Indian Antiquary Vol 36

SR No.: 032528
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1984
Total Pages: 430
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 15 MB

Page 233

kuus 1907,]
BECORD OF THE LANGUAGES OF SAVAGES.
217
A PLAN FOR A UNIFORM SCIENTIFIC RECORD OF THE
LANGUAGES OF SAVAGES. Applied to the Languages of the Andamanese and Nicobarese.
BY SIR RICHARD C. TEMPLE.. (Continued from p. 203.)
II. The Theory of Universal Grammar applied to the Andamanese Languages.
Prefatory Remarks
The Andamanese are divided into twelve Tribes belonging to three Groups or Divisions, a under, from North to South (vide Map attached): –
1. The Yērewa or Northern Division, consisting of the Chariar, Kora, Tabo, Yēre and
Kede Tribes. 2. The Bojigngiji or Southern Division, consisting of the Jūwai, Kol, Bojigyab, Balawa
and Bēs Tribes. 3. The Onge-Järawa or Outer Division, consisting of the Önge and Järawa Tribes. Port Blair is situated in the Bēs Territory, and that Tribe and its language are consequently by far the best known and the Bojigngiji is the best known Group or Division.
Every Tribe bas its own set of names for itself and all the others, and these names have constant conventional prefixes and suffixes attached to them, making the names long and anwieldy. In this Grammar the Bēs net of names has been adopted, and for convenience of presentation they have been stripped of the habitual prefixes and saffixes attached to them (vide Appendix C).
Algo, except where otherwise specially stated, all examples and all vernacular words quoted are taken from the Bēs (aka-Bēa-da) speech. Diacritical marks are not used except where unavoidable.
Lastly, it is necessary to note that Colebrooke's Järawa Vocabulary made in the XVIIIth Century was gathered from one individual of the Tribe and not from several persons, as has been hitherto supposed.
I. - GENERAL DESCRIPTION
8. - Philological Value The Andaman Languages are extremely interesting from the philological standpoint, on account alone of their isolated development, due to the very recent contact with the outer world on the part of the speakers. Of the speech of the only peoples, who may be looked upon as the physical congeners of the Andamanege, - the Samangs of the Malay Peninsula and the Aetas of the Philippine Archipelago - RO Vocabulary or Grammar is available to me of the latter, and the only specimens of the Samang tongae I have seen bear no resemblance or roots common to any Andamanese Language.
The Andamanese Languages exhibit the expression only of the most direct and simplest thought, show few signs of syntactical, though every indication of a very long etymological, growth, are purely colloquial and wanting in the modifications always necessary for communication by writing. The Andamanese show, however, by the very frequent use of ellipsis and of clipped and curtailed words, a long familiarity with their speech.
1 Largely reprinted with addition, and many corrections from Chapter IV. of Part I. of the Consus Report, India, 1901, Vol. III. Bine this artiolo was written, Skeat and Blagden's Pagan Race of the Malay Peninsula has appeared, but I have not been able to collate it for the present purpose.