SUGGESTIONS REGARDING A NEW MALAY DICTIONARY. 203 



It shoud therefore I think be in the nature of an instruc- 

 tion to contributors to our proposed work, — in every case to 

 give something* more than the mere English equivalent of 

 the Malay word. Even in the case of the most definite 

 objects, or the most unambiguous qualiflcatives, a few 

 illustrative words might be conveniently and advantageously 

 given. 



But even when the words with their illustrative sentences 

 have been provided, the work will not be complete if we are 

 to keep up to the high standard held up in Marsden's ad- 

 mirable work. The derivations of the words so far as they 

 are not pure Malay origin should be stated ; at any rate so 

 far as they come from Sanskrit and Arabic sources. Then 

 again as regards objects of Natural History the Scientific 

 names of the objects should as far as possible be given. 



I think I have said enough to shew that the work if it is 

 to be undertaken with the intention that it shall be worthy 

 of connection with that to Avhich I have proposed that it shall 

 be supplementary, will be a laborious and a complex one : 

 and it is one therefore which should not be undertaken 

 rashly or unadvisedly, or without due consideration as to how 

 far the force and materials at our disposal will be sufficient 

 for the undertaking. So far as I can judge the materials 

 are likely to be ample ; nor is there likely to be any lack of 

 the requisite knowledge of written and vernacular Malay. 

 Whether we have among us the requisite knowledge of Sans- 

 krit, Arabic, and the other languages required for tracing 

 out the derivations of the exotic words which have been in- 

 corporated in the language, or how if not, our deficiencies 

 in these respects might best be supplied, would be a point 

 which would require careful consideration. As regards the 

 scientific nomenclature I have little doubt but that among 

 the gentlemen connected with our Museum and the Botani- 

 cal and Zoological Gardens the necessary information would 

 readily be forthcoming. 



I have thus given a sketch shewing the scope of the work 

 as it has grown up in my mind, and I have only to add a few 

 words as to the way in which it might be carried out. And 

 here I think it might be desirable before pledging ourselves 

 as it were to the scheme, to make an experiment on a cer- 

 tain definite portion of it. For example the word commen- 

 cing with Alif would constitute (if one may judge from 

 the numbers in Marsden) about T ^th of the whole. Here 

 would be distinct and manageable portion of the work. 



