A Dictionary, English and Malayo, Malayo and English/The Preface
THE
PREFACE.
THE Peninſula beyond Ganges ſtretching down to Johor, which is the extream Southern Point,and is the moſt Southern did Point of Land in Aſia, is generally called and known by the name of the Malayo Country, and very probably with great Reaſon, it retaining to this day the Malayo Language, as the Mother Tongue, and general Language of the Country. Whereas in all the Iſlands of Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Maccaſſer, Balee, Cumbava, Sallayer, Bootoon, Booro, Ceram, the Mollucas, and Innumerable other Iſlands, the Malayo Language is received and generally used in all the Trading Ports of thoſe Iſlands, only as the Trading Language, moſt of thoſe lſlands having a peculiar Language of their own: Nay on ſome of the greater Iſlands, (as particularly on Borneo) there is ſeveral different Nations and Languages, with ſeveral of which I have converſed. But I muſt tell you, that the Malayo Language ſpoken in the Iſlands, is ſomewhat different from the true Malayo ſpoken in the Malayo Country, altho not ſo much, but to be eaſily underſtood by each other. The Malayo ſpoken in the Iſlands is called Baſa dagang, that is to ſay, the Merchants or Trading Language, and is not ſo well eſteemed as the true Malayo.
The Inhabitants of thole Iſlands are ſuppofed to proceed originally from the Malayo Country, as being the neareſt Continent, from which the Iſlands proceed in a conſtant Progreſſion, innumerably diſperſed all over thoſe Southern and Eaſtern-Seas to New Guinea, part of Hollandia Nova, and from thence by that wonderful large Iſland of Hollandia Nova, which reaches to Forty four Degrees, South Latitude, not far to the Eaſtward of which Southern Point is other Land, which probably may be part of Terra Auſtralis, and likely to reach near to Terra del fuego the moſt Southern part of America, as yet known to us, and by this way is not improbable America came to be peopled, as ſome have not without great Reaſon conjectured. As to the Religion of the Malayo's, they are now Mahometans, but they ſeem to have been Anciently meer Pagans, having not in their Language, the name of God, or Angels, or Church, or Devil, except what's borrowed out of the Arabick Tongue, from whom alſo they have received many other Words. And thence it is, (viz. from the Alcoran) that they have their Letters, having had anciently none of their own, but have tried the Arabian Letters, excepting only ſuch as are Guttural, and of difficult found; the Malayo Language being of plain ſound and eaſie Pronounciation, and on the contrary, for ſome founds not in the Arabick, but proper only to the Malayo Tongue, they have bin forced to add ſome few of their own, as appears in the end of the Alphabet; ſome few words they have taken from the Indoſtan and Perſian; as for Wheat, Bread, &c. things not growing or made in their Country, but brought to them from Indoſtan, Perſia, or Arab and they together with the thing, received the Country-Name it came from.
But to return to my purpoſe; I am to tell you, that by Nineteen Years continuance in Eaſt-India wholly ſpent in Navigation and Trading in moſt places of thoſe Countries, and much of that time in the Malayo Countries, Sumatra, Borneo, Bantam, Batavia, and other parts of Java, by my Converſation and Trading with the Inhabitants of which places, I did Furniſh my ſelf with ſo much of the Malayo Language as did enable me to Negociate my Affairs, and Converſe with thofe people without the aſſiſtance of a Prevaricating Interpreter, as they commonly are.
In the Year one Thouſand ſix Hundred Eighty eight, I embarked Fort St. George, as a Paffenger on the Bangala Merchant, bound for England, which proving a long Voyage, and I being out of Imployment, did at my leffore time, fet down all that came into my Memory of the Malayo Language; which together with fome helps that I have attained fince, has furnished me with to much of that Language, as I think may be of great ufe to Trade and Converfation in the Malayo Country, bram of the South-Sea Ilands, in which Countfles fo great a part of the Trade of India is negociated and capable of being much Improved, especially to this Nation, who I hope, will not be unmindful of fo Valuable a part of that Trade; but as we may by convenientSettlements in thöfe Southern Seas hare with the Dutch, the Profits thereof, and I finding fo very few English Men that have attailed any tollerable Knowledge in the Malayo Tongue, fo abfolutely neceffary to Trade in thofe Southern Seas, fand that there is no Book of this kind publifhed in Englij, to help the attain- ing that Language; Thefe Confiderations, Ifay, has in boldened me to Publifh the infuing Dictionary, which I am fenfibe has many Imperfections, Laman:A dictionary, English and Malayo, Malayo and English (1701).pdf/15 Laman:A dictionary, English and Malayo, Malayo and English (1701).pdf/16 Laman:A dictionary, English and Malayo, Malayo and English (1701).pdf/17 Laman:A dictionary, English and Malayo, Malayo and English (1701).pdf/18 Laman:A dictionary, English and Malayo, Malayo and English (1701).pdf/19