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XXXIV. On the Dialects of the Arabic Language, by the late Professor 

 Carlyle. Communicated by Willum Marsden, Esq., M.R.A.S., in the 

 following Letter to the Secretary. 



Read March 3, 1827. 



February 27, 1827. 

 Sir: 



When tliat accomplished Oriental scholar, the late Professor Carlyle, 



was proceeding on his travels to the Levant, I suggested some inquiries 



respecting the differences he might have opportunities of remarking amongst 



the spoken dialects of the Arabic language ; and as his answer contains some 



curious information on tlie subject, I have thought it not unworthy of 



being communicated to the Royal Asiatic Society. 



" Buyukdere, near Constantinople, September 10, 1801. 



" My dear Sir : 



" Accept my best thanks for your very kind letter, which I did not 

 receive until my return to Constantinople from my tour in Egypt, Syria, 

 and Asia Minor. I did myself the honour of writing to Lady S. from 

 Jaffa, just before I performed a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, at which place I 

 spent a fortnight most interestingly. As I had seen the interior part of 

 Asia Minor in going, I wished to return by the coast, for wliich purpose I 

 embarked on board a Greek vessel at Jaffa, and occasionally touched at the 

 different islands of the Archipelago, as well as at several places of the 

 continent, which I judged would be best worth visiting ; and I need scarcely 

 say that I had a most interesting voyage. 



" During my tour I had much opportunity of comparing the different 

 Arabian dialects. My own instructor, and the families with whom I speak 

 and read Arabic here, are from Aleppo. I passed six weeks (at Cyprus 

 and on board the Tigre) in company with the prince of the mountains and 

 fifteen of his attendants from different parts of the east as well as Africa. 

 We had on board, at the same time, persons from Cairo ; and in my 

 journey through Palestine, I had sufficient opportunities of remarking the 

 dialects of that country. The discrepancies found to exist in some dialects 



