The scholarly world accepted my publication on F.W. Ellis a torch bearer of Dravidian Linguistics wholeheartedly. Therefore I felt the need for a second edition. Ellis proved to be a pioneer Dravidiologist as testified to by his publications during his short span in India. A multi linguist Ellis had rare qualities and his intellectual acumen made him a true Dravidian although he was a representative of the Indo European family linguistically and racially. His long essays and booklets added new vigour and this fillip created new generations of linguists all over the globe. His pioneering efforts in the area of Dravidology made him a memorable personality in the annals of culture and civilization, particularly of India.
This is a modest attempt to highlight the pioneering contribution of the first comparativist in the field of Dravidiology by introducing his Dissertation on Malayalam Language to the public.
This is the first essay written on Malayalam Language by an Englishman-Francis Whyte Ellis-at the beginning of 19th century. He was not a missionary but a civil servant in Madras who served as Principal of College at Fort St. George. The college was establised by Sir George Barlow in the model of college at Fort William by Marquis Wellesley for the training of British Civil Servants in the vernaculars and to promote the systematic teaching of Tamil, just like the institutions of Dr. Pope in Sayarpuram and Thanjavur. Mr. Ellis came to India in 1796 in his 17th year and died in 1819 in his 40th year after serving the British Government in India for a pretty long time.
The first Comparativist in Dravidiology
Francis W. Ellis is the first comparative and historical linguist so far known to us. But the scholaraly world neglected him believing that Mr. Bopp, the author of 'Conjugations System' was the pathfinder in comparative philology and Bishop Caldwell, the first comparative Dravidiologist. It could not have been so. Now we have got ample evidence to establish that Mr. Ellis was the pathfinder in the field of comparative Dravidian Linguistics. We have got atleast two dissertations written by him, the first having been published around 1815. This essay is on Telugu language and it is a comparative study of Telugu with Tamil and Kannada. His second available dissertation is his essay on Malayalam Language which is being republished now.
Dravidian, a separate family
Though he has not called the group of languages of South India by the name Dravidian, he was the first scholar to state that this group of South Indian Languages belong to a separate family. He proved his theory by writing four essays, one each on Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam but we have got only two essays to be preserved for posterity. In his article on Telugu Language which was published by A.D. Campbell in his Grammar of Telugu Language, Ellis observes as follows:
"The high and low Tamil, the Telugu, Grammatical and Vulgar, Carnatica or Cannadi ancient and modern, Malayalma, the Tuluva, Cogodu, and the language of mountaineers of Rajmahal were genetically related and constituted an independent family." He categorically stated and proved through his writings that "neither the Tamil, the Telugu nor any of their cognate dialects are derivations from Sanskrit, the latter, however it may contribute to their polish, is not necessary for their existence and they formed a distinct family flanguages with which the Sanskrit as, in later times especially, intermingled, but with which it has no radical connection."
The story of this dissertation on Malayalam Language is a wonderfuly interesting one. It would have been lost unless Sir. Walter Elliot' discovered the proof sheets of this treatise, after the author's death, among some papers brought to him from Madras along with the books of the College of Fort St. George where Mr. Ellis was the principal. As already mentioned he was a Civil Service Officer of British Government and worked as the principal of the Board of Superintendence of the college of Fort St. George till his death in 1819. He was an erudite scholar in all the four major languages of South India-Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam. His scholarship in Sanskrit was very deep. He studied Tulu and all the dialects of South India with a view to making a comparative assessment of them and confirm that they did not originate from Sanskrit Language. He was the first scholar to declare that the South Indian languages belong to one single family and not related to Sanskrit or any other Aryan tongues. He printed some papers at the college press and published before his death. It was among a heap of corrected proofs and manuscripts that Mr. Walter Elliot discovered these papers when he was a member of the Board. He found the dissertation on the Malayalam Language was well worthy of preservation and publication. He sent the essays to the editor of the Indian Antiquary for publication and it was published in the Journal in 1878. It has not been yet published in book form.
Mr. Ellis is to be considered the first comparative historical linguist. He had written at least four historical essays on each one of the four Dravidian Languages. The essay on Telugu was printed and preserved by Mr. A.D. Campbell in his Telugu Grammar entitled a "Note to the Introduction," In his preface Mr. Campbell has acknowledged his indebtedness to Mr. Ellis:
"In support of what I have ventured to advance in the preceding introduction on the subject of the structure and derivation of the Teloogoo Language, it is pecularly gratifying to me to be allowed to quote the high authority of my friend Mr. Francis W. Ellis, at the head of the Board of Superintendence for the college of Fort St. George, as contained in the following observations with which he has favoured me. The knowledge which this gentleman possesses of the various spoken dialects of the peninsula, added to his acquirements as a Sanskrit scholar, peculiarly qualify him to pronounce a judgement on this subject.
Send as free online greeting card
Email a Friend
Manage Wishlist