2
Urdū grammar.
- there is another native alphabet, the Deva-nāgarī, in which Urdu is sometimes written.
- Finally, when the English became sovereign rulers of India, which includes such a number of nationalities and languages, and such a diversity of alphabetical characters, the desirability of representing all of these last by one common alphabetical system very soon and naturally occurred to Western linguists. And what character so suitable for the purpose as that invented, or at least perfected, by the old Romans, and which is now in use throughout three-fourths at least of the civilized world? Hence arose the Romanized system of phonography—or rather we should say systems, for three have been elaborated and advocated by their various partizans during the last 100 years. The one we have adopted in this Grammar is chiefly that invented by Sir William Jones, but modified somewhat in favour of that of Sir Charles Trevellian. The third and earliest formed system of Romanizing—though last mentioned—was that of Dr. John Gilchrist, which is still held to by many, but long abandoned by most, Oriental linguists. Thus there are three entirely different characters in which the Urdū language is now written, viz. the Persi-Arabic, the Deva-nāgarī or Sanskṛit,[1] and the Roman; whilst of this last there are three different systems in vogue.
- Before making any further remarks on the letters we shall give the Urdū Alphabet in the three different characters in which it is printed.
- ↑ In this character, slightly modified in certain letters to make them express purely Semitic sounds, many works are printed for the use especially of Hindūs not familiar with either the Persian or Roman characters.
