The utility of the Bengáli language is too evident and too firmly established to require any further demonstration. The Sacred Scriptures, long since translated, printed, and widely circulated over the vast extent of the country—the Establishment of Government, Missionary, and Private Seminaries in various parts of Bengal—the currency of the language in the Presidency and Mufassal Civil and Criminal Courts of Justice—the extensive daily familiar and commercial intercourse of Europeans with the Natives of the country afford, beyond all doubt, ample motives for the study and cultivation of this most useful language. Hence a great many works have already been compiled by eminent European and Native gentlemen towards facilitating its acquisition.
With a view to render his humble services, the compiler was induced, some twenty-nine years back, to undertake the compilation of an Abridgment of Johnson's Dictionary in English and Bengáli, for assisting both European and Native students in acquiring the respective languages. Six years subsequent to that period he designed to give a second edition of the aforesaid work, together with this volume as its companion, but unforeseen obstacles frustrated the execution of his design, and disheartened him from pursuing the object any further.
However, through the unbounded mercy of a gracious Providence, after a long interval, he is enabled to embrace the present opportunity of redeeming the pledge then made, by giving a second edition of both the volumes, corrected, enlarged and, in some instances, abridged and condensed. Many additional terms have been introduced, which are not to be found in any other work of a similar nature.
To prevent disappointment, it is to be observed that a Dictionary, professedly of the Bengáli language, must include not only the pure Bengáli terms used by the learned, but many words of mixed origin which are in common use, derived from Arabic, Persian, Hindi and low Bengáli, which occur daily in the conversation of people of different grades.
In submitting this volume to the candid judgment of a generous public, the compiler is well aware of the difficulty of pleasing every body, therefore he will not pretend to say any thing by way of recommending it, but simply begs leave to quote the opinions of the best judges of the language:—“The compiler of this work, (Companion to Johnson's Dictionary,) as the latest in the field, has been enabled to avail himself of the labors of many predecessors, which he certainly has done with very commendable diligence. On the whole this work is decidedly superior to others of its kind. The opinion is entertained, in which we incline fully to coincide, that this would answer to the student all the ordinary purposes of a complete dictionary. The com--
