708 



Comparison of Asiatic Languages. 



[Aug. 



It may be true that the Japanese language is spoken by about 20 mil- 

 lions of people with very little variation, but while the country is so her- 

 metically sealed, such an opinion can only he treated as a clever sur- 

 mise. 



I have changed a few words in the list, giving the word which appears 

 to be more indigenous. Sakana is a preparation of fish ; kuchinawa and 

 hebi are nearly synonimous, but hebi is the most common ; inoshishi is 

 wild boar, buta the common word for swine. 



These few remarks are given only to explain the list, which is sent for 

 the single purpose of making your list more perfect, and thus aiding in 

 your comparisons. 



Concerning the Chinese sounds, they must be considered as hardly 

 settled yet, and no great stress can therefore be laid upon the sounds as I 

 have written them. 



Yours with respect, 



S. W. Williams. 



Macao, April 1, 1838. 



English. 



Tibetan. 



Air, 



r,lung ma, 



yr*r 



Ant, 



grog ma, 



%*\ r x 



Arrow, 



m,dah, 



*PSQ 



Bird, 



bya, 



S 



Blood, 



khrag, 



R*l 



Boat, 



gru, 



1 



Bone, 



ruspa, 



^N'*4 



Buffalo, 



mahe, 



*T$ 



Cat, 



byila, 



IN 



Cow, 



ba, 



*J 



Crow, 



kha ta, 



rt^ 



Day, 



nyin mo, 





Dog, 



khyi, 





Ear, 



sa, 



<v 



Earth, 



r,na, 



1 



Japanese 



. Chinese Characters. 



yoki, 



k<i > it #1 



ari, 



h Wi * 



ya, 



tsien, >£fe 3 



tori, 



niu, j=3 4> 



chi, 



fatal., jj^ 5 



tern ma, 



ting, jgg *6 



honi, 



k'uli, M, 7 





M 



suigiu, 



g}#+ 8 



neko, 



miau, YjjA 9 



ushi, 



s iu > £h 10 



karas u, 



u, U 11 



hi, 



yih, J=J *12 



Snu, 



kou, ^ 13 



minu, 



'rh, ^ U 



chi, 



ti, Jg *rf 



