1868/j Contributions to Persian Lexicography. 3 



North- West by the Adat, "primum in Indis," the Muayyid and the 

 Siraj ; Sirhind by the Madar ; the Punjab by the Farhang i Jahangfri 

 and the Muctalahat ushshu'ara ; Sind by Rashidi. Again, four diction- 

 aries are dedicated to princes, and one bears Akbar's stamp. 



"When we compare the lexicography of the Arabs with that of the 

 Persians, we find some remarkable differences. The Arabs have left 

 us not only more, but they have also shewn a greater interest than 

 the Persians for their ancient literature. Their dictionaries delight in 

 quotations from the ancients. Persian dictionaries on the other hand 

 abound in ancient words, for which there are no proofs, and for which 

 it is now-a-days impossible to find proofs. Tbis absence of proofs has 

 caused varieties of spellings and meanings which are most perplexing. 

 Many words are hopelessly doubtful. To distinguish such words in 

 some way or other, is the first duty of a future compiler. 



Another difference is this that in Persian dictionaries the language 

 of the prose is not represented. All quotations are verses. Con- 

 structions of verbs with different prepositions are rarely, if ever, to be 

 met with ; phrases are never entered, unless they be poetical meta- 

 phors. Native lexicographists having thus neglected the Persian 

 prose, modern compilers have still a field left for independent 

 research. 



II. 

 The sources which are absolutely required for the compilation of a 

 'reliable dictionary of the Persian language, are the following ten — 



written A. D. 1419. 

 written after A. D. 1428 and before 

 1445. 



written A. D. 1519. 

 written A. D. 1593. 

 written A. D. 1608. 

 second edition, written A.D. 1029. 

 written A. D. 1653. 

 written A. D. 1735. 

 written between A.D. 1739 & 1768. 

 written A. D. 1826. 

 I subjoin here a list of abbreviations referring to other lexicogra- 

 phical works, &c, mentioned below. 



1. 



Ad. 



3UiJ| 2S|^T, 



2. 



Sh. 



«AjUiy«, 



3 



.Mu. 





4. 



Ma. 



J*JU3J| j\C*o, 



5. 



FJ. 



LSj^^ ^^j*, 



6. 



Sur. 



tSJJj** o^r^l C*^*? 



7. 



R. 



^•OJ-wj k™5^*j£, 



8. 



Sir. 



cjL*JJ| g\j*», 



9. 



Bh. 



f¥*M 



10. 



Gh. 



oM)J\i*Jm> 7 



