294 Rev. Mr. Gurstarr’s Remarks on the Siamese Language. 
residence of other Europeans in Siam has only been temporary. When, 
in the middle of the seventeenth century, a colony of Bugis, under Daiy 
Maneatt, settled in Siam, and spread themselves to a great extent, the 
Mahommedan priests, actuated by zeal for their religion, instigated their 
patron to overthrow the heathen dynasty: but such a daring plot proved 
destructive to all those concerned in it. The Chinese, the most numerous 
body of foreigners in Siam, have never attempted to make their language a 
general medium of communication. Even at a time when one of them 
ascended the Siamese throne, the Siamese tongue remained the language of 
the great bulk of the nation. It is curious to remark how the Chinese 
descendants in this country lose their whole national character, and scarcely 
know their own language; indeed, they are, in the second generation, 
entirely Siamese. The Siamese language almost always prevails, and is 
hardly ever borne down by any dialect of the numerous colonists in the 
country. This remark is applicable to the languages of Pegu, Ava, Laos, 
and Cambgjia, which are spoken by a numerous population, of whom the 
greater part were born in their respective countries; but, in the next gene- 
ration, all their dialects generally give way to the Siamese. Even Mahom- 
medans from the coast of Malabar, who are so tenacious of their own 
language, become entirely blended among the Siamese, and retain the use 
of their own language only so far as they retain their religion. 
It has been already remarked, that the Paid language has influenced the 
Siamese considerably. By a peculiar custom, every male thinks himself 
entitled to enter the priesthood for a certain period. A great part of his 
time is taken up in the acquirement of the Pali language: thus several 
phrases and words become of general use; and if authors want to shew 
their learning, they adopt expressions from the Pali, and may do so without 
fear of being unintelligible. Etiquette strongly urges the use of Pali words 
and phrases: the pride of the Siamese nobility considers the use of words 
spoken by the nation in general, when they are addressed by their inferiors, 
derogatory to their high station. No language, in their opinion, is better 
adapted to express those proud appellations to which they think themselves 
entitled, than the sacred, i.e. the Pali. Hence many words are borrowed 
from the Pali, to form a language of politeness expressive of dependance. 
Besides, words which express abstract ideas or scientific objects, were ne- 
cessarily to be borrowed from the Pali, since the dialect spoken by so rude 
a nation as the Siamese had no expressions to define objects of such a nature. 
