Languages and Nations: The Dravidian Proof in Colonial MadrasBritish rule of India brought together two very different traditions of scholarship about language, whose conjuncture led to several intellectual breakthroughs of lasting value. Two of these were especially important: the conceptualization of the Indo-European language family by Sir William Jones at Calcutta in 1786—proposing that Sanskrit is related to Persian and languages of Europe—and the conceptualization of the Dravidian language family of South India by F.W. Ellis at Madras in 1816—the “Dravidian proof,” showing that the languages of South India are related to one another but are not derived from Sanskrit. These concepts are valid still today, centuries later. This book continues the examination Thomas R. Trautmann began in Aryans and British India (1997). While the previous book focused on Calcutta and Jones, the current volume examines these developments from the vantage of Madras, focusing on Ellis, Collector of Madras, and the Indian scholars with whom he worked at the College of Fort St. George, making use of the rich colonial record. Trautmann concludes by showing how elements of the Indian analysis of language have been folded into historical linguistics and continue in the present as unseen but nevertheless living elements of the modern. |
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Languages and Nations: The Dravidian Proof in Colonial Madras Thomas R. Trautmann Limited preview - 2006 |
Languages and Nations: The Dravidian Proof in Colonial Madras Thomas R. Trautmann No preview available - 2006 |
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alphabetical analysis ancient appear Asia become beginning Board body British Calcutta called Campbell century chapter civil closely collection Collector College colonial Committee common comparative complete connection continue course Court death derived developed dialects dictionary Dravidian proof early East Ellis Ellis’s English Erskine especially Europe European examination example George give Government grammar guage head Hindu idea important India Indo-European Jones junior Kannada knowledge land languages later learned letter Leyden Library linguistic literary literature Madras manuscript masters means names native nature Orientalism Orientalist original P1âini Persian Prakrit present Press printed proposed published race relations remains roots rules Sanskrit scholars script servants Society South South India Tamil teachers Telugu theory thought tion tradition translation University vocabulary writing written
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Page 281 - The adventures of the Gooroo Paramartan: A tale in the Tamul language: accompanied by a translation and vocabulary, together with an analysis of the first story. By Benjamin Babington of the Madras Civil Service. London: JM Richardson.