62 THE SAKAI AND SEMANG DIALECTS. 
mangs have substantially given up their own languages and 
now speak dialects imposed upon them by a Mon-Annam race, 
that is presumably by their neighbours the Sakais, although 
they have preserved a good many genuine old Sémang words. 
The collection and analysis of new materials will show 
whether these conclusions are tenable. Personally I still in- 
cline rather to the view, suggested in a former number of this 
Journal, that most of the Mon-Annam words in these dialects 
have been imposed from without by the influence of a Mon- 
Annam race of higher civilization; and I think that the curious- 
ly pure form of the numerals in the otherwise mixed group of 
dialects to which Bésisi belongs supports this view. It would 
not however be inconsistent with this idea to hold that the 
Sakai dialects are also of Mon-Annam origin, though much 
more distantly related to the parent stem: and that would per- 
haps account for the divergence of the Sakai numerals from 
the normal type. In that case we should have two waves of 
Mon-Annam influence in the Peninsula, as well as two of Ma- 
layan, and the analysis of the dialects would be somewhat as 
follows :— 
I. Common elements running through practically all the 
dialects— : 
(1) Malay ; 
(2) Mon-Annam of the purer type: 
(3) Malayan, other than Malay. 
II. Separate original elements. 
(4) In Sémang : the original language of the Neker 
tos, whatever that may have been (possibly akin 
to Andamanese? ) 
(5) in Sakai: a rude Mon-Annam form of speech (? ) 
(8) in Jakun: Malayan (7) and if so, identical with 
(3) above (7). 
It is evident from what has been said that though some 
progress has been made in the study of these dialects, much 
remains to be done; and as the author’s main purpose, as stated 
by himself, is to encourage further research, it is to be hoped that 
collectors will be stimulated by his valuable paper, and will 
- take the matter seriously in hand. Above all it is absolutely 
necessary to obtain a large number of genuine sentences, as 
Jour. Straits Branch 
