OF THE INDO-CHINESE NATIONS. 235 



Rukheng, which it resembles in structure. Its pro- 

 nouns and purticles are pecuHar, its idioms few and 

 simple, and its metaphors of the most obvious kind; 

 but it is copious in terms expressive of rank or dig-- 

 nity, and the rank of the speaker is characterized by 

 the language he uses. 



The Barma alphabet corresponds to the Bali, and 

 is regulated by the same principles of accentua ion. 

 In point of form, it has considerable resemblance to 

 the Canara, Smgala, and Teluiga alphabets, but is 

 rather more simple in the formation of the character. 

 CarpaniuS; in his " Alphabetum Barmanum scu 

 Bomamim,'' is inclined to deiive the Barma character 

 immediately from the square Bal?, used in Ai'a, and 

 both of them from the Hebrew, through the medium 

 of the Persic. Amadutius, improving on this idea, 

 or rather adopting that of Bayer, seems to be desir- 

 ous of deducing both, as well as the Malabar or Ma- 

 layalam, from the Armenian, a character to which 

 they have scarcely the remotest resemblance, and the 

 orgin of which, is itself involved in great obscurity. 



The character of the Barma language has a very 

 considerable effect on the style of the compositions 

 it contains. Repetitions of the same turn and ex- 

 pression, are rather affected, than shunned; and a 

 kind of naked strength and simplicity of phrase, 

 with short sentences, pregnant with meaning, are 

 the greatest beauties which the language admits of. 

 '' The Bomans,"' says Carpanius, " in their poetry, 

 are more careful of preserving similar terminations, 

 than an equal number of syllables, and use this style, 

 particularly in treating of religious subjects." The 

 fact, however, is, that the similarity of termination 

 is neither sought, nor shunned; but recurs from the 

 genius of the language, very frequently. The 



