DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49708#0097
SESSIONAL PAPERS, 1881.
Consonant Changes.
Sinhalese t, becomes Maidive r,
„ d, „ h,
„ n, „ I,
(S. pitatvenava ; M. furuvd)
(S. das ; M. has)
(S. unna, ulun)
(S. pradhana ; M. furaddna)
(S. evanavd, vara; M. fonuvvimu, farhun)
81
THE
MALDIVES.
Inhabitants.
Notes.
Many words, purely foreign or of probable foreign origin, occur :
Arabic :—Iskandar ; salam; rahmat ; hhabar; add; hadiya ; taksir; mu af;
musimu ; sanat.
Tamil : Ddre f&snir, turai) ; mita (lEtf-eiB, michcham); Bas (cf. T. form
arasan); odi ddam) ; done (Q<5nG6<fi\}tdni) ; kolu, (? Qkola) ; ala,
alun (^,dr, al).
Malay :—Edi (1 ada, ‘be.’)
Dutch (English).— Gorunu (Governor.)
Truly “ a party coloured dress
« of patch’d and py-ball’d languages.”
(M)
Taktib.—Copies of these commentaries on the Kuran are now freely exposed for sale in the
boutiques at Male, at from Rs. 1 to Rs. 1| each—a faint, but possibly hopeful, sign of mental
awakening too long delayed.
In 1835-36 Captain Moresby thought that the natives did not “appear indifferent to
improvement, for all (particularly the chief) evinced a strong desire to become acquainted with
our language and with our knowledge.”*
This is unfortunately contradicted by facts. Governor Mackenzie offered, in 1838, to educate,
free of cost, two Maidive boys chosen by the Sultan and sent over to Ceylon for the purpose.
“Having understood,” the Governor writes, “that it is the wish of Your Royal Highness as
well as that of many of your subjects to be taught the English language, I am prepared to give
them the opportunity of acquiring that language without any cost to themselves, and I invite two
of Your Royal Highness’ subjects, not exceeding 16 years of age, whom you may be pleased to
select and send to Colombo. I would also propose that those youths should be accompanied by
some members of their own family, who will be kindly received on a temporary visit. They will
have the means of seeing where the scholars are to be settled, and of being satisfied as to the
place and situation where the two youths will reside while they remain in Ceylon to learn the
English language.”^
The Sultan’s answer of the ensuing year, though couched in language studiously polite,
destroyed any hopes which might have been entertained that the time was ripe for this
experiment. “ Your Excellency has been pleased to desire us to send from our dominions two
youths below 16 years of age to your Island for the purpose of being educated in your language,
without any expenses to us, either, for their education or boarding, and, moreover, that two of our
people may be sent thither, to see if these youths are well settled and confortably kept there.
This proposal, we are aware, emanated from Your Excellency with a view of promoting and
perpetuating the good understanding existing between us, but we regret that our religious principles
do not allow us to avail ourselves of the benefit of the kind offer thus made by Your Excellency,
because our religious tenets prohibit our children being so instructed in their youth.” j
This reply jvas at the time accepted as “ decisive against education and conversion of the
Maldivians,” for. the subject was not again broached.
Happily, the course of events in the interval of forty years had led, though by an
indirect channel, to a partial realization of the enlightened objects contemplated by the Right
Honourable J. A. Stewart Mackenzie.
A chance law-suit brought over to Ceylon, in 1850, the Sultan’s cousin, ’All Didi, son of the
late astute Prime Minister Ahmad Didi (F. s., p. 37.) Settling ultimately at Galle, where he
died a few years back in affluent circumstances, he gradually established, as the recognised
Maldivian agent, a brisk through trade between the Islands and Indian rice ports.
* Trans. Bom. Geo. Soc., 1836-8, p, 108.
J Sultan’s reply, dated Shawwan, A. II. 1255.
f Governor’s letter, dated November 26th, 1838,
Consonant Changes.
Sinhalese t, becomes Maidive r,
„ d, „ h,
„ n, „ I,
(S. pitatvenava ; M. furuvd)
(S. das ; M. has)
(S. unna, ulun)
(S. pradhana ; M. furaddna)
(S. evanavd, vara; M. fonuvvimu, farhun)
81
THE
MALDIVES.
Inhabitants.
Notes.
Many words, purely foreign or of probable foreign origin, occur :
Arabic :—Iskandar ; salam; rahmat ; hhabar; add; hadiya ; taksir; mu af;
musimu ; sanat.
Tamil : Ddre f&snir, turai) ; mita (lEtf-eiB, michcham); Bas (cf. T. form
arasan); odi ddam) ; done (Q<5nG6<fi\}tdni) ; kolu, (? Qkola) ; ala,
alun (^,dr, al).
Malay :—Edi (1 ada, ‘be.’)
Dutch (English).— Gorunu (Governor.)
Truly “ a party coloured dress
« of patch’d and py-ball’d languages.”
(M)
Taktib.—Copies of these commentaries on the Kuran are now freely exposed for sale in the
boutiques at Male, at from Rs. 1 to Rs. 1| each—a faint, but possibly hopeful, sign of mental
awakening too long delayed.
In 1835-36 Captain Moresby thought that the natives did not “appear indifferent to
improvement, for all (particularly the chief) evinced a strong desire to become acquainted with
our language and with our knowledge.”*
This is unfortunately contradicted by facts. Governor Mackenzie offered, in 1838, to educate,
free of cost, two Maidive boys chosen by the Sultan and sent over to Ceylon for the purpose.
“Having understood,” the Governor writes, “that it is the wish of Your Royal Highness as
well as that of many of your subjects to be taught the English language, I am prepared to give
them the opportunity of acquiring that language without any cost to themselves, and I invite two
of Your Royal Highness’ subjects, not exceeding 16 years of age, whom you may be pleased to
select and send to Colombo. I would also propose that those youths should be accompanied by
some members of their own family, who will be kindly received on a temporary visit. They will
have the means of seeing where the scholars are to be settled, and of being satisfied as to the
place and situation where the two youths will reside while they remain in Ceylon to learn the
English language.”^
The Sultan’s answer of the ensuing year, though couched in language studiously polite,
destroyed any hopes which might have been entertained that the time was ripe for this
experiment. “ Your Excellency has been pleased to desire us to send from our dominions two
youths below 16 years of age to your Island for the purpose of being educated in your language,
without any expenses to us, either, for their education or boarding, and, moreover, that two of our
people may be sent thither, to see if these youths are well settled and confortably kept there.
This proposal, we are aware, emanated from Your Excellency with a view of promoting and
perpetuating the good understanding existing between us, but we regret that our religious principles
do not allow us to avail ourselves of the benefit of the kind offer thus made by Your Excellency,
because our religious tenets prohibit our children being so instructed in their youth.” j
This reply jvas at the time accepted as “ decisive against education and conversion of the
Maldivians,” for. the subject was not again broached.
Happily, the course of events in the interval of forty years had led, though by an
indirect channel, to a partial realization of the enlightened objects contemplated by the Right
Honourable J. A. Stewart Mackenzie.
A chance law-suit brought over to Ceylon, in 1850, the Sultan’s cousin, ’All Didi, son of the
late astute Prime Minister Ahmad Didi (F. s., p. 37.) Settling ultimately at Galle, where he
died a few years back in affluent circumstances, he gradually established, as the recognised
Maldivian agent, a brisk through trade between the Islands and Indian rice ports.
* Trans. Bom. Geo. Soc., 1836-8, p, 108.
J Sultan’s reply, dated Shawwan, A. II. 1255.
f Governor’s letter, dated November 26th, 1838,