国立情報学研究所 - ディジタル・シルクロード・プロジェクト
『東洋文庫所蔵』貴重書デジタルアーカイブ

ALPHABET USED FOR TRANSCRIPTION.

a (â, â a a); ä; b (bh); ch (chh); d (dh); e (é ë é); f; g (gh); h; i (i i); j (jh); k (kh), kh; 1 (1h); m; n; o (ô ô), ö; p (ph); r (rh); s; sh; t (th); u (û û), ii; y; y; -z.

RULES OF PRONUNCIATION.

The system of the transcription adopted is fully explained in Vol. I., pp. 66-70, and

• in the present Vol., pp. 139-60.

Vowels.

1. a, e, i, o, u, as in German and Italian.

2. ä, ö, ii, as in German.

3. Diphthongs give the sound of the two component vowels combined. Diwresis is marked by the accent falling on the second of the two vowels.

4. - above the vowel makes the vowel long.

In general we considered it unnecessary to add this sign when the accent coincided with it, and the omission would not influence the correctness of the pronunciation.

Short vowels are not separately distinguished.

5. V above a and e (a, ë) is a sign of imperfect phonetic formation, similar to the open u in but, and e in herd.

6. - below a indicates the deep sound, like a in wall.

7. - above a and o indicates a nasal sound, like a and o in the French words gant and son; also -6, i, and û had to be introduced for marking the nasal sound of e, i, and u; in the nasal diphthongs aû and ai, we make the sign over one only, though both sounds have the nasal sound.

Consonants.

1. b, d, f, g, h, k, 1, m, n, p, r, s, t, are pronounced as in German and English [the variations occurring in the pronunciation of g, and h (in English) excepted].

2. h, after a consonant is an audible aspiration, except in eh, sh, and kh.

3. eh, as in English (church).

4. sh, as in English (shade).

5. kh, as ch in German (hoch).

6. j, as in English (just).

7. y, as the w in German (Wasser), being different from y in very, and w in water.

8. y, as y in the English word yes, or j in the German ja.

9. z, soft, as in English.

Accents.

marks the syllable on which the accent falls, whether the syllable be long or short.

' Alphabetical Registers.

In our alphabetical registers the letters follow the order of the alphabet, irrespective of the signs attached to them.

GENERAL REMARKS.

All the latitudes are North; the longitudes are East, and are reckoned from the meridian of Green. Adopted longitude of the Madras Observatory: 80° 13' 56° East Green. —The miles are English.

All the heights, given in English feet, are absolute, referring to the level of the sea.

The sign A before a name indicates an uninhabited place, or a pasture ground.