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“The Bali language among the IndoChinese nations, occupies the same place which Sanscrit holds among the Hindus, or Arabic among the followers of Islām. Throughout the greater part of the maritime countries which lie between India and China, it is the language of religion, law, literature, and science, and has had an extensive influence in modifying the vernacular languages of these regions. The name of this language, though commonly pronounced Bali, is more generally written Pali; but both forms are occasionally used. As the origin of the word is still very obscure, it is difficult to determine which is the more correct orthography. If, however, we could venture to identify the term with the Báhlika B'hasha, which, in the Sahitya Derpana of Viswanatha, is enumerated as one of the languages proper to be used by certain characters in dramatic works, the latter ought to be considered as the more correct. La Loubiere, on the authority of D'Herbelot, has stated that the ancient

*Tom. i. p. 422.

Persic language was termed Pahalevi, (Pahlavi) and that the Persians do not distinguish in writing between Pehlvy and Bahali. This conjecture would be confirmed by the identity of the terms Bali and Badlika B'hasha, were it to be established; for no doubt can be entertained that in Sanscrit geography, the epithet Bahlika is applied to a northern IndoPersic region, probably corresponding to Balkh Bamiyan. Among the Indo-Chinese nations, the Bali is frequently denominated Lanka-basa, or the language of Lanka, or Ceylon, and Magata, or, as it is often pronounced, Mungata, a term which seems to correspond with the Sanscrit Magad'hi, which, in many of the Vyakaranas, is enumerated as one of the dialects to be introduced occasionally in Natakas, or Hindū dramas.

"The Bali alphabet seems, in its origin, to be a derivative from the Devanagari, though it has not only acquired considerable difference of form, but has also been modified to a certain degree, in the power

of the letters by the monosyllabic pronunciation of the Indo-Chinese nations.* It has dropped, in common use, some letters entirely, and accented others in a manner similar to the Udhata, Anudhata, and Swarita tones, in the system of accentuation used in chaunting Mantras, and in reciting the Vedas themselves. The vowels are generally presented in the same order as the Deva-nagari, but by a similar mode of accentuation, eighteen are sometimes employed. The peculiarities of this pronunciation are, however, more closely adhered to by the Thay or Siamese, than by the Barma and Rukheng nations, whose languages are neither so powerfully accented, nor so monosyllabic as the Thay."

* "Je doute fort que la forme des lettres Balies soit d'origine Dâva-Nâgari, mais leur ordre est évidemment conforme à celui de ce dernier alphabet. Il seroit assez difficile d'expliquer cette identité d'ordre alphabetique, chez les Javans, les Mongoux, les Calmouks, les Mantchous, les Tibetains; il ne faut l'attribuer qu'à l'introduction de la religion Brahmanique plus ou moins corrompue parmi ces peuples.”—Observation made to the Author by M. de Langlès.

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"The form of the Bali character varies essentially among the different nations by whom it is used. The square Bali character, employed by the Barmas, differs much from that which is used among the Siamese, and approaches nearer the form of the Barma character. The Siamese Bali character is termed, by the Siamese, Nangsu Khóm, the Khóm, or Khohmén character, having, according to their own tradition, derived it from that nation. The square Barma character seems to coincide with the Bali character of Lanka or Ceylon; though in that island, Bali compositions are frequently written in the proper Singʻhala character. Of the character used in Lâw, Champa, and Anam, I have had no opportunity of judging."

"The Bali is an ancient dialect of Sanscrit, which sometimes approaches very near the original. When allowance is made for the regular interchange of certain letters, the elision of harsh consonants, and the contraction of similar syllables, all the vocables which occur in its ancient books,

seem to be purely Sanscrit. In Cheritas and latter compositions, however, some words of the popular languages of the country sometimes insinuate themselves, in the same manner as Tamul, Telinga, and Canara vocables occasionally occur in the later Sanscrit compositions of the Dekhin. The Bali, while it retains almost the whole extent of Sanscrit flexions, both in nouns and verbs, nevertheless employs this variety rather sparingly in composition, and affects the frequent introduction of the preterite participle, and the use of impersonal verbs. It also uses the cases of nouns in a more indeterminate manner than the Sanscrit, and often confounds the active, neuter, and passive tenses of verbs. Like other derivative dialects, it occasionally uses Sanscrit nouns and particles in an oblique sense; but notwithstanding all these circumstances, it approaches much nearer the pure Sanscrit, than any other dialect, and exhibits a close affinity to the Prakrit and the Zend."*

* Doctor Leyden examines all that has been said on

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