The Urdu self-instructor or Ataliq--i-Urdu

1899·13.8 MB·English

by  Laiq Ahmad, Maulavi

THE
Urdu Self-Instructor
OR
ATALIQ.MJRDU.
BY
MADLAVI AHMAD,
LAIQ
FIRST EDITION.
COPYRIGHT REGISTERED UNDER ACT XXV OF 1667.
PRICE
Rs.
PRINTED AT THE
nsari Pr ess, Daliii, By Maulavi Abdul Majid.
1899.
Orders should be addressed to
S.M. NAZEER AHMAD, Morning Post Office,
DELHI.
PC
ms
PREFACE.
In placing before the public " THE URDU SELF-
INSTRUCTOU oil ATALEEQ," I have every .confidence
that it will meet \viih approbation, as the book unpreten-
tious though it is is a unique one in this country.
Its purpose is to cause students of the Vernacular
to commence at once to read the language.
There are many Primers in existence, compiled by
learned Scholars, European and Native, but they are not
suitable for beginners, especially thosewhocome out fresh
from England, for the simple reason that they are, so far
as Urdu is concerned, printed in a type which is neither
the written nor the printed character used by the people.
Let any one who doubts this statement first learn the
characters given in Forbes's Manual, for instance, and
then try to read a nativenewspaper ora Vernacular letter.
He will find himself, as a brilliant countryman of mine
says, " utterly in a hurlyburly."
When I began to teach the Vernacular language to
Louis Tracy, Esq., of the Morning Post, during the cold
weather of 1897-8, he suggested the preparation of a book
for the guidance of Europeans who want to learn, the
Urdu language in asimple and plain form. Acting upon
his advice and with his assistance, I have produced the
presentworkinthestyleof the common Vernacular Primer,
taught to children in all Indian Vernacular Schools.
Simple grammatical notes havebeen added where essential
for the guidance of students.
Each of the succeeding ten chapters deals with a
progressive phase ofthe language, and each must be care-
fully studied before its successor is attacked. Neglect of
this thorough methodwill, probably, render the students'
efforts nugatory.
It is well known to all that the Persi-Arabic charac-
ter, astaughtin this book andin no other with which 1 am
acquainted^ is used in every court in the North-West
Provinces and the Punjab. Every member of the Civil
Service, every officer of the Army and Police who under-
goes examination in Urdu indeed, every officer of
Government whose position requires a knowledge of the
written language of Upper India should find this
compilation ofthe utmost assistance.
I must not omit, before I conclude, to offer my res-
pectful and hearty thanks to T. Gr. Pike, Esq., also of the
Morning Post, through whose very welcome support I
have been enabled to publishJhis book.
S. M. LAIQ AHMAD.
;riinslated into English. The English equivalent proverbs
ire also given.
CHAPTER IX.
Tales and extracts frooi various Urdu books given for
the purpose of reading. The translation of the first
five tales is given as suggested by John Sime, E.j.
}
M. A., L. L. D., Director of Public Instruction, Punjab.
Also a vocabulary of all difficult words occurring in the
:ext ,together with "Military pigeon-English terms'7 as
suggested by Major General Sir Bindon Blood, K. C. B.,
is appended.
CHAPTER X.
A number of writing running-hand exercises, to-
gether with their transliteration in a legibl^Jaand, and a
number ofgood legible long-hand exercises in order to
help the student in writing the language.
CONTENTS.
c
CHAPTER I.
The Persi-Arabic letters with their initial and final
forms, together with complete exercises in the style of a
simple Vernacular Primer, with brief explanatory notes,
where essential.
CHAPTER II.
Words and sentences containing the initial and final
forms of letters.
CHAPTER III.
The inec!ial forms of letters, exercises and comments
on same.
CHAPTER IV.
A
classified Vocabulary of useful words, a number of
Compound-Yerbs and Synonyms of the language.
CHAPTER V.
^
O^:
Very briefsynopsis ._aar.
CHAPTER VI.
Urdu dialogues on differenttopics in the Vernacular
and Roman Characters with their English renderings.
CHAPTER VII.
A number of short Urdu tales with their literal and
free English translations, and a collection of short stories
and extracts in English, with and without their Urdu
translation.
CHAPTER VIII
A number ot easy Urdu Proverbs and idioms literally