202 SUGGESTIONS REGAEDING A NEW MALAY DICTIONARY. 



were in Marsden or not. The words so marked conld then 

 be looked np in Marsden, and those not found there could 

 be finally marked as words to be included in the contemplated 

 supplement, of course this would be a troublesome task, but 

 if it were divided among half a dozen or even fewer 

 collaborateurs, it would be done, I think, within a quite 

 moderate time. With quasi-mechanical work of that descrip- 

 tion it is astonishing- how much can be done in a year at an 

 expenditure of an hour a day. 



Another method of collecting the desired material is the 

 one which I have already indicated, — by persons taking notes 

 of new words which they may light upon in the course of 

 their reading. I have myself notes of nearly 1,000 words 

 taken from the Hikayat Abdullah alone which I was unable 

 to find in Marsden ; and as I have already stated I believe 

 that there are considerable collections of similar notes in 

 other hands. 



A third method, and one by which very interesting results 

 are likely to be obtained, would be by the collection of notes 

 taken of words met with in conversation and the names of 

 natural objects, such as various kinds of plants, animals, 

 etc., as ascertained by enquiry from the natives. 



So far I have dealt with the matter in regard to the mere 

 collection of new words ; but I need scarcely say that for 

 the purposes for which a Malay Dictionary is required a 

 mere " word book " would be of very little value. In regard to 

 certain classes of words indeed, it may suffice to know simply 

 the English equivalent of the Malay word. When for 

 example you have said that " kuda" means " horse" and that 

 "puteh" means " white," you have said perhaps all that a 

 Dictionary need tell. But as regards a vast number of words 

 the knowledge of the mere equivalent English word helps 

 you but little, unless you are shewn by some apt example 

 how the word is used. How important this point is, is shewn 

 by the different fate of Crawfurd's Dictionary and that of 

 his predecessor Marsden. Notwithstanding the perhaps 

 greater fullness of Crawfurd's vocabulary, it stands for the 

 most part unused on the shelf, while Marsden is in continual 

 requisition by the student, who every time that he looks out 

 a word adds, not merely a single word to his vocabulary, but 

 some apt expression, some naturally framed sentence to his 

 knowledge of the language, 



