ways in which a sentence may be rendered, will observe the force of words, and will be able to compare idiom with idiom.[1]
4. It has been customary to regard Persian as a language easy of attainment ; this is far from being the case. A certain degree of proficiency may easily be reached ; but to obtain a thorough knowledge of the language is exceedingly difficult, owing to—
(a) The vast number of words (said to be 80,000) in the language ;
(b) The ambiguous expressions in which a Persian delights ;
(c) The want of translations ;[2]
(d) Want of properly qualified teachers.[3]
That there are defects in this work is most readily allowed ; yet all that care and labour could do to prevent error has been given to the task. The critic will remember that this is the first attempt ever
- ↑ In his Hindūstānī Manual Dr. Forbes rendered the English sentence in one way only. For Hindūstānī this may be suffi- cient ; but a rich language, such as the Persian, requires more generous handling.
- ↑ The only Persian books translated into English are the Gulistan, the Amwār-i-Suhaili, and the Shāh-Nāmah.
- ↑ This is a most serious difficulty as regards Persian and Arabic.
