Preface. The present new edition of Mr. JÄSCHKE'S Tibetan Grammar scarcely needs a word of apology. As the first edition which was lithographed at Kyelan in 1865 in a limited number of copies has long been out of print, Dr. RosT urged the author to revise his grammar for the purpose of bringing it out in an improved form. The latter, prevented by ill-health from undertaking the task, placed the matter in my hands, and had the goodness to make over to me his own manuscript notes and additions to the original work. Without his personal cooperation, however, I was unable to make any but a very sparing use of these, adding only a few remarks from Gyalrabs and Milaraspa, with some further remarks on the local vernacular of Western Tibet. Indeed, special attention has been paid throughout to this dialect; it is the one with which the author during his long residence at Kyelan had become most familiar, and with which the English in India are most likely to be brought into direct contact. Besides the above mentioned additions, I have taken a number of examples from the Dzańlun, to make clearer some of the rules, and, with the same view, I have altered, here and there, the wording of the lithographed edition. The order of the paragraphs has been retained throughout, and only one (23.) has been added for completeness' sake. The system of transliteration is nearly the same as in the Dictionary, only for ny, ñ is used, and instead of e, ä (respectively a) has been thought to be a clearer representation of the sound intended. For the niceties of pronunciation the reader is referred to the Dictionary, as in this Grammar only the general rules have been given. Finally I must express my warmest thanks to Dr. ROST, to whose exertions not only the printing of this Grammar is solely due, but who also rendered me much help in the correcting of the work. |