REVIEWS.

JULY, 1873.]

or by the aborigines? An answer to these questions would lead to further interesting investigations. I have seen many Venetian coins in this zilla, but they are rapidly disappearing; the natives, valuing them for the extreme purity of the gold, convert them into jewels.

203

I have designated the images on the rock “Jaina,” and not Buddhistic, and my reason for so doing is that each inscription designates the

image above it a “Tirru Meni,” the usual term for a Jaina saint.

Puthiamputhar, 23rd January 1872.

REVIEWS.

Language: by Narmadā Śankara.

not seen fit to introduce a little philology into his book. The source whence a word, or a leading

The author of this dictionary has been for many

word, has been derived is indeed indicated, but

NARMA KośA (*): A Dictionary of the Gujaráti

years well known to Gujarātis as a writer of both

nothing more; no attempt is made to show the

prose and poetry. He has a knowledge of Eng lish, is a diligent student, an enterprising author, and has made successful efforts to give his country men the benefit of his studies. He now appears as a lexicographer, and presents to the students of Gujarāti a goodly quarto of 619 pages, double columns and close print. The book has been long promised and earnestly

connection of words one with another, nor to

exhibit the historical and logical relations of the various meanings of words. He has, indeed, taken pains to give us fully the meanings of words, but the arrangement of these meanings

madha (ºlaw). Yet the present work is not a

might have been different and better. We hope the author will, with his characteristic energy, turn his attention to this matter in pre paring any future edition of his valuable book. In two particulars he adopts rather a peculiar system of orthography. As Gujarāti is commonly

continuation of these parts. The old matter has

written, anuswär uniformly represents the five

been recast and the work completed on a slightly abridged scale. To keep the work within pre scribed bounds, many words and forms of words (*w-ax at-t) have been omitted. The author

nasal sparsa consonants £, sº, T. H. H. Narmada

expected.

Years ago we had several instalments

in parts, which gave us up to the word jeth?

Sankara discards the anuswär and uses the con

sonants: for *s, *z, *, *z, &c. he writes agº, ****,

only those are given which are in common use.

sº, &c. Whatever may be said in favour of this, we fancy the convenience of the common mode will carry the day. But a greater innovation is the introduction of a point under a letter to re present a light h or aspiration after the letter so marked. He gives a list of some seven hundred words, or more, in which this point is introduced. We fear the author rather overrides his hobby, but he has a good excuse for proposing this ortho

He has also endeavoured to include words used by

graphy. The Gujarātis have not yet fixed upon a

the older writers.

uniform way of representing h in the body or at the end of a word. They sometimes omit it alto

informs us that not only all proper names, but many generic or class names of animals and plants, and also technical terms, have been excluded—

omissions greatly to be regretted. Yet some agri cultural terms have been retained, and some rustic

words have been given as examples of a class. Of Sanskrit words, and words of foreign origin,

We must thank the author for giving us this information.

We know what to look for, and

must not be disappointed when we miss in the

dictionary words we may occasionally meet with

gether, sometimes insert it with or without the vowel of the preceding letter. Thus we have Rºi,

• & Rºlê, ºi, º, ººl agãi,443, a 431;

in reading and conversation. No doubt the student will regret many of these omissions; for we naturally go to a dictionary for rare words and

vº, alſº aq, ača aga, &c. These words our lexi cographer proposes to write ill, ºi, asi, 34, &c.

Yet, both for the

Time will show whether this will be generally re ceived. There is this to be said for it, it helps to

uncommon forms of words.

number of words illustrated and for the fulness

of the meanings given, this dictionary leaves all its predecessors far behind. It will at once take its place as a most valuable help to the Gujaráti student. Foreigners will be troubled at first by finding that the explanations are given in Guja

show the syllabification of a word: , ºliga, for in stance, seems to be a word of three syllables, but is considered to be of only two; so also ºtélèl,

º, Algû, are counted as words of only two sylla bles.

rāti, but this trouble will ultimately facilitate

The author in his preface and introduction

their progress. We cannot help regretting that the author has

gives us some interesting information. Passing by several autobiographical notices, we remark that