112 MALAY PROVERBS. 



Kalau ta'sir ber- degap sir me-layang. 

 If not head over ears in love, at least slightly smitten. 

 Sir j>^~« = to care, to desire, to want, to wish for, to be 

 anxious to obtain. To condescend to. 



In his collection of Malay Proverbs (Prov. 272) printed in 

 No. 3 of this Journal, Mr. MAXWELL gives this word as Sior 

 which, however, is only the local pronunciation of the word 

 in the Perak dialect, where a final ji ir is always rendered tor 



in the colloquial pronunciation, e. g., Kikir y£^£, a file, is pro- 

 nounced Kikior in the Perak dialect. This word is in common 

 colloquial use in Perak, Pahang, Kelantan, Trengganu and 



Patani. Another word Sualak J^Jl **«, which is not included in 

 lists of words yet published, is also frequently met with in the 

 colloquial dialects, especially in Perak. Mr. MAXWELL 



states that Sir is identical in meaning with Ingin ^*j|, but in 

 the negative form TV sir, and TV sualak also, are perhaps bet- 

 ter rendered into polite Malay by the phrase TV sudi ^y**^. 

 Degap <*J£>± which is also a slang word not found in any 

 Dictionary, signifies ' thoroughly, altogether,' &c. Kena degap 

 t^JSj \j£ has much the same signification as Kena tepat L£ 

 «^&5 to be hit full, to be hit fair. 



Kalau gaj ah handak pandang gading-nya. 



Kalau harimau handak pandang blang-nya. 



If an elephant, he wants to examine its tusks. If a tiger, 

 he wants to see its stripes. 



