Gizie Shitahunegn
Abstract
The want of a good Grammar and Dictionary, however, v,as deeply felt by the Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, in their intercourse witli the Abyssinians. Still the author of this work did not, during a three years' stay in Tigre, from 1835 to 1838, think of collecting materials for a Dictionary; it being his conviction, that a longer residence in the country, and the publication of the Bible Society's edition of the Arnharic Scriptures, which had not then taken place, would better qualify him, or any of his brethren, for the execution of such an important work. But when, after the sudden and unexpected breaking-up of their Tigre Mission, he, witli his fellow-labourer, the Rev. J. L. Krapf, left Eo;j'|)t, for Rhoa, in January 1839, fid the Red Sea, he was so impressed witli the necessity of collecting materials for a Dictionary, that he resolved to begin with this work while on their journey, and to employ upon it all the leisure hours which that long journey afforded him. His plan was, while on the journey, to read the whole of vrhat, up to that period, had been published of the Amharic Scrijituros ; i.e. the Pentateuch, the Psalms, and the New Testament, and to put down eveiy word contained in them ; and, after their arrival in Shoa, to collect words from the Natives. The nature of the journey, however-being the first attempt of Europeans to enter Shoa by a road liitherto unknown-did not allow the Missionaries to carry a large library Avith them ; nor were the great variety of circum- stances and situations much suited for deep study, or for the quiet thought which such a work required. At sea, they had to encounter the unruly motions of wind and water;-on their journey by land, the heat of a scorching sun, various privations, constant bustles with uncivilised natives, and various other unpleasant circumstances. AH, therefore, that the author could do, was-after having, by the assistance of a well-informed Abyssinian who accom- panied them, secured the true signification of each word-to write it down in short notes in German, and to mark the Biblical passage where it occurs. The same plan was followed during the author's stay in Shoa, from June to November 1839. When he came b i,ck to England, in order to ask the consent of the Committee of the Church Missionary Society to his carrying through the press this and several other Amharic works, D. Coates, Esq., the Secretary, put into his hands an Amharic Vocabulary, composed by the PREFACE. ^' author's late fellow-labourer in the Tigre Mission, the Rev. C. H. Blumhardt ; who had been removed, after the unfortunate breaking-up of that Mission, to the Society's Station at Krishnaghur, in North India. Mr. Blumhardt had begun that Vocabulary a. d. 1837, soon after his arrival at Adoa ; and, with the greatest assiduity, continued in its composition ; and finished it at Malta, from whence he sent it to London, in 1839, to the disposal of the Committee. To the perusal of that Vocabulary the author owes several words which lie himself had not collected : they are generally marked with the initials BI. In the same way, the author has marked those words vrhich he gathered from Ludolfs Lexicon, Lud. ; and the Arabic words on Golius' authority, Gol. On the author's arrival in London, he had the satisfaction to find that the whole of the Amharic Old Testament had been printed *, and was favoured with a copy of it by the British and Foreign Bible Society. This enabled him to collect the remaining words of those Biblical Books which he had not seen previously. The most necessary thing, the collection, being thus completed, he was obliged, in order to fit the work for the press, to translate the German into English, to give each word the various significations attached to it, and to show its uses in conversation, by quoting instances, either from the Scriptures or from common life. This was done, while the work went through the press : for the author-whose connexion with the Church Missio- nary Society's Mission in Shoa obliged him to shorten his stay in Europe as much as possible-had not time to finish the work, before the printing was begun. To this circumstance, some defects are ascribable, which would have been obviated, if proper time had been allowed for its completion, before it was put to press. The author especially refers to the want of illustrative instances in the Second Part, and to the arrangement, in the First, of verbal derivations : the latter of which would have been, in some instances, different, if he had been able to postpone the printing of the Dictionary, until the Grammar, in the composition of which he is now engaged, was finished : for the author has, in his present occupation with the Grammar, discovered some peculiarities in the verbs, of which he was not yet aware when the * In Januan' last, (he-whole Bible left the press. vi PREFACE. Dictionary was printing. While, therefore, he aimed at the perfection of Hiis work, the anthor was obliged to submit to the necessity of rendering it as perfect as circumstances would allow. PREFACE. ' '^'" him in their service-the more he honours, the more he loves them. May the Spirit and the blessing of God, which has hitherto so abundantly been upon them, and so signally crowned their labom-s at home and abroad in all parts of the world, cont'nue with them, constantly increasing; enabling them to overcome all their difficulties ; and faithfully to discharge their duties, to the glory of God, and to the building up of His Church among the nations ! As for the present distressing state of their funds-which the author especially regrets, because he fears it may prevent them from giving their East-African Mission that succour which he could wish -^lie trusts that He, whose is " both the silver and gold," and who has commanded us to pray " the Lord of the Harvest to send Labourers into His harvest," will inspire the members of the Society with an abundant measure of love and zeal, so as to come forward willingly with their substance, to assist the Committee to go on with renewed vigour in their course. In now taking leave cf this his humble offspring, the author commends it to the indulgence of the Reader: and to the protection and blessing of the Almighty, the promotion of whose glory is its final object. May He render it a means, to enable the Abyssinians, as well as their Teachers, to proclaim in their tongue the wonderful works of God; and a channel for convejdng the salutary influences of Evangelical Doctrine and of Christian Civilization, from enlightened Europe, over benighted Abyssinia ! C. W. ISENBERG. London, Oct. 1841. . tili'oo , .
