Maldivian Linguistic Studies

About the Book:-This work, that originally appeared in the journal of the Ceylon branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (Volume No. XXVII), aimed to forward the understanding of the Maldivian Language, which at the time (1919) was very scant. The original study was in German and it was subsequently translated into English. In Maldivian language, there are several kinds of Tana writing; and we are inclined to think that the one at present used, was not so generally adopted until within the last fifty years, as many tombstones are evidently inscribed in a character differing from the Gabali-Tana: the letters at least have a different sound, and the signs used for vowels are different. In the Arabic, the multitude of inscriptions in the latter character is evidence that it was very extensively spread and known throughout the islands. Both of these characters were invariably carved in relief. The modern Arabic character was apparently introduced about the same time as the present native writing. The modern alphabet contains eighteen letters, and is called by the natives Gabali-Tana. There are some auxiliary letters in it, derived from the Arabic and Persian, in common. This book is a reprint of the 1919 edition, translated from the German by Mrs. J. C. Wills. It was first published in 1919 as extra number of the journal of the Ceylon Branch of Royal Asiatic Society. The book also contains eight plates to delineate the subject properly.