross nephew, woman's brother's son, man's sister's son.

nam-chik, ang-nam-chik n. man's sister's daughter, woman's brother's daughter, cross-niece, niece, daughter-in-law.

nok-krom n. male heir, resident son-in-law.

su˙-gip-a, ang-su n. grandchild.

a-ma-a-pa n. mother and father, parents.

am-bi-at-chu n. grandfather and grandmother, old people, ancestors.

jik-se n. wife and husband, couple.

chat-chi n. kin, kinsman.

jak-a-si n. the opposite kin group, left, left hand.

ma˙-chong n. kin group, lineage, named group, such as Nok-rek, Cham-bu-gong, etc.

chra, chra-tang, chra-gip-a n. men of a man's wife's lineage.

ang-bak n. close kinsman.

kam˙-dak n. real kin, immediate kin, closely related.

de-chap, di-chap n. twin.

de-jak-ra, di-jak-ra n. first child, oldest child.

jik-sek-a vt. marry by starting to live together without formal steps; steal a wife; take someone else's wife.

kim-a vt. marry, get married: me˙-chik me˙-a-sa-ko kim-a the woman marries the man.

chap-a, dong-na chap-a, dong-chap-a vt. give a second spouse; attach, join, put beside; pile up, as leaves, cloth, paper; attach, join.

gal-grik-a vt. mutually dispose of, divorce each other.

jik gal-a, jik-ko wat-a vt. divorce, (lit. throw away one's wife).

se-gal-a, se-ko gal-a vt. divorce, (lit. throw away one's husband).

ma˙-dong n. incest, sexual relations or marriage within a named lineage.

6.7 Life Cycle

bik-ma gin-ang, buk-ma gin-ang nph. pregnant, (lit. stomach-with).

at-chi-a vi. be born.

ba˙-a vt. give birth, bear child; carry child in cloth on hip, back or front.

tang-a vi. live, alive.

ak-sot-a vt. kill by twisting the neck.

ra-sot-a vt. kill by cutting, slicing, as one kills a chicken.

si-a vi. die; go out, of fire, lamp: git-ok si-a be hoarse, (lit. throat dies); gro si-a settle a legal case; ja-jong si-a dark of the moon, (lit. moon dies).

so˙-ot-a vt. kill.

6.8 People

man-de, man-di n. person, human being; specifically, a member of the Garo ethnic group.

me˙-a, mi˙-a, me˙-a-sa, mi˙-a-sa n. man, adult male; me-a pi˙-sa male child, boy.

me˙-chik, mi˙-chik, me˙-chik-sa n. woman, adult female; me˙-chik pi˙-sa woman-child, girl.

gen-da n. infant, baby who is not yet walking. <B

pi˙-sa, di˙-sa n. child, (A˙ chik: bi˙-sa). -pi˙-sa dns. young animal, occasionally used for young of plants; a small example of objects: mong-ma-pi˙-sa baby elephant; jak-si-pi˙-sa little finger; te˙-rik pi˙-sa young banana plant; profit, interest on a loan.

me˙-tra, mi˙-tra n. unmarried woman, young woman, adolescent girl.

pan-te, pan-ti n. bachelor, unmarried youth, adolescent boy.

bu-ra n. old man, husband. <B

bu-ri n. old woman, wife. <B

ba-ju n. friend.