xlfi INTRODUCTION*

he speaks df & Wdrd^ ^< marked as a proncmn by Mr. fioWftSY]» attd by hife copyet, the plagiarist^ under the name of howison /' It Is not, howerer, in the copying, but the perrerting his origi* nal, that the demerit consists, x^. shaw's claim to originality is certainly undispnted.

** A comparative Vocabulary of the BamMy MuUyu and T*AA* languages/^ (By 3. c. letdek, m. d.) Serampore, 1810, B^o. The object of this work, as the learned author informs us, ^as to facilitate the compilation of 'a series of Comparative Vocabu-* laries of the languages of the Indo-Chinese naf ions, and of the tribes which inhabit the eastern islands ; for which purpose it was deemed advisable to print and circulate thdse of the Bir^ man and Malay languages in their proper character, together with the Siamese or jPWi, of which no types have hitherto been cut, in the Roman. The plan reflects credit on those who formed it, and the e%ecuti<m of that part which fell in the lot of Dr. us^fPBiff, is a proof of his talents as a philologist, and inS his in^ deftitigable industry. It may at the same time be faurly doubted wbe^r vocabularies of this elaborate nature, where the original text cmly is given, do not serve rather to display the acquire^ ments o9 the editor, than to attain, in the best manner, the end proposed, of collecting information bj means of persons whose pursuits may lead them into those countries. They seem to pre-^ sume, on the part of the traveilar, a perfect acquaintance with the vmtten character, which is not to be expected, or even if hei^ould possess it, a more simple vocabulary, in any familiar tongue, would equally answer his purpose; whilst onr the other hand, if unskilled in the literature of the country he visits, as must generally be the case, the book will present to him no other than

adead

Digitized by

Google

INTHODUCTlOi^ xirti

a deild aiid tt^dĕss letter. Practically speakiiig alsb^ there is an obvious advantage in furnishing hinl with such a Tocabdlary as will facilitate his operations bj enabling him tb wirite down the w^rds he acquires dd the same pdge with the original terms : an attention of which I experienced the benefit, in printed vocabu* lariĕs^ with blank kpHcei, circtdated, many yeahs since^ in all accessible parts of the world, for the same useful purpose. These I accompanied also ririth a short list cbntaitlihg about* fifty of the most obvious words, to be filled up by those Who, frdm want of time or energy, might be deterred £roiM the labtfur of a m[ore extensive task. With regard to the Malayab part, the terms are in general judiciously chosen, and were, I have reason to believe, communicated to him by Ut baj^fles, with whom ho resided at Pule^ Pinemgy duHng the few months of his viiiit to the eastward, for the recovery of hu health ; a pieriod unremit* tingly employed by him in cultivating the languages spoken there, * which, to a less aciite scholar, would have sufficed only for acquiring the cdloquial phrases of the current dialect The or« thography in the Malayan diaracter (with which jthat gentleman bad no concern) is, on the other hand, much t6 be censured ( although an attempt is made to justify thid departure from the best stuidard of writing, in the fbliowing passage : ^^ In the Bama and Maldyu series, the jnost usual native onlM)graphy has been generally adopted. In several instances, however, in which it appeared to foe very likely to lead to mistakes, a less common orthography has been .used> which in general is more aimcular than the other, but which^ with few exceptions, may be found in some mamiscrtpts.'^ But who^. it nmy be asked^ evdA in the most familiar epistle, mttch less in what; is to b^ .

committed

Digitized by

Google

1 INTRODUCTION.

from a perfect ofie) in which they are now offered to the notice of the pubUc^ and more especially of those persons whose duty calls them to the Eastern limits of the British empire^ who are best qualified to appreciate the utility of my labours^ and to supply their deficiencies. To such^ individuaUy^ I shall say^ in the apposite address of Horace^

■ Si quid novisti rectiiis istis^

Candidus imperii; si noD> his utere mecum.

CONTENTS.

Digitized by

Google

CONTENTS.

The Mdlajfan Alphabet -•.. 3

(>f Consonants and Vowels - •--••. 14

Orthographical Marhs -----•.•.-..•. 20

Division of fTords -----••-..-••-. 26

Parts of J^^eech ^

Nouns jg

A^ectives --------•...-..,.. 3^^

Comparison of Adjectives -..• 33

Numerals -------- •-•.^..^.. 30

Pronouns -------.-••-...•.. ^^

■ 0/* /A^ /?rrf Person --.. 43

" ■ cjf the Second Person .•... 4Q

of the Third Person 48

Demonstrative or Definitive -- »... 50

Ferbs -•---•--.-......... 52

Ferbs Substantive ---•-. .-. 59

Distinctions and Relations of the Verb $0

Inflexions of the Transitive Verb --.•..^...•. jtq

' Intransitive Verb .-.-..-..- 7g

Adverb*

Digitized by

Google