Pagan races of the Malay Peninsula - Sabrizain.org

CHAP. II TABOO LANGUAGE 415
a fictitious connection between successful camphor-
hunting and their esoteric knowledge of the obsolescent
dialects, which thus became a sort of craft mystery
whereon they deliberately traded.
Hervey and Lake and Kelsall, while recognising
the partly artificial character of the language, agree
as to its probably embodying some relics of the old
dialects, and Hervey accepts Miklucho- Maclay's
rationalistic explanation of such partial survivals.
While admitting that these views go some way
towards explaining the Camphor Taboo language, I
do not consider them an adequate account of the
whole matter. This taboo language does not stand
alone in the world ; in many places, especially in
Eastern Asia and the Indian Archipelago, there are
analogous modes of speech which throw light upon its
principles of construction.
Linguistic Taboos in General.
The Malays have several such taboo vocabularies
appropriate to different purposes ; thus there is a list
of words which must be used in speaking to royalty
and under no other circumstances ; and there are
linguistic taboos applicable to fishing, fowling, mining,
warfare, and other occupations, besides a " spirit
language " used by magicians.^ Closely resembling
these last in principle, is the Sasahara, a jargon used
by the Sangirese (of the islands north of Celebes)
when at sea, to conceal their plans from the malice of
the water-spirits." Somewhat less analogous are the
^ Skeat, Malay Alagic, passim : the spirit language are given on p. 646.
the references are collected in the - Adriani, Satigireesche Spraakkttnst,
Index, s. v._ Language, and specimens of pp. 7, 53-65.