A Tibetan-English Dictionary: With Sanskrit Synonyms (An Old and Rare Book)

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This is an improved, enlarged Dictionary enriched with additional Sanskrit terms, as compared to Tibetan-English-Dictionary published in 1834. This valuable dictionary has been arranged with Tibetan words in alphabetical order; their accepted Sanskrit equivalents, English renderings of the Tibetan terms; and the meaning of each technical term illustrated by extracts from Sanskrit, Buddhist and Tibetan Works. Included in the Dictionary Tibetan words not included in the carlier Dictionary, such as words used in current literature, every-day business, refined idiomatic literature, drama, fiction, correspondence etc.

A valuable treasure for scholars, philosophers, academicians and all those interested in Tibetan language, to guide and assist in the exploration of the vast literature of Tibet, which besides indigenous works, comprises almost all the Buddhist religious works of India.

ALET, CHOMA DE Konis, the pioneer student of Tibetan, in the preface of his Tibetan-English Dictionary, published in 1834, wrote as follows:-

"When there shall be more interest taken for Buddhism (which has much in common with the spirit of trao Christianity) and for diffusing Christian and European knowledgo throughout the most eastern parts of Asia, the Tibetan Dictionary may be much improved, enlarged, and illustrated by the addition of Sanskrit terms." The result of his investigations, to speak in Coma's own words, was that the literature of Tibet is entirely of Indian origin. The immenso volumes on different branches of science, etc., being exact or faithful translations from Sanskrit works, taken from Bengal, Magadha, Gangetic or Contral India, Kashmir, and Nepal, commencing from the soventh century after Christ. And that many of these works have been translated (mostly from Tibetan) into the Mongol, Manchu, and the Chinese languages; so that by this means the Tibetan language became in Chinese Tartary the language of the learned as the Latin in Europe. In the year 1889 I brought these opinions of that original investigator to the notice of Sir Alfred Croft, x.c.I.E., the then Director of Public Instruction in Bengal, and explained to him the necessity of compiling a Tibetan-English Dictionary on the lines indicated by Csoma de Koros for the use of Tibetan students and particularly to assist European scholars in the thorough exploration of the vast literature of Tibet, which, besides indigenous works, comprises almost all the Baddhist religious works of India, including the great collections of the Kahgyur and the Tangyur. Shortly before this Sir Alfred Croft had received a communication from the late Right Hon'ble Professor F. Max Muller on the desirability of translating into English a Sanskrit-Tibetan work on Buddhist terminology, which was looked for with interest, because it was expected to throw light on many obscure points of Buddhist- Sanskrit literaturo. The philosophical terms of that literature, many Edgar, x.c.I.E., formerly Chief Secretary to the Governinent of Bougal; to Dr. Emil Schlagintweit of Bavaria, and to the Hon'ble W. W. Rockhill, Author of The Land of Lamas for encouragement, assistance, and advice during the prosecution of my researches. Great in the debt of gratitude which I owe to the Revd. G. Sandberg for various acts of kindness. Without his scholarly and efficient aid this work would hardly have assumed its present shape, as he has given a scientific finish to the work which it was not in my power to do.