We have now completely exhausted all the letters in the Sanskṛit and Persian alphabets. In the former, the compound letter is generally added; but it is exactly represented by ksh. Let us then collect and arrange all the foregoing letters agreeably to the Indian mode of alphabetic order.

THE DE'VA NA'GARI ALPHABET.

यy, र r;

ल 1, व v;

sh, sh;s, h; ksh.

Of the last two orders of letters, h ranks with the gutturals; y and sh with the palatines; r and sh with the linguals; 1 and s with the dentals; and v with the labials.

I. In the above scheme for Nágarí consonants, the inherent vowel or short has been omitted. It may however be supplied

by any one in reading the alphabet thus: ka, kha-ga, gha-na, &c. the a being the obscure short a in America, or like a in adrift. It is more agreeable to the genius of the Roman Alphabet to supply this vowel in writing or printing, instead of leaving it to be understood.

When no vowel is subjoined to a consonant, it is supposed to be quiescent. And the small mark (-) that usually indicates a silent consonant, is not subscribed, in order to preserve a uniformity between the Nágarí and Persian Alphabets.

The letter or k was represented by Sir William Jones by c, and the letter or sh by s. The former has been altered as too indefinite, and the latter as not being uniform. For the sake of distinction the accentual mark ( ́) has been applied only to vowels and not to consonants: besides it is now universally acknowledged that sh, as in short, is the true sound.

The nasals also have been more minutely distinguished by diacritical marks.

For all languages derived from the Sanskrit, such as the Bengalí, Hinduí, Uriya, Marathí, the above scheme may be successfully applied.

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II. The greatest difficulty in the Persian Alphabet has been the representation of the different s, t, and 's. The practical difficulty, however, is greater in appearance than in reality, as those latters with the diacritical marks are of unfrequent occurrence. Indeed it has been adopted as a standing rule, that these marks should be used as sparingly as possible-and when used, should be restricted to those letters that more rarely enter into the composi tion of words.

To prevent misconception, it may be proper to explain here somewhat more fully the Persian system of vowels.

There are three short vowels—zabar;

zér ;

pésh: zabar

and pésh being written above, and zér below, the letter which it fol

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lows in the enunciation. Thus ba, bi, bu.

ب

ب

A letter having one of these accompanying it, expressed or understood, is said to be harkat, or moveable by that vowel. Thus, inba, b is moveable by zabar: in bi, b is moveable by zér: in bu, b is moveable by pésh. If there is no short vowel expressed or understood, the consonant is said to be sakin or quiThus bar, not bara, bari, or baru, &c.

escent.

بر

| Alif, when beginning a word or syllable, is reckoned by oriental grammarians, a very slight aspirate, like h in hour. But its chief purpose is to subserve the expression of short or long vowels;

Thus, Í

above it,

a, i, u-short vowels. Again, with generally written Ĩ, is the long vowel á. So Ĩ, when the last letter of a word or syllable, preceded by another letter with zabar ( ́) above it, (and it is always so preceded,) becomes the long vowel á, as in С bá, &c.

Wao, when moveable by a short vowel, or beginning a word. or syllable, is a consonant like w in with, and sometimes as v in

void. Thus,, wa, &c. But, quiescent, i. e. terminating a word or syllable, when preceded by a letter moveable by zabar ( ́) forms the diphthong au, like au as pronounced by many in caustic, caustic, or ou in loud. Thus, bau, &c. Again,, quiescent, preceded by a letter moveable by pésh () forms the long vowel ú, like u in rude, or oo in moon. Thus, bú &c. This combination however, in Persian has often the power of long ó, as o in whole, more, &c. Thus, may be sounded bó, &c.

ي

ވ

Ya, when moveable by a short vowel, or beginning a word,

or syllable, is a consonant like y in yet. Thus, ya, &c. But quiescent, when preceded by a letter moveable by zabar ( ́) forms the diphthong ai, like ai in aisle, or i in fine, &c. Thus, bai, &c.

ي

Again, quiescent, preceded by a letter moveable by zér (7) forms the long vowel í, like i in marine, or ee in feel. Thus

بي

bi, &c. But, in Persian this combination has often the sound of long broad e, like the French ê in naivetê, &c*.

Hence it appears that in Persian there are three short and five long vowels, and two diphthongs.

Three short, as in I a, i, u: or in ba, bi, bu.

In Roman characters three short, a, i, u: five long, á, í, é, ú, ó :

two diphthongs, ai, au.

* Whoever wishes for a simple and concise view of Persian Grammar, will find it in the admirable elementary works of Messrs. Arnot and Forbes of the London Oriental Institution. To be had of Messrs. Thacker and Co. Calcutta.

Hence in reading Romanized Persian, nothing can be easier than to reverse the process, by substituting, if required, the Persian in place of the Roman letters.

The scheme now proposed well suffice for all languages which bear a close affinity to the Persian, such as the Hebrew, Arabic, Syriac, Chaldee, Samaritan, &c.

III. It would be easy to find other Roman letters which might express the sounds of the Nágarí and Persian Alphabets. For instance a, á might be short u and au, aw, eo, o, oa, or ou, as in taught, law, George, nor, groat, thought, &c. Instead of i and i; we might have i, ee, ie, &c. Instead of u, ú; we might have on, ou, eu, ew, &c. Instead of é, ai; we might have ay, ai, i, oi, &c. Instead of ó, ou; we might have oa, ow, &c. But it is conceived impossible for any letters to represent the sounds in question more concisely or more appropriately than those which have been adopted.

If this has been fully substantiated, (and it can readily be verified by any one who will take the trouble to ponder the subject in all its bearings,) then, for the sake of that uniformity which is so truly desirable, it is to be hoped that every one will be disposed to merge private differences in one grand general plan for the securing of national benefits:-it is to be hoped, that one and all will be cheerfully prepared to sacrifice little partialities and peculiarities of opinion at the shrine of the PUBLIC GOOD.

P. S. The author, in behalf of several others, who with himself advocate the substitution of the Roman character, embraces this opportunity to notify, that it was once their intention to make a direct personal application to Oriental scholars, generally. for their opinion, as to the best practical method to be adopted in the proposed substitutionary process. On farther consideration, however, it has been deemed most expedient, in order to save time and labour, and prevent unintentional partialities, to make this general appeal to all those literati who take an interest in the subject. Be it then understood, that if any individual has any suggestions to offer, he is hereby solicited to make known the same, through the medium of the Christian Observer, or any other public journal. Conscious only of a sincere desire to promote the welfare of the people of India, we are open to sound advice, from whatever quarter it may proceed. Any real improvement that may be pointed out, will receive speedy and due attention. But should none be suggested which is likely to meet with general approbation, the scheme now propounded may be considered as final.

Not to swell this paper to an inordinate length, it is proposed to insert in the next Observer a complete representation of all the principal alphabets in Eastern India; together with specimens of the different languages and dialects, in Roman characters. In conclusion, the author has here gratefully to acknowledge the valuable assistance derived, in drawing up the preceding paper,

from the suggestions of the Rev. Messrs. Yates and Pearcegentlemen whose separate and united labours in the cause of native improvement are too well known to require any statement on his part.

ALPHA.

The Editors of the Observer feeling deeply interested in the subject of this, and the former paper on the Roman alphabet, return their best thanks to the Editors of the Hurkaru, India Gazette, Englishman, and Courier, for the promptitude with which they gave circulation to the article in our last number, entitled "On the Possibility, the Practicability, and Expediency of Substituting the Roman in place of the Indian Alphabets." To the Editors of the Hurkaru and India Gazette in particular, they feel indebted for the decisive manner in which they advocated the proposed change. For the satisfaction of our readers, we here furnish one or two extracts:

The Calcutta Christian Observer for April, contains an excellent article on the possibility of substituting the Roman for the Indian alphabets. We quote it entire ; and we think it will be admitted, that the facts, as well as the authorities adduced in it, very powerfully support Mr. Trevelyan's conclusion in favor of the Roman alphabets. It seems to us to be most satisfactorily established, that by means of diacritical points and combinations free from complexity or difficulty, every sound which the human organs can articulate, may be expressed by the Roman letters. It is only necessary to establish an unvarying orthography, which once promulgated and understood, will prevent all those anomalies, which are now made arguments against the measure proposed; though there is not that we can discover the slightest difficulty in their removal. " If," says the writer in the Christian Observer," in the East one alphabetic letter uniformly represents one elementary sound, let the Roman letter substituted in its place be invariably appropriated to the expression of that sound; or if a combination of letters be necessary to express it, let one combination alone be recognized for the purpose."—Hurkaru.

The number of the Christian Observer for this month, contains an article of so much importance in its bearing on the subject of native improvement, that we have judged it best to reprint the whole, instead of an extract or two as we had at first intended. It is entitled "On the Possibility, the Practicability, and the Expediency of Substituting the Roman in place of the Indian Alphabets." The question, our readers are already aware, was lately mooted in the Education Committee by Mr. Trevelyan in a very able miuute, which appeared to us to set the matter in a very clear and satisfactory light. Mr. Trevelyan has been followed by the writer of the article, headed as above, who deals with the subject in a masterly manner, brushing aside the cobweb objections of the opponents with vigour and ease. Of this our readers can satisfy themselves by reference to " Alpha's" arguments, which are close, and to the point, and prove beyond cavil the perfect possibility, practicability, and expediency of the substitution of the Roman alphabet for those of India. Some one has said that one fact is worth a thousand arguments. It may also be observed, that a contemporary, or existing fact is more to the purpose than a historical one. "Alpha" dwells pithily on one, which of itself may be considered as conclusive, and that is, the substitution of the Roman characters for the old Celtic letters in Ireland, and the Highlands of Scotland. In the latter it is well known that thousands read the Gaelic Bible and Psalter, (which are both printed in the Roman character,) who cannot read English. This circumstance, however, renders the acquisition of English, even among adults, much easier than it otherwise would be-and many grown up people are to be found in Sunday schoools and evening schols, with the English primer in their hands. In Ireland also a Gaelic or Irish Missal is in the hands of the people. What should render that impracticable in one country, which is a matter of daily occurrence in another? The subject has its difficulty of course; but the way to overcome these, is not to fold the arms, shake the head, and urge the exploded and foolish maxim, "It never was done before, and never can be." A few months ago we gave an extract from a capital exposé in Tait's Magazine of this bug-bear fallacy, which has done infinite mis