Page:A dictionary of the Sunda language of Java.djvu/16

Rh putting into the mouth preparatory to eating, and implies that the man was eating it without knowing that there was any harm in it, or suspecting the stuff of being bad or poisonons and yet simply the act of eating is sufficiently implied by di hakan, he eat it.

So also of top, which implies taking hold of seizing top bai di bawa, laying hold of it, he carried it away. We might say that he could not carry it away with out taking it in some way, and that di bawa he carried it away, was sufficient; and so it is, even with a native, but when they prefix top, though we can give no precise translation, the idea is conveyed that there was no harm done in taking it, that no one opposed the act. The full force of these idiomatic expressions can only be learnt and appreciated on learning the language and hearing them used by the natives.

I have throughout the whole dictionary endeavoured to give the etymologies of the proper names of places, of the Archipelago, of the Residencies and of chieftowns in Java, of rivers and mountains, in short of the chief features of the country, whether in the Sunda districts or elsewhere, which may perhaps throw some light on these matters, and is at least an interesting topic of speculation. For examples of these attempts I would refer to the words bali, bantam, boro budur, jawa, sunda, sumatra, prambanan, prawu, priang'ĕn, progo, japara, and many others. An extensive and interesting class of words associated with hyang, Divinity, will be found on reference to this word. Under the heads of awi, chaw, hoih, huwi, paré, orai will be found an extensive classification of the different varieties of Bambus, Plantains, Rattans, Yams, Paddy and Snakes, which are known to our Mountaineers, and which may occasionally prove interesting or instructive. The varieties of Paddy were determined many years ago by collecting samples of them, and getting together a commission of natives to assign the names and point out their differences, which are often only trifling.

Weights and measures have been attended to, and when possible a comparison given between Dutch, English and Javanese articles of this kind. For which purpose reference can be made to the words bauh, pal, koyan, pikul, pond, kati, kaki, éllo, tumbak, gantang, sangga. The comparative details of which have been taken from Doursther's weights and measures, a work in the French language.

It may be also well to give here in a concise form the numerals used in Sunda, the particulars of which can be referred to, under each word in the Dictionary, where an attempt has been made to trace many of the words to their original meaning and indicate the process by which they have been arranged.