Dimanche 6 December 1846
Cher Monsieur Talbot,
Je vous envoie quelques mots d’une singulière langue de l’Asie ou plutôt d’un des nombreux dialects de la Tartarie, qui peut être aura échappé à vos studieuses recherches.
Beyond the Oxus <1> there is a district of Toorkistan called Wukhan mentioned by Marco Polo: a few specimens of its language are as follows.
Father – Fait.
Mother – Nan.
Son – Kash.
Daughter – Poorchad
Fire – Rekhoru.
Water – Yoolek.
The people of Shugnan, the next district, differ in their dialect: they have for:
Bread – Gurdu.
Son – Ghudyk.
Daughter – Ghuds
In the district of Chitral (situated between Budukhshan and Cashmere) a native gave Alex. Burnes the following specimens:
Mother – Nunan.
(how like mamma?)
Daughter – Iaor
Son. – Dirk.
Man – Mach.
Woman – Kumoor.
Water – Oogh.
Fire – Ungar.
Above – Asha
Below – Aye.
Mountain – Koh.
Fort – Noghar.
I go – Booghdo.
Where do you go? – Koora roobas?
The chief of Chitral boasts of Macedonian lineage.
Ceci est un prélude aux remerciements que je vous dois, cher Monsieur, pour avoir bien voulu me croire digne d’apprécier votre ingénieux et savant ouvrage; je ne suis sans doute pas à sa hauteur. Mais ma curiosité et l’intérêt avec lequel je lirai tout ce qui sort de votre plume suppléeront peut-être à ce qui me manque pour tout comprendre. <2>
Je suis bien occupée du God-like Pelasgians, –
θεοι τε Πελασγοι
Homere a t’il voulu dire Gothè, or Getè? dans ce cas vos conjectures se trouveraient réalisées, sur l’origine des premiers peuples du continent de la Grèce, et quel vaste champ ouvert aux investigations historiques!
Puissiez-vous trouver dans mes mots tartares quelques uns de ces anneaux qui, je pense [illegible deletion], forment la grande chaine des langues et les relient toute entr’elles; en attendant le plaisir de vous revoir Mercredi croyez à la sincère affection de votre toujours dévouée
Amelina Petit
Ayez la bonté de dire à Mme Talbot <3> que je me conformerai aux arrangemens de sa lettre.Translation:
Sunday December 6th 1846
Dear Mr Talbot,
I am sending you a few words from a peculiar language of Asia or rather from one of the numerous dialects of the Tartar region, which have perhaps escaped your studious research.
Beyond the Oxus there is a district of Toorkistan called Wukhan mentioned by Marco Polo: a few specimens of its language are as follows.
Father – Fait.
Mother – Nan.
Son – Kash.
Daughter – Poorchad
Fire – Rekhoru.
Water – Yoolek.
The people of Shugnan, the next district, differ in their dialect: they have for:
Bread – Gurdu.
Son – Ghudyk.
Daughter – Ghuds.
In the district of Chitral (situated between Budukhshan and Cashmere) a native gave Alex. Burnes the following specimens:
Mother – Nunan.
(how like mamma?)
Daughter – Iaor
Son. – Dirk.
Man – Mach.
Woman – Kumoor.
Water – Oogh.
Fire – Ungar.
Above – Asha
Below – Aye.
Mountain – Koh.
Fort – Noghar.
I go – Booghdo.
Where do you go? – Koora roobas?
The chief of Chitral boasts of Macedonian lineage.
This is a prelude to the thanks which I owe you, kind Sir, for having believed me worthy of appreciating your ingenious and learned work; I am certainly not worthy of it. However my curiosity and the interest with which I shall read everything which stems from your plume will perhaps make up for that which I am lacking and which would allow me to understand everything.
I am most busy with the God-like Pelasgians, –
θεοι τε Πελασγοι
Did Homer wish to say Gothè, or Getè in which case your conjectures would be realised, as to the origin of the first peoples on the continent in Greece, and what a vast domain would open itself up to historical investigations!
Would you could find in my tartar words some of the rings which, I believe, comprise the great chain of languages and link them all among themselves; I await the pleasure of seeing you again on Wednesday and, in the meantime, believe in the sincere affection of your ever devoted
Amélina Petit
Please be so good as to tell Mrs Talbot that I will conform to the arrangements set forth in her letter.Notes:
1. River known as Amu Darya, in central Asia, rises in Pamirs, flows North West through Hindu Kush, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to the Aral Sea.
2. WHFT, English Etymologies (London: John Murray, 1847).
3. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.