A dictionary of the Malay tongue, as spoken in the ... - Sabrizain.org

PREFACE.
J. HE peninfula beyond the river Ganges, which llretches down to
Johor, the extreme fouthern point, (indeed it is the moll fouthern point
of land on the continent of Afia,) is generally known by the name of
Malacca, or the Country of the Malays ; and that appellation is very
properly retained, lince Malay is the true mother tongue of that country.
It is likewife the chief language of Junkfelon, Pulo Ladda, Pulo Pinang,
Sumatra, Java, Borneo, Bava, Lombock, Cumbava, Flores, Timor, Ti-
morlaut, Celebes, Ceram, The Molucca Illands, and innumerable others;
it is, in fadl, as obferved in our Advertifement, the Lingua Franca, or
Trading Language of a great part of the Eallem world : Again, it is the
more neceflary for Englifh voyagers to become acquainted with this lan-
guage, fince the European inhabitants of the Cape of Good Hope (which
important place now belongs to this nation) have always accuftomed
themfelves to fpeak to their fersants in the Malay tongue. In fome of
the iflands, however, particularly Borneo, the largeft ifland in the world
except New Holland, it being about eighteen hundred miles in circum-
ference, there are feveral kingdoms, each of which has a dialed: peculiar
to itfelf : with feveral of thefe, Mr. Bowrev fays, he converfcd. But that
a more general idea may be formed of the extent of country oa er which
the Malay is fpoken, we Ihall refer to the accurate Map, engraved
by Arrowsmith, and prefixed to this volume ; by which it appears, that
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