PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.
To this Comparative Vocabulary of the Barma, Maláyu, and Thái languages, commonly denominated Birman, Malay, and Siamese, the compiler deems it proper to premise a few observations concerning the nature and object of the work. Its immediate object is to facilitate the compilation of a series of Comparative Vocabularies of the languages of the Indo-Chinese nations, and of the tribes which inhabit the Eastern isles. Its plan is only an extension of the method formerly adopted by the Supreme Government of India, at the recommendation of the Council of the College of Fort William, for the purpose of procuring comparative Vocabularies of the Provincial languages and dialects of India. After one series of Vocabularies in Persic and Hindustani, and another in Sanscrit and Bengáli, had been printed and circulated for that purpose, in Bengal and Hindustan, it was deemed adviseable to print and circulate another in the Birman and Malay languages, for the purpose of facilitating the acquisition of comparative vocabularies of the languages spoken by the nations between India and China, and in the Eastern isles. In this last series, it appeared proper to adhere as closely to the arrangement of the former Vocabularies, as the genius and structure of the languages permitted, but, from the small number of Europeans accustomed to read these languages, in the native character, it was thought absolutely neces
