Page:Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (IA journalofstrait121878roya).pdf/73

 MALAY AND ENGLISH SPELLING.

[A recent Circular Despatch of Lord Carnarvon directed attention to the want of uniformity in the spelling of Native names. A Committee was appointed to consider the subject, and the report they presented discussed very fully the difficulties surrounding the question, and proposed a complete system of spelling Malay words in English. It is most desirable that in all information contributed to our Society, the names should be spelt on some uniform system, and as that recommended by the Committee is now adopted by the Government in the Gazette, the Council Papers, the Government Maps &c., it is reprinted in the first number of our Journal for easy reference.

Hitherto the practise in the Straits has resembled that described by the famous traveller Dampier 200 years ago, who explained in his Preface "I have not been curious as to the spelling of the names of Places, Plants, Fruits, Animals &c. which in any of these remoter parts are given at the pleasure of Travellers, and vary according to their different Humours."]

REPORT OF THE "SPELLING" COMMITTEE.

1. The Committee appointed to consider the subject of the correct spelling of Native Proper Names are of opinion that they cannot deal with the subject completely or satisfactorily, unless they take into consideration the whole question of writing the languages spoken in these Settlements in the Roman characters. These languages are practically two, viz., Chinese and Malay. Of these, Malay is the most important; first, because it is the common medium of communication between all the different races; secondly, because the names of places throughout the Settlements are Malay; and thirdly, because in the course of political events, Malay names of persons are likely to occur in public documents in far larger numbers than Chinese names.

2. The task of correctly rendering Chinese names, and other words, in the Roman character is an impossible one, Chinese, as it is well known, is not an alphabetical language, and consequently there is no question of finding equivalents in the Roman alphabet for Chinese letters. All that can be done, therefore, is