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JUNE, 1894.1
CORRESPONDENCE.
167
have no intention of controverting, but it cerintelligent part of the committee, it may not be tainly seems to me that the linguistic evidence on too late by means of a free discussion to get the which they rost is of the flimsiest description, and spelling altered.? points, so far as it goes, directly the other way.
BERNARD HOUGHTOX. It is quite possible that further research may A CUMULATIVE RHYME ON THE TIGER. modify, if not altcgether change, the complexion
Text. of that evidence as at present known to us, or, again, that the theories mentioned may represent
Talia maliâ wîgô manzâ pânia d'êvala ge, what actually happened, and yet the prior use of
Panie piuni wagô månza santosa zhaila gé. the Sansksit books have left no trustworthy
Santosa lüüni wago manza dholið baisala go, traces in the language. It is a common place fact
Dhölið baisūni wîgû månza gazrann lagala go, that in analytical reasoning we must be very
Gazrůtan gazrâtain wîgû mînza pânirnîn doklila careful of our facts and of the inferences legitimately deducible from them before we can safely
Pânürnin dekhani wago manzâ på radia sângili go. found any general hypothesis on them, and in no
Paradiả sánguni wagô månza bandukhê nêmila ye. department is this caution more necessary than
Bandukhê nômûnî wêgo minzi göliê marilâ ge, in the science of language. Bearing this in mind,
Goliê maruni wigo mânzi dharnie pârila gè, it certainly seems to me that the linguistic argu. Dharnið párůni wagò månza rasið bandila gê, ments in favour of a prior use of Sanskrit are
Rasie bânduni wagu manzâ árið ghatalà yê, neither sufficiently numerous nor trustworthy at
Arió yhâloni wa go manza khandio achlila go, present to support any inferences whatever in Klandið ûchlani wîgû manza darbarantu nêla yê that direction; but this, of course, does not refer
Translation. to other evidence, such as that relating to the
To the tank my tiger for water descended ; form of pagodas, etc.
Drinking water, my tiger felt harry; The second point of interest in Mr. Taw Feeling happy, my tiger in the cave sat; Sein-Ko's paper is the somewhat startling light
Sitting in the cave, my tiger began to play, it throws on the proceedings of the Text-Book Playing, playing, my tiger the water-woman saw; Committee. The facts related under the leading
The water-woman secing my tiger, the hunter WMS
informed: of parissad might well have been inserted elsewhere under the leading of "Folk Etymo
The hunter being informed, my tiger with the Jogy," but, joking apart, it is certainly prepos
gun was aimed at; terous that the futuro spelling of Burmese
Aimed at with the gun, my tiger with a bullet was should be laid down by a majority of say is,
killed ; whose ideas in philology were of the kind men.
Killed with the bullet, my tiger on the ground tioned. There are grave grounds for doubt as to
was thrown; whether the scientific study of the Burmese lan
Thrown on the ground, my tiger with a rope was guage had reached that point when an authorita
bound; tive statement on the spelling of doubtful words
Bound with a rope, my tiger on a pole was slung: might advantageously have been made, or, at any
Slung on it pole, my tiger on the shoulders Wits rate, care might have been taken to form the com
lifted; mittee of a majority of persons with some train
Lifted on the shoulders, my tiger to the darbúr ing in philology. Perhaps even now, if Mr. Taw was carried Sein-Ko, or other member of the committee, will This is a popular song among the East Indians favour the public with further disclosures as in Salsetto, and is sung on festive occasions, in. to the arguments used by the native sayús including marriages and christenings. cases where their opinion over-ruled the more Bombay.
Geo. Fr. D'Pexka. CORRESPONDENCE. VADDAVARA.
the meaning of varla, I would draw attention to In connection with the discussion (ante. Vol. the following interesting passage from Kamada XXII. pp. 111 and 251) as to what day of the literature, which has been brought to my notice week is indicated by the term Vaddavára, and by B. Srinivas Ayyangår, one of my assistants.
[It may help the present controversy for me to another language not yet determined: (?) in Gupta state hero that by farby very for the two oldest characters and dated in the second Gupta Century, inscriptions yet unearthed at Pagan are: (1) in North 400-500 A. D.; this is in Snuskrit. I hope in due Indiau 7th or 8th Contury characters; this is filled with course to have tho publishing of both inscription in this Sanskrit words and expressions mixed with those in Journal. -ED]
