The Languages of India. 2<i!t 



barrier to the spread of Brahmanism : languages will not be a barrier to 

 fciie spread of Christianity. 



■Mai; Mai:.' and " Mak Sala." 

 More than once of late the above words have been heard and in our 

 Courts of justice attempts have been made to give other than the correct 

 meaning for the purpose of confusing the minds of jurymen. 



The word Mar is the root of the verb Mama and the root is also 

 the second person imperative present — which may mean strike or kill. 

 Dr. Forbes, in his standard dictionary, says. p. ] 59 : : It may not be amiss 

 to inform the reader that mania, like the verb to smite, has a very 

 equivocal meaning ; properly it should signify to kill, being the regular 

 transitive from marna. to die : whereas it commooly signifies to beat only." 



We know a couple of dozen words which signify ''to kill." The 

 word manrna is the most common. I shall quote first from the Bible 

 just one text which can have no manner or doubt that the word is here 

 used iu the sense of <- to kill : " 



Acts X, 13: " Rise Peter, kill and eat." •■ He Pitar, nth Mar aur 

 Kha." 



There can be no doubt about the meaning of the word Mar here. 

 But it may be objected that this is a missionary's translation, and so 

 we will give one or two quotations from the classics. 



In the Shuru of the Baital Pachisi in the 22nd paragraph there is an 

 account that in a certain place there was an uproar and cries of " Kill, 

 kill ! Seize him ! " The Hindi here is ' Mar Mar. Ie le." 



In another standard work, the Prem Sagar, the word Mar is usually 

 used for to kill, thus in ch. 46, " I have killed this one to no purpose." and 

 the word for killed is mdrd. Whilst thus occasionally the word mar 

 may mean to strike it usually means to kill. When an infuriated gang 

 of men armed with cutlasses and other weapons shout "Mar, mar "it 

 can only have one meaning, and that is to kill. 



Sala. — this innocent-looking word simply means "brother-in-law." 

 What more innocent ? But when angry people use this word it is the 

 filthiest word in the tongue, and there is no word in the English tongue 

 to give its equivalent. 



Bates' Standard Dictionary, S.V., states: "This term is used in a 

 grossly abusive sense." Forbes uses exactly the same words about the 

 term. The nearest equivalent is the old English word "cuckold." 



The East Indians are adepts at cursing, but their curses always refer 

 to their relati ns and families. The names of God at d their gods are 

 never blasphemed, as alas, is so common amongst us Christians. 



