1850.] 



Language of the Gonds. 



: >-i 



might point with the ethnological inquiries that I have in progress. 

 As to clashing geological systems 1 would deferentially state my 

 opinion that, until astronomy and geology work well together, and 

 the former correct the latter, there will be no true universal theory 

 in geology, harmonizing now discordant facts, and directing to one 

 solid conclusion. 



Madras, 

 Ftjesewauktim, 

 3d January, 1850. 



Postscript. On the 17th January, and after the foregoing, written 

 by me in December last, had been copied fair I received a letter from 

 Mr. C. E. Kennet, dated 10th January, from which, in justice to him 

 I deem it fair to make the following extract. It will show a consi- 

 derable agreement in opinion with me ; and it adds a particle of evi- 

 dence to the fact that the old native Tamil and the old native Telugu, 

 were originally one and the same language. 



" The verbal affinity of the Tamil and the Gondi is all that I have 

 attempted in my papers — this I believe is pretty clearly established. 

 But a grammatical alliance traced out between the two languages is 

 more important ; and to this end I put down some particulars, which 

 Btrike me as deserving notice. 



" (1.) The formations of the plural in the Gondi language. The 

 affixes ng and k to the singular forms of nouns are like the Tamil. 

 As to the latter affix k the case is clear, e. g. kan eye, Gondi sesar, 

 Tarn. : in the plural is hank. Tarn. kunkul, so also kal, 



foot. Gondi. sn-&) Tarn. pi. Italk. Tarn, .srrcb^err, kalkul ; na 

 dog. Gondi. pxh Tarn. pi. naik Tarn. ptr&i&aT, naikuL The 

 Tamil termination fid) &r is only a peculiarity of the language. The 

 affix ng is also common to the Tamil, msm, I have some lengthened 

 remarks by me, attempting to prove that the iki&m independently of 

 the rule which requires the transmutation of ld before <s, is notwith- 

 standing the primary plural form of nouns, which in their elementary 

 forms end in a short vowel. And it is curious that in the majority 

 of cases similar nouns in the Gondi form their plurals in ng. I deem 

 the termination lq as merely extraneous, and not determining the for- 

 mation of the plural. But this is a theory which might be blown to 



