Indian Antiquary Vol 52

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 52

THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ FEBRUARY, 1923
BOOK-NOTICE AN ELEMENTARY PALAUNO GRAMMAR by Mrs. to which Palaung belongs, viz., those of the general
LESLIE MILNE. Introduction by.c. O. BLAGDEN. | Mon Race. This is to say that ta in both NicoOxford, Clarendon Press, 1921.
hareso and Palaung is used when it is necessary or
desirable to express the fact that there is an inti. I understand Mrs. Milne's difficulties in this
mate relation between two words in a sentence. first attempt to reduce the Palaung language to writing and to unravel its construction," becauso
This leads me to note that Palaung, like other in 1875, in co-operation with Mr. E. H. Man I made languages of the kind, has a wide list of what we an attempt to reduce a language an Andamanoso used to call numeral co.etficiente, but I suppose we dialect of a tribe that epidemics introduced by
must now call them numeral determinatives. I Europeans have alas ! since absolutely wiped out- am nos euro, however, whether the younger for the first time to writing. The difficulties before term is an improvement, especially as this Grammar us were much greater than thoso Mro. Milne had to tends to show that these words are really descriptive encounter, for the reasons that thore was no pro
or classificatory. Perhaps the best and most vious knowledge to guide us and no known group generally intelligible term for them would be 'olasei. of languages with which to compare what we were fier.' I throw this out as a hint to professional trying to learn. I well remember the difficulty of grammarians. making anything of an obviously grammatical Turning to the "System of writing," I am very construction out of the statements of natives of
! pleased to see that only four unusual letters are used, the soil, quite as intent on learning our language
and my remarks thereon will show the suthoresg As we were on learning theirs, and utterly unable
how far the public she caters for will grasp her to explain, or help in explaining, any grammatical
meaning, though I suspect it is thst ekilled philologist form. Something of the sisine trouble no doubt
Mr. Otto Blagden who is responsible for them and fell to Mrs. Milue in her endeavours.
not Mrs. Milne. I will preface my remarks by This book is not "scientific." That is, it does quoting from p. 12:"When there is no diacritical not attempt to present the language philologically, mark over a lettor, the vowel sound is short ; when and uses for grammatical purposes the terms and a straight line is over a lotter-a, the vowel sound expressions commonly employed in teaching and is long." Then "Aasa in Mann (German) makes explaining English to English people. The book à asa in father 1-"a as u in but makes as ur in is none the less useful and clear to those for whom further. Am I right? We now get a little puzzle : it is primarily intended I take it missionaries and " as in ein get or well makes in fate? " as a in Government officials. For such a purpose it is a pane" makes a in? what, raising the question of why good book.
print both eando? What is gained by doing so ? It is also an honest book and shirks no difficulties I next come to a greater difficulty :-"i as i in presented by an analytical language framed on lines pin," and " as i In medicine," what then are i unknown to European learners. There is a real and I! Havo we in Palaung what Sir George attempt to explain the why and wherefore of every
Grierson would call "long short i" and "short long word in overy sentence quoted : which after all is
i ?" If so, it should be stated. Prima facie, what the learner wants, unless he be a philological there is no reason really for bothering the reader student. Such a student will find out for himself how with either e or i. very inadequate is the usual English scheme of
Lastly, we have "o as o in bons," which would do grammatical teaching, where "non-Aryan " Oriental
away with o altogether: however, I assume that languages are concerned. I need not point out to such the deficiencies in this respect on almost every
Mrs. Milne means "Oas o in opaque", which should
leave us 0 A9 in bone. And then we have what page of this book.
I can't print in the Journal, vie., what looks like a One result is that a great many words have to be
q gone wrong to represent "o as in hot or law !" treated as "particles"-a term dear to the old time
In the text we have very frequently this q gone grammarians when faced with a syllable or word
wrong with the long mark over it, so it must be essential to any given language, which he could not
both long and short as in hot and law. But need account for or exactly classify-a term I person
we worry the public with this a gone wrong? ally should like to see tabued to all gramma
Would not the much more easily printed and rians. While we are on this point, there is one
do cqually well and be as easily explained ? I "particle,' la, which very often appears, with every kind of sense attached to it according to context.
throw this out as a hint. Mrs. Milne gives it the general sense of the English
The only further remark needed here is that the to. It seems to me to be really what I have called
book is beautifully printed and Mr. Blagden's conjunctor of intimate relation' in treating introduction admirable. Nicobarose-a tongue in general alliance with those
R. C. TEMPLE.