Dao Sword of the Naga

aiontay · 2nd September 2014, 02:49 PM

The Jinghpaw (the main Kachin dialect) word for sword is nhtu. Dah is Myen-ga (Burmese language); Dao is Muwa-ga (Chinese). Hkahku (upriver) and Duleng are Jinghpaw sub-groups. Nung, or more properly Anung are a Rawang sub-group.

Gavin Nugent · 3rd September 2014, 07:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aiontay

The Jinghpaw (the main Kachin dialect) word for sword is nhtu. Dah is Myen-ga (Burmese language); Dao is Muwa-ga (Chinese). Hkahku (upriver) and Duleng are Jinghpaw sub-groups. Nung, or more properly Anung are a Rawang sub-group.

Thank you Aiontay,

So would it be fair to say this example is a Rawang nhtu??

Based on your linguistic lesson (Thank you), nhtu is correct terminology for this sword type, Dah secondary when considering Burmese borders that the Kachin people are within but where does Dao actually fit in? I see the Atsi and Lashi & Lisu mainly border China. Do these sub groups of Kachin people use any other name for swords other than nhtu?

With thanks

aiontay · 4th September 2014, 04:45 AM

Basically, I know only a limited amount of Jinghpaw, and keep in mind that Jinghpaw has multiple dialects, so nhtu may not the only Jinghpaw word. The Rawangs likewise have multiple dialects ie Matwang, Anung, Lungmi, Tangsar etc, some of which are mutually unintelligible, so again there is a high possibility that there are multiple words. I'll have to ask my Rawang friends what word they use. I've also got a couple of Maru friends I can ask.
I can't think if any Atsi speakers that I know of around here (Oklahoma), but maybe there are some down in Dallas. Also, the Lisu are sometimes Kachins, sometimes not, and some Rawangs would also object to being classified as Kachins. Anyway, you can see why people would just call any sword from Burma a Dha rather than get bogged down in the ethnographic swamp that ethnic classification can entail. The current census classifications are a serious bone of contention in Burma even as speak.

2nd September 2014, 02:49 PM	#1
aiontay Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 88	The Jinghpaw (the main Kachin dialect) word for sword is nhtu. Dah is Myen-ga (Burmese language); Dao is Muwa-ga (Chinese). Hkahku (upriver) and Duleng are Jinghpaw sub-groups. Nung, or more properly Anung are a Rawang sub-group.

4th September 2014, 04:45 AM	#3
aiontay Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 88	Basically, I know only a limited amount of Jinghpaw, and keep in mind that Jinghpaw has multiple dialects, so nhtu may not the only Jinghpaw word. The Rawangs likewise have multiple dialects ie Matwang, Anung, Lungmi, Tangsar etc, some of which are mutually unintelligible, so again there is a high possibility that there are multiple words. I'll have to ask my Rawang friends what word they use. I've also got a couple of Maru friends I can ask. I can't think if any Atsi speakers that I know of around here (Oklahoma), but maybe there are some down in Dallas. Also, the Lisu are sometimes Kachins, sometimes not, and some Rawangs would also object to being classified as Kachins. Anyway, you can see why people would just call any sword from Burma a Dha rather than get bogged down in the ethnographic swamp that ethnic classification can entail. The current census classifications are a serious bone of contention in Burma even as speak.