Arunachal Pradesh Local Sayings and Proverbs
These Arunachal sayings are short but full of great meaning and tell great stories and cultures of pasts. These sayings have been passed down and usually got their origins from early forefathers, philosophers, and saints.
Many of these proverbs contain wisdom and advice for life challenges. Some may require you to consider how a simple saying can fill the wit and wisdom in them and to take heart from these words of wisdom.
Nyishi Sayings and Nyishi Quotes
Arunachal Proverbs and Sayings
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“Arum hem paatey, Aaro hem tasso.”
Meaning: Tiger in the evening and wildcat in the morning.
Context: A timid who swears to be brave under the influence of alcohol in the evening and reveals himself in the morning.
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“Sojang byachang mikram rebiya”
Meaning: An over-smart lizard jumps to fire.
Context: A little impatience spoils great plans.
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“Sadam Lingmoda akki lingcho, emoda koparr.”
Meaning: Like a dog appearing before the deer, or a man washing his bottom before the poop.
Context: Hastiness. Spoken of doing/saying before the appropriate moment.
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“Ajing neme nyeming, abhyo neme kayo.”
Meaning: I am doubted when I befriend, and I am ditched when I love.
Context: Disloyalty/complicated person/relationship.
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“Chungtene nemey nona jajing tak.”
Meaning: An instigator of the fight will always pretend to stop it.
Context: Said of wife/person who sows discord and then pretends to stop it.
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“Eetar he seley chatar he sadang kotar he bepo rikle”
Meaning: The extreme of descent is a lake/sea, of the climb is a waterfall and of seeing is a male monkey’s private part.
Context: Used during a negotiation when there is no room for concession.
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“Taja khing he aawimo, beysar pohko taikopomo”
Meaning: A sack of charcoal is lighter than its appearance. Monkey leaves no footprints.
Context: Disapproval. A lightweight/hollow person or an act or words/promise.
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“Tajak ga gamte tegyang he fyodo dang, Hiye ga gamte tegyang he langne pue”
Meaning: Fire roars on the back of a bush, and River rumbles on the top of a rock.
Context: Bragging dependence to take pride in relatives’ power/position.
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“Gyangribo myodi boko he myodi he kang-kah, Yahribo ashi rapko he ashi he wang-wah.”
Meaning: Even the mountain echoes where the imposter passes and the river grows where the faker crosses.
Context: Victory of truth, A thief always leaves a sign.
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“Taping ane-Kubung naam wohne me: ngnyi fee he gera. Pata naam wohne me: ngnyi laap he gera.”
Meaning: Of mother bat, among the rats, she says “I got teeth too.” Among the birds, she says “I got wings too.”
Context: Disloyalty. Spoken of a person who is loyal to no one but himself.
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“Changoh go gohmo banang demarr he hoglo wohna? Yalla go barmo banang dodi hoglo downa.”
Meaning: If the earth has not cracked how come the dust? If bamboo has not split how come the droplets?
Context: Logic/evidence. There cannot be smoke without fire.
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“Changjung myangna hem mtung chingmo, Masap myangna hem punyu chingmo.”
Meaning: Firewood knows not what the chulha thinks. Spoon knows not of what the tongs think.
Context: Lack of coordination/Understanding in a family/Team.
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“Soda-Soda labang popi, Nyarda-Nyarda fiibe ble.”
Meaning: An excess of play hurts the knees, and an excess of laughter hurts the teeth.
Context: The excess of mirth leads to tears, Excess in anything becomes a vice.
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“Dwrri kahtey ga kaning doh hem baapui kongri, Sakkar laptey ga tahning doham rahdi hogru.”
Meaning: Nothing comforts like a sweet potato during a long hunger and an old rug during a harsh winter.
Context: Every little help at a time of dire need, A little help in need is more precious than a bigger help when not needed.
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“Niting swngtung hem tabinng domo, Warming swngbv hem taruk domo.”
Meaning: History cannot be bored by termites like an old trunk, and Poetry cannot be destroyed by ants like a tree branch.
Context: Indestructibility of knowledge.
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“Nyebo myoko la cho cho, Taah myoko la ro ro.”
Meaning: It is wise to be quiet in a foreign land and walk safely in a thorny land.
Context: Alertness. Said of avoiding confrontation in a place belonging to others, where your opponents could be crowded.
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“Appe he moduk na nyepam, Sisam he moduk na he labang.”
Meaning: A revolting fart annoys the nose, a disorderly piss wet the knee.
Context: Self-injury. Hurting kin is hurting oneself, Applied often in case of kinship rivalry/fight.
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“Nayo taa hem hiye yarki me, Nyitte kao hem hiye tamsar mo”
Meaning: No one sharpens the thorns of lemon, and No one advises the offspring of the rich.
Context: Natural expectation/common sense. Used to mean that the good virtues of parents should come naturally to their children.
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“Nyido homoda bhio pamcho, Asi temoda sogo rehcho.”
Meaning: Before the rain, prepare the shelter, Before the flood, prepare the bridge.
Context: Preparedness/Precaution, Precaution is better than cure.
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“Sachang go domo banang taing bukko domo, Nyido go domo banang karbo bukko domo.”
Meaning: There wouldn’t have been mushrooms sprouting without the earth, There wouldn’t have been stars twinkling without the sky.
Context: Support/basis. Behind everything, there’s a procreator. Used often for parents.
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“Doda tana feerik pyampyam, Yoda tana rikchang tallang.”
Meaning: Baring one’s teen before devouring, Flexing one’s phallus before lovemaking.
Context: Impatience/Greediness. Said of an act of restlessness before the possession.
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“Tanagna he tangheye na diikhya da debo, Dohna he dohgheye na chkhya da dedo.”
Meaning: He drank to piss on me, He at to shit on me.
Context: Burden/Ungratefulness, Said of a situation when someone brings trouble for you after reaping benefits from you.
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“Bvder he selle, Selle he bvder.”
Meaning: With the season a river current turns into a placid and the placid turns into a current.
Context: Change of fortune. Said of rich becoming poor and poor becoming rich.
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“Bebv tampu, Tasso rogu.”
Meaning: Like wildcat hankering after bull Mithun’s balls to fall off.
Context: Indefinite wait or going after something in vain.
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“Narba Tada ga assang bangna he, Assang hang he chikchang dadebo, Saka Tallang ga alang bangna he, Alang hobiu he kapko dadey bo.”
Meaning: When Narba Tada lifted the log, his arms made marks on it. When Saka Tallang lifted the rock, he opened the heart of the rock.
Context: Honesty and truthfulness. The two ancient ancestors of the Tani tribes are referred to as symbols of the seriousness of a commitment/promise/agreement.
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“Makkw chochobg re hem salak chabang, Kinnoh chochobg re hem gikrang chabang.”
Meaning: Fetch water when there is smoke, Grab the quiver when dogs bark.
Context: Alertness/Preparation. A piece of advice is not to ignore signs but to remain fully prepared for any eventuality.
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“Tado sora he aingpyo dna, Gamchung sora he aingmo dna.”
Meaning: A knot tied of bamboo rope decays, but in honest words forever stays.
Context: the constancy of spoken words. Applied while arriving at a verbal agreement.
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“Laaung tabw hiye mingbi tana? Ane sma hiye ribi tana?”
Meaning: Who kills the snake on your path if not you? Who will bury your dead mother if not you?
Context: Self-help/responsibility. Said to encourage self-help or resolve personal problems by oneself.
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“Myoko pabarr he nyangking, Banne nobarr he nyangrang myangkang.”
Meaning: Far on the wrong field, regret a year, Marry the wrong woman, regret for eternity.
Context: Caution/Marriege. Used as a suggestion to marry an ideal woman so that one doesn’t regret it later on.
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“Diim pumu dongku, Narmw pumu dongku, Dibe prch swv, Dene prch swv.”
Meaning: Like the mountains of the north, a man’s stand remains firm, but like the river of the south, a woman’s stand always shifts.
Context: Loyalty/Firmness of man’s stand and fickleness of woman.
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“Rori dombhing lo tomrio anyi, Hobio taatey lo banne anyi.”
Meaning: He who wields a double-pointed sword slays two bears, He who is broad-chested takes two wives.
Context: Bigamy, Applied to justify bigamy.
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“Sachang chiila chiimo, Nyido chilla chiimo.”
Meaning: While the earth appears for, the heaven looks farther.
Context: Stalemate/incompleteness. An equivalent of the proverbial washerman’s dog stranded between ghar and the ghaat.
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“Changro lakne me haaruk, Changchi lakne me adda.”
Meaning: Too small for a big pot, Too tight for a small pot.
Context: Misfits/complicacy, Said of complicated a person or a problematic idea/situation.
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“Gyamga Abang lo Gyamsang Pada, Raga Abang lo Tarue Talo.”
Meaning: The big brother of extortionists is Gyamsang Pada (river), and The big brother of greediness is Rorue Talo (fire).
Context: The heights of unreasonable demand or greediness, Said of people who demand fines of extortionate proportion and greed like the black hole.
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“Pang-ngam meung Pakko kikge, Sattam meung Sekke kikge.”
Meaning: Blue Mogpie ran away with Quail’s tail, and Squirrel ran away with a Bear’s tail.
Context: Betrayal/disloyalty, The fable is used as an example of betrayal, Nyishi believed that Yellow-Billed Magpie and Squirrel ran away with the entrustment (tail) of Quail and Black Bear.
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