MAWSIAR, Nongjri, East (Cave near)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

An unspecified cave entrance (unidentified shape, unidentified dimensions, unidentified orientation, unidentified characteristics) is said to give access to an unspecified cave in which Simon J. Brooks, Brian D. Kharpran Daly, Georg Bäumler, Sher Singh, Gurjinder Singh, Raphael Warjri, and Refulgent Kharnaior noticed something or not. IDENTITY: The name of the -nearby- Krem –>Wah Sier (Rana) sounds similar. ETYMOLOGY: No autochthonous, indigenous or locally known name has been identified for this cave which had been christened after one village of Mawsiar (Kharpran Daly 2009.09.11 Mss). The Khasi -u maw- is a stone (SINGH, N 1906: 130) and the verb ”siar” means to sharpen a daw or knife with a small hone (note 1). On the other hand, the Khasi noun ”ka siar” is a treachery between the members of the same clan or house and ”ka 'siar” is a contraction of ”ka ksiar” and means the gold (SINGH, N 1906: 202) but ”ka s'iar” (feminine) is a short form of ”ka syiar” and means a hen as -us s*$iar- (masculine) means a cock and ”ki s'iar” (plural) is a kind of fowl (SINGH, N 1906: 202) or, perhaps, means the jungle fowl (BAZELY 1992: 85). SITUATION: A village called Mawsiar is not shown on the Survey of India sheets 78-O/15 (edition 1912) and 78-O/16 (edition 1912) in the area covered by the way to Nongjri, East Khasi Hills (note 2). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2009: On the way to Nongjri, East Khasi Hills, a supposedly large cave is reported in the village of Mawsiar housing many many bats (Kharpran Daly 2009.09.11 Mss -Here are a few more caves- item 4). CAVE LIFE: Brian D Kharpran Daly (2009.09.11 Mss) draws the attention to a fascinating cave at the village of Mawsiar housing many many bats but it is rather the cave than the village, which houses bats (Chiroptera).*$iar- (masculine) means a cock and ”ki s'iar” (plural) is a kind of fowl (SINGH, N 1906: 202) or, perhaps, means the jungle fowl (BAZELY 1992: 85). SITUATION: A village called Mawsiar is not shown on the Survey of India sheets 78-O/15 (edition 1912) and 78-O/16 (edition 1912) in the area covered by the way to Nongjri, East Khasi Hills (note 2). CAVE DESCRIPTION 2009: On the way to Nongjri, East Khasi Hills, a supposedly large cave is reported in the village of Mawsiar housing many many bats (Kharpran Daly 2009.09.11 Mss -Here are a few more caves- item 4). CAVE LIFE: Brian D Kharpran Daly (2009.09.11 Mss) draws the attention to a fascinating cave at the village of Mawsiar housing many many bats but it is rather the cave than the village, which houses bats (Chiroptera).