vi LANGUAGE 123

" Buk buk " shows that the chief is a big, heavy man and is
walking slowly.

" Bak bak " similarly used would mean that the chief was
medium-sized and walking slowly, whereas " bik bek" could
only be used of a small person proceeding slowly.

There are over a hundred such adverbs in Lushei.

Interjections.

The most common are " le " = I say! " Khai " = Come! " Ku" =
Ho! " Chei chei" denoting disapproval and surprise. There are
certain interjections, such as "Karei, Karei!" = Alas ! Alas!
which are only used by women.

The Lushais are very fond of piling up adverbs to intensify
the meaning:—

Ava mak em em mai!
How wonderful very very very!

Ava mak em veleh !
How wonderful very indeed !

Literal Translation of an -Account of the TMmzing.

Hman laihian thim a lo-zing-a; chutichuan mi
Former time in darkness it collected; then mankind
zawn zawn an in-khawm mur mur

all all they themselves collected (untranslatable adverb)
chutichuan zawng hmul a lo lenga an hgum

then monkey hair it began to grow their spine ends
a thak an hiat thin-a zawng a te

they itched they scratched always monkeys into (plural suffix)

an changa tin lal te chu va-pual a an lo
they changed their chiefs indeed horn-bill into they became
changa mi chbia e-raw chu zawng a te ngati-va
changed people poor on the other hand monkey into grey
te - an lo changa. Tin sa lu ro nei
monkeys they became changed. Then flesh head dry had
chuan an tuah a thing ai-in a tha zawh a
those who they put on fire wood than it good more was
chu-te-chuan an dam rei thei zawk an ti. Tin mei-ling
therefore they lived long could more they say. Then embers