Indian Antiquary Vol 24

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 88

84
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCW, 1895.
cultivation to which the language then attained words beginning with a ich stand immediately being due to the fact that the Jains of Southern after the last word beginning with angh, -- just Indi made it so largely the vehicle for their where, when the anusvira is used, one expects to writings, and to the great encouragement find them; whereas, in Mr. Kittel's book, they that was given to the Jains by the powerful are separated by all the words beginning with ach Rashtrakata king Amöghavarsha I., who reigned and aj: but, though not practically so convenient, from A. D. 814-15 to about 878. But epigraphic Mr. Kittel's method is, of course, critically the records give unquestionable and instructive more correct, if we bear in mind that the anusara samples of appreciably earlier date. The charter simply stands for, and is to be pronounced as, the of Amoghavarsha's predecessor Govinda III.(ante, nasal of the class to which the following consonant Vol. XI. p. 125) is dated A. D. 804. The Agar belongs. And in too many cases we have to inscription of the time of the Western Chalukya hunt backwards and forwards for meanings which king Kirtivarman II. (ante, Vol. XI. p. 68, and might apparently have been given at the very place see Vol. XX. p. 305, note 5) belongs to about where we should expect to find them: thus, for A. D. 750. These two records, with the Kotor the meaning of anngal or argile, we are referred inscription of a Chalukya prince called Parahita (page 20) to aris (as), and we have to turn back to rája ante, Yol. XX. p. 69), which may be placed page 17 to find the simple words 'the sole of the between A D. 750 and 814, quite as well as in a foot;' and, for the meaning of komar (page 487) slightly later period, - presenting forms which, in the sense of a prince,' we have tirst to look though more antique in some features, essentially back to kuvara on page 450, and even then, after ditfer little, if at all, from the forms of the ancient guessing that we inust take the small-type kuvara, dialect as we know it from books, indicate consi. and not either of the two words of exactly derable literary activity even at that early time. the same appearance which are given in large And the Badami inscription of the Western type, we must further turn up kumdra on page Chalukya king Mangalesa (ante, Vol. X. p. 52) 4+3. Also, there are words in the more ancient suffices, short as it is, to carry back the existence published inscriptions which the book does not of the same dialect to the period A. D. 597-98 to ! even include, - much less offer to explain. On 608.
the other hand, the book shews a great advance Till recently, the only Kanarese-English Dictio.
on any of its predecessors, in reproducing the nary of any general practical use to European
ancient letters and I, on the proper use of which,
as distinguished from r, l, and students has been the work which was originally
broad differences compiled by the Revd. W. Reeve and was published
in meaning so often depend. And every page in 1832, and which in 1858 was enlarged, and at the
of it, and of its preface, bears witness to the Hiline time was reduced to a more portable and other
constant care, earnestness, and thoroughness with wise convenient size, by Mr. Daniel Sanderson,
which Mr. Kittel devoted himself to the task that a Wesleyan Missionary. "That book was itself a
lay before him. It would have been difficult to
find anyone more competent to undertake that sufficiently valuable and monumental one; and there are some indications that it is not entirely
task. He may be justly proud of the manner in superseded by even the present work: certainly
which he has accomplished it. And, among the there are at least many words of which the mean
results, no small and unimportant feature is the ings are to be found more easily in it. But the
fact that the book is to be purchased at so very preparation of Mr. Kittel's Dictionary has
reasonable a price that the possession of it is evidently been thoroughly in accordance with all
within the power of even students whose means the traditions of the important work which the Are limited Basel Mission has been doing during so many We now have available, for the study of years in the Kanarese country; and the issue Kanarese in its ancient and mediaval forms, a of it marks a still more noticeable epoch in dictionary of the most exhaustive and nseful the study of the language. Objection may, kind. We still require a complete and critical indeed, be taken to some of the details of Mr. grammar, in English, for the same periods, and Kittel's method. For instance, words which dealing also with the exceptional forms which contain an anusura in the first syllable -(the sometimes are met with in epigraphic records. annetara is used as being the more convenient It is to be hoped that Mr. Kittel inay find himself and babitual method of denoting a nasal able now to take such a grammar in hand, and combined with a following consonant) - do supply the want that has so long been felt in this not follow each other in the immediate sequence direction. of the antsvdra combined with the consonant, as
J. F. FLEET. They do in Mr. Reeve's book; thus, in his book, 8th December 1894.