Indian Antiquary Vol 48

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 328

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
I looked about for some genuine native utterances, not translations, which might illustrate the natural speech of the country. Fortunately, Mr. Man was able to furnish me with becisely what I wanted. When he was sent officially to the Nicobar Islands, ho took with him several young native Andamanese, 16 and in order to keep up their connection with their friends, and especially with their head-man, jam.bu (as he was always called, though that was not his real name), Mr. Man wrote letters for them at their dictation. He had to treat them quite like children for whom one writes letters, suggesting subjects, asking what they would say if they saw jam bu, and so on. It was laborious work, which, however, Mr. Man did not regret, as it often furnished him with new words or phrases. These letters were then sent to the British officer in charge of the Homes at Port Blair, who did not know the language, but, from an explanation furnished, read the phonetic writing to jam bu, sufficiently well to be understood, but to assist this officer Mr. Man furnished a free and an interlinear translation. I give two of these letters. which certainly, if any exist, are genuine specimens of South Andaman literature, but to make them as instructive as possible in showing the nature of the language. I divide them into numbered sentences, putting the text first, the free translation next, and afterwards, in square brackets, an analytically literal translation in the order of the original, in which, with the help of Mr. Man's translation, vocabulary and personal assistance, I indeavour to shew or explain the meaning and composition of each word and its parts, and its grammatical connection, occasionally adding other notes.
FIRST LETTER TO JAM.BU.
Cited by the simple numbers of the sentences. 1. mam jam.bu. Worshipful.jambu. [mam is a term of respect by which chiefs or head men are addressed, perhaps 'honourable or your honor' would be a nearer translation.
jam bu was only a nickname, but as he was always so called, Mr. Man cannot recollect any other.]
2. Med' àrdú ru adbê'ringa. We are all in good health. (med' we, a contraction or med a, the final -a being lost before the following à of 'àrdû ru all. The full form for 'we' is mò·l-ồichik. For ad-bêri-nga well, see No. 5.]
3. birma-chê·lewa làrô·lo tek miji' at yed ya ba. Since last steamer no one has been ill. [birma funnel, che lewa ship, not one of their own boats; the Andamanese prefer if possible making a new word to adopting a foreign one, the present compound is more original than the modern Greek 'atmóploion, which is a mere translation of 'steam vessel'. tàrô lo last, lek from, since, postp. mij'i'at a contracted form of mij ia at, properly
16 Their names and nicknames (in parenthesis) were .t'ra (kôto. hand), of elal.-dat- eye, as he had large saucer eyes), .lora (Henry, his name when at the Ross orphanage), 100*i (Tom, the name Mr. Man gave him when he first came to Viper Island), tra (jo dô. entrails, so called trom his protuberant belly when a child). These names may be preserved as those of the unwitting originators ui Andaman literature. One other name of a native should be added, although he was not taken with Mr. Man to the Nicobars, on account of illness, and indeed he died shortly after Mr. Man left. This was .bfa-(.på g. foot, so called from his large feet). He was the elder brother of the above-named .187a (Henry). All the time that Mr. Man was in charge of the Andaman Homes, apout four years, .bia worked with him. He was the most intelligent and helpful native Mr. Man met, and was his principal informant throughout. Mr. Man often told him that he would bring his name to notice, and thus redeems his promise.