208 
ON THE MALAYAN AND POLYNESIAN 
To judge by the list of words, the Tanna has thirteen consonants, 
several of which differ from those of the Maiieolo. They are b, f, 
g, k, l, m, 71, n , p, r, s, t, and v. The words abound more in vow¬ 
els than the Maiieolo, and the harsh combinations of them existing 
in the latter are absent. 
There are but two words in the Tanna which are the same as in 
the Maiieolo; those for the yerb “ to drink,” and for “ a house.” 
There are six Malayan words, viz., that for “ a cocoa-nut,” for 
“ land or country,” for “ the sea,” for “ fish,” and for “ a chisel,” 
which last is erroneously translated by Forter, “ hatchet.” I can 
find in it only one word of the Polynesian, that for “ chief,” or 
“ priest.” 
Of the language of New Caledonia, Forster has given thirty-eight 
words. This seems to have twelve consonants, differing in some 
respects both from those of Tanna and Maiieolo. They are b, g, k , 
/, m, n, *n, n, p , r, t, and w. Cook considers this language as a mix¬ 
ture between that of Tanna and the Polynesian. 1 do not find one 
word in it in common with the Tanna, except such as both have 
borrowed from other languages. Those common to it with the Po¬ 
lynesian are the verb “ to eat,” the word for “ moon,” and the 
words for “ chief,” or “ priest,” which last it lias in common with 
the Tanna. 
The Malay wwds contained in the New Caledonia are five in 
number,—that for “ a cocoa-nut,” for “ the ear,” for “ fish,” for 
“ water,” and for “ a yam,”—all in a corrupt form, as mi for nur 9 
a cocoa-nut; galina for talma , the ear ; and vfi for ubi, a yam. 
Not one of the three Negro languages just mentioned contains a 
word that is common to the Negro languages before enumerated, 
except such as all have derived from a third source, the Malayan. 
To this meagre list of the Negrito languages, 1 have to add the 
more copious ones furnished by Mr. Jukes, of the language of the 
Torres Straits islanders. The vocabularies which lie furnishes are 
six in number, and amount to from 3/ words up to 545. The vow¬ 
el sounds appear to be a, d, e , i, o , u, and the diphthongs ai and an, 
which agrees exactly with those of the Malay and Javanese, Ihe 
