Indian Antiquary Vol 32

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

Page 29

JANUARY, 1903.)
A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WESTERN HINDI.
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words in this work are....well ascertained as to leave no doubt, but the European learner, with a little assistance of a Pandit or Moonshie, nay, even of u Bebee-saheb, cannot fail in a short time to obtain knowledge of their [the natives'] idioms, and to master the Indian dialects with incredible facility'
Finally we may briefly refer to a few belated works of the early period of inquiries into Indian languages, which appeared after Hindôstant had began to be seriously studied in Calcutta. In 1782 Iwarus Abel published in Copenhagen Symphona Symphona, sive undecim Linguarum Orientalium Discors exhibita Concordia Tamulicae videlicet, Granthamicae, Telugicae, Sanscrutamicae, Marathicae, Balabandicae, Canaricae, Pindostanicae, Cuncanicae, Gutearatticae et Peguanicae non characteristicae, quibus, ut explicativo-Harmonica adjecta est Latine. It is a comparative vocabulary of fifty-three words in these eleven languages. The words include parts of the body, heaven, sun, etc., certain animals, house, water, sea, tree, the personal pronouns and numerals.
In 1791 there was published in Rome an anonymous work, with a preface by Paulinus a S. Bartholomaeo, entitled Alphabeta Indica, id est Granthamicum seu Sanscrdamico-Malabaricum, Indostanum sive Vanarense, Nagaricum vulgare, et Talenganicum. It is a collection of these four alphabets, all in moveable types.
Johann Christoph Adelung's Mithridates oder allgemeine Sprachenkunde mit dem Vater Unser als Sprachprobe in bey nahe fünfhundert Sprachen und Mundarten may be taken as the link between the old philology and the new. A philologist so eminent as this great writer could not fail to adorn whatever lingnistic subject he touched, and, for its time, this work is a marvel of erudition and masterly arrangement. As far as Indian languages go, it sums up all (little it must be confessed) that was known about them at the end of the 18th century. In it Mongolisch-Indostanisch oder Mobrisch' (i.e., Urda) (Vol. I. pp. 188 and ff.) and Rein oder Hoch-Indostanisch, Dewa Nagara' (pp. 190 and ff.) are jointly described as the Allgemeine Sprachen in Indostan.' By Rein oder Hoch-Indostanisch' is meant the various Hindi' dialects spoken between Mathura and Patrs, but as an example is given the Lord's Prayer in badly spelt Sanskrit. It is contributed by Schultze, whose nationality apparently prevented him from distinguishing between bh and p. For instance, he spells bhojanam podsanam.' Vol. IV. of the work consists of additions and corrections, and of a supplement by J. S. Vater. Further information regarding Hindôstânt will be fonnd on pp. 68-63, 83 (relationship of Hindôstânt to Romani), and 486 of that volume.
SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT EARLY DATES. A.D. 1600. EMPEROR Akbar reigning.
English East India Company incorporated. 1602. Dutch East India Company founded. 1605. EMPEROR JABẢNGER comes to the throne. 1615. Embassy of Sir T. Roe. English factory established at Surat. 1616. Earliest recorded mention of the Indostan language (spoken by Tom Coryate). 1620. Jesuits' College founded at Ågtê. English establish an Agency there. 1623-24. Pietro Della Valle in India. 1628. EXPEROR SALE JAKin comes to the throne. 1680. ? Compilation of the Surat Dictionary of Persian, Hindôstant, English, and
Portuguese. 1640. English factory established at Huglt. 1653. Heinrich Roth joins Jesuit College at Ågre.