The Nagas

Hill Peoples of Northeast India

Project Introduction The Naga Database

letter from J.P. Mills to J.H. Hutton

caption:

Ao words; Yaro and Chanki daos

medium:

letters

person:

Hutton/ J.H.Ngahu

production:

person:	Mills/ J.P.
date:	4.8.1922

acquirer:

person:	Pitt Rivers Museum Archive, Oxford
refnum:	Hutton Ms. Box 3 28-29

text:

Mokokchung,

text:

4/8/1922

text:

My dear Hutton,

text:

I only have time at the moment to answer one point in your letter, for which many thanks. We seem to have had different information as to the Ao words for mother. I would give them as follows:
_Chongli_(1)_ucha
_________(2)_tetzu - a general word meaning 'mother', 'grandmother' or simply 'female'. Addressed as kutzu.
_Mongren_(1)_au
________(2)_ala - used in addressing women of Yimchenchar and Achamr clans. Yimchenchar is in the phratry corresponding to Chongli Pongen and Achamr (only found at Chuntia) in that corresponding to Chongli Chami [later corrected to "in the same phratry" as the two are "brother clans" - J.H. Hutton] Chanki - aya

text:

All these terms, taking kutzu for tetzu = "my mother"

text:

Your picture of the Yaro dao is quite like the Chanki dao, but much more like the wooden copies on the graves, which may well have retained an earlier form. If I can I will get you one, but only Christians will part and I doubt if there are any more in Christian hands. The custom was to throw them away when you were converted.

text:

Ngaku wants me to say that the fowls are Rs. 3/- a pair.

text:

J.P. Mills

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