A grammar of the Galla language

128 Pages·1845·7.849 MB·English

by  Charles Tutschek

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A
GRAMMAR
OF THE
GALLA LANGUAGE
CHARI^ES TlJTfSCHEH
EDITED
LAWRENCE TUTSGHEK. M. D.
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JXIIJN I
1843.
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TO
THOMAS DYHJE ACJLAND
Sir Bart.
THIS LITTLE VOLUME IS INSCRIBED
AS A TRIBUTE
OF RESPECT AND GRATITUDE
THE EDITOR.

7^.
Preface.
The present little work must be laid before the learned
public in a condition which, in regard to completeness , leaves
very much to be desired, since the early death of my brother
prevented him from finishing it according to his original plan.
Wh
n I resolved to continue the studies begun by him, (a full
ac. int of which is given in the preface to the Dictionary), I
eniertaiaed the hope, that by the time of publication I should
have made such progress in the language as to be able, by the
aid of his labours and the abundant materials which he had col-
lected, to complete the imperfect portions of the Grammar, and to
supply, partly at least, those in which it is entirely deficient.
The time however was two short for such an undertaking, be-
sides which, the aid of a native Galla was necessary to enable
me to furnish those parts which are wanting, inasmuch as they
present the most difficult problems of grammar, and require a
full knowledge of the language for their solution. They are
those which in other grammars are comprehended under the head
of Syntax.
In some places , for instance in discussing the subject of
Pronouns, rules are given which naturally belong to the syntax
5
butthese are merely passing remarks not intended by the author
to supply the place of a syntax, which he had purposed to dis-
cuss in a full and ample manner.
Those parts which appear to be finished are, the doctrine
of Verbs, the Numeral Adjectives and the Pronouns. The num-
bers which treat of the Negation Nouns Adjectives and Par-
, ,
ticles, are taken from a communication which the author laid
5
—
VI
before the Royal Academy of Sciences in Munich on the 2"/ of
January 1841. The incompleteness of these parts cannot fail to
strike the notice of the reader, aud a careful study and com-
parison of them may detect contradictions of rules given in other
parts. But this must be accounted for by the circumstance that
the above mentioned grammatical sketch was communicated at
a time when my brother was still in many respects involved in
doubts and uncertainties, though he was already able to speak
the language with considerable fluency. He succeeded, in the
course of his subsequent studies , in resolving many of these
doubts, but his later acquisitions in this language were either
not written, or left in such an indigested form that I could not
make use of them. I have therefore given these fragments to
the public quite unaltered, except in a few places where m}'^ own
knowledge of the language enabled me to venture upon some
corrections.
To gratify the reader by some connected specimens of the
lano:uage5 I have added three prayers and two letters, together
with their translation. These as well as the examples given to
illustrate single principles have been corrected throughout ac-
cording to the orthography exhibited in the Dictionary, with the
exception of a few words that could not be found in it. I regret
that circumstances prevent me from publishing maps of the native
countries of Aga, Aman, and Akafed'e, as I formerl}- intended
they will perhaps find a place among the results of my own
African studies to be published hereafter.
The translation of the grammar was performed byMr. M. J.
Smead from Richmond Virg., to whom I feel myself the more
obliged as, on account of the novelty of the subject, he gave
himself the trouble to make some studies in the language itself;
I am, therefore, quite confident that this translation is, in every
respect, an exact reproduction of the German original.
Munich February 1845.
The Editor.