1837.] A Grammar of the Sindhi language. 353 



This second line has probahly a meaning also, but not a single 

 word of it can be found in the vocabulary ; nor can the natives be 

 persuaded to divulge it, whether from superstitious prejudice or from 

 ignorance ; it may be merely a nonsense verse embodying the rest of 

 the letters. Chabrana'th Rai sounds like a name or title. 



The Mdrwdri alphabet contains two poetical lines almost as unin- 

 telligible as those of Sindh. As written by our informant a gomashta 

 in one of the banking houses, and lithographed in Plate XXII. with the 

 vowel marks, they abound in errors, nor could we obtain from him any 

 inkling of their meaning. By dint of persevering inquiry, and aided 

 by the Hindi and the Sanskrit dictionaries, we have restored what 

 seems to be the right reading of the text as follows : 



^\ ^TrTT "SSPJiT WT? ^T«T *T^ WW ?£ 



^SfTT ^re sre ^T sa^Tt WTQW Hffi 

 or in Roman characters, (differing from the version in the Plate,) 



Sri data dhanko sabhdw, bdla moh khaga ghatang. 

 A'i putha, jar dhayo ; Uchari,chattanjhapang. 



which, translated as literally as the idiom will allow, is 



" Charity (1) of riches is the natural fruit ; to me boy, oh god, (2) may it be so. 



Reading attained, ignorance is dispelled (3) ; by good enunciation (4), wisdom (5) 

 instantly (6), (is attained)." 



(1.) ^t^TcTT masculine, a charitable man. qr*r^T to wealth, ^Wef 

 is natural. (2.) ?§?T, the sun, a deity, (Wilson's Diet.) might lead 

 to the supposition that the couplet was invented while the people were 

 sun- worshippers ! WcT ghatang, may it happen. (3) ^"sjt from <£T«rT 

 to break down, destroy. (4) ^^ft for ^3^1T pronunciation, utterance. 

 (5) ifspo a corruption from "^(TT intelligence, wisdom. (6) *ffqj 

 synonymous with W* jhap, instantaneously. 



At the bottom of the same plate we have inserted the SindM al- 

 phabet as written by their gomashtas in Calcutta ; because some 

 of the letters vary from the Bombay form ; and both differ some- 

 what from a genuine Sindhi alphabet procured by Lieut. Leech at 

 Mithydni on the Indus, which we did not receive in time to insert in 

 the plate. The principal variations are in the aspirated letters kh, 

 gh, ph, and h ; j and y are expressed by the same character, which is 

 formed as number 2 of the Mdltdni alphabet. The letter ef is also 

 expressed by "Z which accounts for its absence in the memorial line. 



Our author notices the curious custom of affixing certain numbers, 

 9 B|| or 74-j ; and \|| or l£ to the commencement of all hoondees and 

 written documents, as not yet satisfactorily explained. Our readers 



tuted are there omitted. We have been guided in doing so by the analogy of the forms 

 of the letters to the N4gari elements. 



