New-York tribune., 1902-08-21
4 J1a4LOG GRAM1NAR.
nrvoTED TO THE DOMINANT DIALECT
IN THE PHILIPPINES-SOME
OF ITS FORMS.

Boston Aup 10 (SpeciaD-What is regarded as
b- far the most important educauonal step Will
.s-ar5 m +he PHILIPPINES is that being consu1n-
mated in the production Of a Tagalog grammar
T. &c r17e first effort open the door to literary
relations between the Malaysian country and amer
,ca 4 Chicago physician, Dr. DAVID j. DoherIy'
is the author of the grammar. and ne mas spent
three wears IN systematic. scholarly preparation lor
the work which will be brought out in about two
months by e firm Of Boston publishers Dr DO
herty has been in Boston for a week, working with
Sehor Sixto Lopez. in going over the manuscript
and in counselling with Frank B. Sar born. rlske
we,ren and leading anti-imperialists with regard
TO matter connected with the publication and dis
tribution of the book
The volume and the labors Of Dr. Doherty and
his confreres have nothing to do with political
partisanship and it is therefore believed that the
government will be ready aid in the proper dis
tribution Of volume and that il will result In
establishing practical educational contact with the
F1npinos.
Dr. Doherty was led into this unique undertaking
through translating a Spanish medical work into
English The volume was Barcone's treatise on
diseases OF the Philippines The attention gwen
this labor helped interest DR.. Doherty IN MS
study Of the Spanish language. and. having taken
strong interest n the subject OF the Philippines.
sfruy TO crafty the scholars interest in philoogy.
he began 2 systematic study o. the Tagal language
finally resolving complete the arduous task OF
making q Tagal grammar; that is grammar
which will represent the general system OF the
method, and, Of course. q volume such that the
Tsgal child in studying II will be acquiring the
English method Of grammar and an English vocab-
ulary The scope and possible educational value OF
such book can be readily understood
The general facts regarding the language OF the
Tasalogs which DR.. Doherty has al his command
are astonishing even TO those who have read the
vast amount Of matter that has been puohshed
about the Philippines AS an instance, II seems
that the Tagalogs while commonly accounted peo-
-T-e1zy hzrH
really have their historians and novelists in as
oomparatively q genuine sense as has America
Not long ago. indeed. there was organized IN d
Philippine city q society composed exclusively OF
Tagasog writers and authors. the institution Oelhs
INTENDED 10 include in membership the class that
would he registered in reputable authors club
o. the United States
Tagaiog the principal cialect or the ChrIs'lail
and civilized Flipnos. who constitute about 81 per
cent of the inhabitants OF the Philippine archl-
,elapo and II is rapidly becoming the dominant
s,alec- in the entire group of islands Phooglsts
classify Tagalog in the Malayo-Polynesian iaihly-
In irs uresent form il shows the influence OF span
&c, md Chinese contact Its very alphabet is Latin.
instead of the original Arabic Buckle quotes an
o-i,io, NJ William Won Humboldt that Tagaloc is
The most perfect Of the MalayoPoynesian tongues
Tagalos has three primitive vowel sounds-a'
and !, which are characteristic Of the european
branch of the Aryan family, Inc olhes Vo"s,
sounds and o. used chiefly in printing and
--ords Of sparish origin but they are pronounced
Ike and respectively
There are fifteen simple and two compound con-
sounds
The most noticeable structural feature Of the
language IS its wealth Of radicals, which by the
addition of prefxes suflxes or both become
capable OF wide application radical becomes an
adjective If ma is prefxed ano an abstract
noun II is prefixed and am sufixed For ex-
annie. The radical butt - good; 'Tnabutiaqi," "
good
Pronouns are never suppressed They are nu-
and explicit. and even avoid th' anoisui =
OF English pronouns. For example: We tmeanine
the speaker and the person addressed) is "tayo'
but If the hearer is excluded IL is 'carni.
The numerals are complete. the units being ex