LANGUAGE 'AND ORIGIN
language will be examined by söïné European pbilologer, as
this affords the only opportunity of Solving the problem as to
the original population of Madagascar* or the origin of the
earliest people distinct from the African race, who are believed
to have colonised it.
The history of the Malayo-Polynesian people-in Madagascar
is entirely unknown. It appears, however, certain
that there was a real colonisation of the island from some
country in the Malayan seas, and that the resemblances discovered
between the Malecassian and the Malayan languages
are not the result of commercial intercourse, aS*Mr. Crawfurd
conjectured. The nearest connection is between the Malecassian
and the Tagala of the Philippines.*
I f is perhaps on the whole most probable that a colony
from Java reached the coast of Madagascar at a time when
the Javanese were skilful navigators and formed settlements
on various islands of the Indian Archipelago. The date of
the event is Unknown, but it probably took place before the
era when the religion and literature of Hindustan were imported
into Java, and therefore before the commencement of
the Javan era, which, as we have seen, was not far removed
from the era of Salivahana. The existence of a Malayo-
Polynesian tribe in Madagascar may therefore be dated from
times antecedent to the Christian era.
The following selection of words will serve to illustrate the
relations of the Malecassian language.f
* X made this observation in the second edition of my Researches (1826),
vól. i. pi 477. It has been fully confirmed by M. de Humboldt, Kawi-
Sprache, Bd.2. _
-j- These words are taken from M. de Humboldt’s selection. Kawi-Spr.
Bd.2.
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