REVIEWS. 273 



"to furnish material for sucli studies, to contribute at least a certain amount 

 of reliable material for comparative research, which ought to be based upon the 

 results of new, uninfluenced investigations — fleldwork — into the various idioms as 

 spoken by the natives, and not upon religious books made by missionaries and 

 their apprentices. It were best to consider the entire field of Philippine languages 

 as yet untouched and to begin anew to study (but not without personal sympathy 

 with the natives ! ) 'jene Prachtwerke des malaiischen Baustils, die philippinischen 



Spraehen,' " Concerning the plan underlying the grammar we are told: 



''While composing the grammar, several methods of arranging the material sug- 

 gested themselves. The Author concluded — indeed not without hesitation — that 

 it would be more convenient for students trained in the grammars of Indogermanic 

 Languages, if he would retain, with slight modifleations, the customary order 

 of the chapters in such grammars, if he would first treat the articles, then the 

 noun, pronoun, adjective, etc., just as if the Bontoe Language would distinguish 

 the same grammatical categories as tlie Indogermanic Languages. This method 

 seemed helpful for acquiring knowledge of the idiom, but for practise the student 

 must absolutely abandon those former conceptions of etymology and syntax which 

 he may have gained from his previous studies of the classical or modern Germanic 

 or Romance Languages; the sooner he can free himself completely from clinging 

 to his former notions of the structure of a language and adapt himself to new 

 categories of linguistic elements, the earlier he will succeed in entering into the 

 spirit of this admirable idiom." 



It appears herefrom that, while the book is primarilj' intended to fur- 

 nish material for studies in comparative Indonesian philologj^, that mate- 

 rial is presented in such a form that it is available also for those familiar 

 only with grammars of Indogermanic languages. The grammar is thus 

 both critical and didactic; it investigates and discusses, and it teaches 

 and is intended to be practiced. The combination of these two tasks 

 offers, of course, certain difficulties, and where no systematic division is 

 "instituted, the claimants of either of the two spheres of interest involved 

 must have the good grace to make certain concessions to tliose of the other. 



To consider first the interests of "the tradesman, the engineer, the 

 teacher, the missionary, the official," who are given directions on page 279 

 how to derive practical advantage from the book, the reviewer is of the 

 opinion that they could hardly do better than imitate the splendid 

 example set by the author himself and use the vernacular from the very 

 outset in talking with the natives. If, having thus acquired a smattering 

 of the language, they begin reading the grammar, taking a suitable section 

 day by day, and consult the book on every point of interest arising, they 

 will certainly come to feel grateful to the author for his research work, 

 and will be in a position fully to appreciate its merit. 



LIST OF CONTENTS. 



Both the practical student and the philologist probably will regret 

 that the treasure of information stored in this volume has not been made 

 somewhat easier of access. The List of Contents, as far as it refers to 

 the grammatical part, might advantageously have been made more synop- 

 tical by preserving in it the same division into chapters and sections into 



