Handbook of the Kachin Or Chingpaw Language: Containing the Grammatical Principles and Peculiarities of the Language, Colloquial Exercises, and a Vocabulary

This handbook was published in 1895 and written by Henry Felix Hertz, Superintendent of Police, Burma. He also passed Higher standard examination in Burmese, Shan, and Kachin languages. The first part of the book explains the grammatical principles and features of the language. The second part consists of conversational exercises explaining Kachin idioms. The third part is vocabulary. The spelling system followed in this book was created by Mr. George, Deputy Commissioner, in consultation with missionaries in Bhamo, and adopted by the local government for the Latin script of the Kachin word. The Kachin language is very sparse, and the need for more vocabulary when communicating with Shan, Burmese and Chinese has led to the introduction of many foreign words into the language. It is by no means difficult to learn, but accurate pronunciation can only be achieved through conversational practice.