Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society/Volume 1/Wild tribes of the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago

MISCELLANEOUS NOTICES.

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THE WILD TRIBES OF THE MALAY PENINSULA AND ARCHIPELAGO.

The Council of the Royal Asiatic Society of the Straits Branch have resolved to invite the assistance of persons residing or travelling in the Peninsula, in Sumatra, or in the adjacent countries, with a view to the collection of fuller and more varied information than has been hitherto obtained in regard to the wild tribes of these regions.

The interest such investigations possess for Ethnology, Philology &c., and the importance of prosecuting them without delay, are sufficiently obvious. The following passage from Mr. Logan's writings (I. A. Journal 1850 vol. IV p. 261-5) will instruct those to whom the subject is new as to the precise objects to be aimed at, and the best methods of enquiry to be followed. "For the Ethnology, of any given region the first requirement is a full and accurate description of each tribe in it, and in the adjacent and connected regions, as it exists at present and has existed in recent or historical times. This embraces the geographical limits and the numbers of the tribe, the Physical Geography of its locations, and its relations of all kinds to intermixed, surrounding, and more distant tribes. The environments of the race thus ascertained, the individual man must be described in his Physiological and Mental Characteristics and in his language. The Family in all its peculiarities of formation and preservation, the relative position of its members, its labours and its amusements, must next be studied. The agglomeration of families into communities, united socially but not politically, is also to be considered. Lastly, the Clan, Society, Tribe or Nation as a political unity, either isolated, confederate, or subordinate, must be investigated in all its institutions, customs and relations ... ... ...

"When we attempt to enquire into the canse or origin of any of the facts presented by our ethnic Monograph of the kind we have indicated, we find that very little light is to be obtained in the history of the particular tribe. It suggests numerous enquiries, but can answer only a few. If we confine our attention to it, the great mass of its characteristics are soon lost in a dark and seemingly impenetrable antiquity. But although each race, when thus taken by itself, vanishes along its separate path, it assumes an entirely new aspect when we compare it with other races."

To assist in the collection of dialects the following Vocabulary, consisting of one hundred words and fifteen numerals, has been compiled and printed by the Society; and will it is hoped prove of use, particularly in regard to the various Semang, Sakei and Jakun dialects in the interior of the Peninsula.

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In collecting Vocabularies the following points should be borne in mind, in order to facilitate the comparison of one dialect with another.

1. In all cases to ascertain the exact name and locality (or nomadic district) of the tribe, as described by itself.

2. In taking down such generic words as "tree" and "bird" to distinguish carefully the general name (if there is one) from the names of particular kinds of tree and birds. This rule has a very wide application among uncivilized Tribes, which commonly possess but one word for arm, hand and for leg, foot &c., &c.

3. To give all the synonymous or nearly synonymous words in use in each case, with easy distinction of their meaning as far as possible. Undeveloped dialects usually possess a very redundant Vocabulary in respect of objects

4. To observe carefully whether or not a word be of one syllable and if of more than one syllable whether or not it be a compound word. This is particularly important where the words begin or end, as they frequently do in such dialects, with a double consonant like "Kn," or "Np."

5. To observe and represent the sound of each word as fully and exactly as possible, and for this purpose to adhere to the system of spelling recommended in the report published at page 45 of this Journal. The following is a List of words, the equivalents for which it is desired, for the purpose of comparison, to obtain in as many of the Wild-Tribe Dialects as possible.

List of Words for forming Comparative Vocabularies.

Man

Woman

Husband

Wife

Father

Mother

Child

Belly

Blood

Body

Bone

Ear

Eye

Face

Finger

Foot

Hair

Hand

Head

Mouth

Nose

Skin

Spear

Sumpitan

Waist-Cloth

Jungle

Mountain

River

Sea

Earth

Sky

Sun

Moon

Star

Thunder

Lightning

Wind

Rain

Fire

Water

Day

Night

To-day

To-morrow

Yesterday

Tongue

Tooth

Bird

Egg

Feather

Female

Male

Aligator

Ant

Deer

Dog

Elephant

Fish

Fowl

Mosquito

Pig

Rat

Rhinoceros

Snake

Tree

Alive

Dead

Cold

Hot

Large

Small

Black

White

Come

Go

Bat

Drink

Sleep

Flower

Fruit

Leaf

Root

Seed

Wood

Banana

Cocoa-nut

Rice

Honey

Oil

Salt

Wax

Gold

Iron

Silver

Tin

Arrow

Boat

Mat

Paddle

One

Two

Three

Four

Five

Six

Seven

Eight

Nive

Ten

Eleven

Twelve

Twenty

Thirty

One hundred