Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrai9101882roya).pdf/171

 ON THE TRANSLITERATION OF MALAY IN THE ROMAN CHARACTER.

W. E. MAXWELL.

OME years ago, in compliance with the directions of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, a system was adopted by the Government of the Straits Settlements for the spelling of native names, in which a want of conformity was complained of. It is convenient and desirable that there should be some standard for the spelling of names which may appear in official correspondence, which may be printed in Blue-books, and quoted in Parliament. But a system may satisfactorily secure uniformity which may nevertheless be wanting on the score of scholarship, and, unless sound in the latter respect, it will not answer the purposes of the philologist or geographer.

The adoption of the Government system by the Council of the Straits Branch, Royal Asiatic Society, as that which members are invited to adopt, lays it open to their criticism. It may be questioned if it is satisfactory from a scientific point of view, or in accordance with principles of true scholarship. Two distinct subjects&mdash;transliteration and pronunciation&mdash;are confused, and the report which deals with them does not sufficiently distinguish between instructions how to spell and instructions how to pronounce.