preface.
 

eight long months have now elapsed since this publi¬
cation was undertaken, in the fond hope and belief that
the whole would have been published in half that time ;
and although my labours, during this dreary period, have
very frequently been protracted till two in the morning,
at the risk of totally ruining my health, the volume at
last has been completed, with the utmost difficulty and
distress, from causes over which i had no control what¬
ever, those readers only, who will make a proper use
of this cheap but comprehensive abridgment of huge and
costly volumes, can form a competent idea of the task,
projected and executed under many discouraging events;
in a manner so very different indeed from such perform¬
ances in general, that no one can form an adequate no¬
tion either of its practical utility or extent, until he fairly
put this multum in parvo collection of words to the
test of daily experience, in its application to the two
most essential of the eastern tongues.

the rational ideas of genuine etymology, which may be
acquired in my text books and lectures, will be corro¬
borated and exercised at every step through the closely
printed columns of this vocabulary, with the most bene¬
ficial effects, and a certain practical acquaintance with
the arable vocables, which are incorporated with the
hindoostanee and persian, will thus be cultivated by a
process of reference and concatenation that must insen¬
sibly produce a degree of proficiency in this department
of orientalism, which will speedily reward the learner's
assiduity with astonishing success.

having been so long and unexpectedly engaged upon
this hindee-persic and english vocabulary, which alone
contains from 20 to 30,000 words, it became absolutely

b