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ON THE TRACES 



OF THE 



HINDU LANGUAGE and LITERATURE, 

 Extant amongst the Malays, 



BY WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ. 



fTpHE Sanscrit, or ancient language of the Hindus, 

 is a subject so interesting in itself, that every 

 discovery which contributes to throw light upon its 

 history or to mark its extent, carries with it a degree 

 of importance^ The proofs of its influence in the 

 northern countries of Assam, Nepal, Boot en, and Tibet, 

 as well as in the southern parts of the peninsula of 

 India, are to be found in the works of the Missiona- 

 ries and the Researches of this Society, but the pro- 

 gress it made in early times, amongst the inhabit- 

 ants of the eastern islands and countries possessed by 

 the Malays, has not, I believe, been pointed out by 

 any writer. My acquaintance with the language 

 of the latter people, together with some attention 

 paid to the dialects of India in general, have enabled 

 me to observe, that the Malayan is indebted to the 

 'Sanscrit for a considerable number of its terms. I have 

 also satisfied myself, that the intercourse by which this 

 communication was effected, must have taken place 

 in times anterior, probably by many centuries, to 

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