•174 ON THE LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE 



in Malayu. Again the metaphorical term mata-hai% 

 which literally signifies the eye of day, is the only 

 native term for the sun ; lljougb Chinkei^mla, a cor- 

 ruption of the Bali term Chakraimla, has been adopted 

 in the higher dialect, or poetical style, termed the 

 Basa Dalam. Tlie Malay term tuhin which signifies 

 the aged, is used as synonymous , with Allahfaalay 

 which they have adopted from the Arabic. A number 

 of Vhay vocables occur in Malayu ; but, for the most 

 part, they are neither expressive of our simplest ideas, 

 nor of the most remarkable objects in nature, ex- 

 cepting perhaps ku, the contracted term of Aku, I, 

 in Malayu^ which is the same in Tlmy or Siamese. 

 A variety, however, of important words seem to have 

 been adopted from the Barma language, especially in 

 the verbal auxiliaries ; and in most of these instances, 

 it may be observed, that the Malayu pronounciation 

 coincides better with that of Tavay, or Tinnau, than 

 with that of the Barmas proper. Thus the substan- 

 tive verbal auxiliary of the present, adda, seems to be 

 only a modification of the more simple da or de of the 

 Barma language. The past suda of the Barma ayi 

 de, the auxiliary of the future jadi of the Barma ra- 

 de, pronounced ya-de or ja-de, 7nmv, will or may, is a 

 modification of the Barma Mi, or minh\ and the per- 

 missive auxiliary leh of the Barma U. Of the con- 

 nection of the Malayu with any of the spoken dialects 

 of China, it is more difficult to speak with accuracy, 

 in the present state of our knowledge. Barrow, and 

 some other authors of reputation, are inclined to 

 attribute the origin of the Malay tribes to the nations 

 of China ; and that author observes, that many words, 

 in the languages of Sumatra, are similar in sound to 

 Chinese vocables ; and that the corresponding words 

 generally express the same idea in both languages. 

 Of the value of this opinion it is not easy to speak in 

 correct terms, for the proper Chinese, languages, ar^ 



