Page:Compendious Syriac Grammar.djvu/16

XII by, but in time he should with increasing care try to find out in the Grammar the explanation of anything which may arrest his attention. If, at a later stage, he goes systematically over the whole of the Grammar, including the Syntax, there will no longer be so much that is strange in appearance to him. And even to a teacher—dealing with beginners in Syriac, or any other Semitic language, who already understand something of Hebrew—an analogous procedure may be recommended. Familiarity with the Nestorian punctuation will be gained most readily from Urmia- [and New York-] editions of the Bible, although these do not give the system in completeness—doubtless for typographical reasons—and, besides, are not free from mistakes.

The Table of Characters, from Euting's master-hand, will suffice to exhibit the development of the Aramaic Character, at least in several of its leading types, from its earliest form up to the oldest Estrangelo, and the farther development of this last, up to the more modern script.

In conclusion I beg once more to tender an emphatic expression of my warmest thanks to the Library-Authorities, as well as to the personal friends, who have been helpful to me in the composition of this book.

Strassburg i. E. 30th Septr., 1880.