THLEN, Rangjirteh (Krem U)

Herbert Daniel Gebauer - 06/01/2018

One Cave of U –>Thlen is said to be located somewhere in the vicinity of a village called Rangjirteh or Rangjyrteh (note 1), which is said to lie not only about halfway between the waterfalls Nohkalikai (note 2) and Dain Thlen (note 3) but also on the way from an unspecified starting point to the unidentified market at Langhiang Kongkhen (GURDON 1906) or Lynghingkhongkhen (note 4). ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi noun -u 'rang- is a short form of -u shynrang- and means a male but the verb -rang- applies to weather and means to cease to rain, to be fine (SINGH, N 1906: 169) but jirteh (GORDON 1906: 173) or jyrteh (MAJAW s.a., circa 2002: 3) is problematic to interpret (note 5). The verb -teh- means not only to bind, to fasten (SINGH, N 1906: 222) but is also a word used at the end of a sentence to emphasize the adjective before it (note 6). SITUATION: In olden days there was a market in the village of Langhiang Kongkhen, and there was a bridge sacred to the gods there. All the children of men ued to frequent that heavenly market. They used to pass by Rangjirteh, where there is a cave which was tenanted by a gigantic -thlen-. When they went to that market, as soon as they arrived at Rangjirteh they were swallowed up … (GURDON 1906: 173).One Cave of U –>Thlen is said to be located somewhere in the vicinity of a village called Rangjirteh or Rangjyrteh (note 1), which is said to lie not only about halfway between the waterfalls Nohkalikai (note 2) and Dain Thlen (note 3) but also on the way from an unspecified starting point to the unidentified market at Langhiang Kongkhen (GURDON 1906) or Lynghingkhongkhen (note 4). ETYMOLOGY: The Khasi noun -u 'rang- is a short form of -u shynrang- and means a male but the verb -rang- applies to weather and means to cease to rain, to be fine (SINGH, N 1906: 169) but jirteh (GORDON 1906: 173) or jyrteh (MAJAW s.a., circa 2002: 3) is problematic to interpret (note 5). The verb -teh- means not only to bind, to fasten (SINGH, N 1906: 222) but is also a word used at the end of a sentence to emphasize the adjective before it (note 6). SITUATION: In olden days there was a market in the village of Langhiang Kongkhen, and there was a bridge sacred to the gods there. All the children of men ued to frequent that heavenly market. They used to pass by Rangjirteh, where there is a cave which was tenanted by a gigantic -thlen-. When they went to that market, as soon as they arrived at Rangjirteh they were swallowed up … (GURDON 1906: 173).