A Grammar of the Manipuri Language Vocabulary and Phrase Book is photographically reproduced now to help all those interested in the study of linguistics specially Manipuri language of the North east India. The book is an authentic reproduction of the text as originally published in 1888 by Assam Secretariat Press, Shillong entitled "Manipuri Grammar."
A.J. Primrose the than political agent in Manipur has prepared the present book with great difficulty in absence of printed literature available. He has included vocabulary, phrase book, proverbs and specimens of correspondence. He has been closed assisted by his head clerk Russic Laul Coondoo and his Burmese interpreter Purandu Singh.
The book is yet another useful addition to large number of books published by Mittal Publications on North Eastern part of India.
It is hoped that this difficult to obtain book published in its present form after a gap of a century will filfill long felt need of researchers.
This little book will, I hope, supply a want which has been much felt ever since our annexation of Upper Burma. The only land route to Upper Burma from Assam and Bengal is through Manipur. The journey through Manipur occupies about a fortnight. Hardly any Manipuri knows any language but his own, so officers travelling through find great difficulty in getting at the different stages the supplies which they are in want of, owing to their inability to make themselves under- stood by the Manipuri officials. Manipur is now the head- quarters of an Assam regiment, and in all probability it will remain for some time to come a Military Station, owing to the healthiness of its climate, as well as to its admirable strategical position in the event of any outbreak on the frontier. The above reasons have made a knowledge of Manipuri of greater importance than in former years. With the object of assisting in the study of Manipuri, I have prepared a Grammar, Vocabulary, and Phrase Book of the language.
A note on the Manipuri Grammar was published by the late Mr. Damant in the Asiatic Society Journal, Part I., Vol. XLIV., 1875. This note gives in few words a clear statement of all the more important features of the Grammar. I have not hesitated to make free use of this note in the preparation of my Grammar.
In the vocabulary section, I have arranged the nouns under different headings, such as relationship, trades, &c., which is I think a simpler plan than jumbling up in alphabetical order a number of words having no connection with each other. The English phrases I have copied from Mrs. Cutter's Assamese l'hrase Book. I have added at the end of the book a few Manipuri proverbs, and also a few specimens of letters in Manipuri in order to give an idea of the style of address adopted in such compositions. In the preparation of this book I have been assisted by my head-clerk, Russic Laul Coondoo, and by my Burmese Interpreter, Purander Sing, who both deserve my best thanks.
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