First edition of a rare early European grammar of the Malay language, representing one of the first systematic attempts to codify Malay for Western readers. Written by the German missionary George Henrik Werndly (ca. 1693-1744), who worked extensively in the Dutch East Indies, the work was intended to aid missionaries, traders, and colonial officials in learning the language and understanding local communication. It provides detailed guidance on pronunciation, grammar, sentence structure, and practical usage, offering a fascinating glimpse into 18th-century approaches to linguistic pedagogy.
The present edition is particularly significant for its typographical innovations. The text is presented in both Roman and Arabic type, each with specially cut characters for Malay. The Roman type was originally developed for Werndlys Old and New Testament translations (1731-1733), with punches cut by Samuel Jallason, a typefounder trained in Germany and active in London and the Netherlands. The Arabic type, preferred by native speakers, derives from the Voskens type of the late seventeenth century, with additional characters cut by Joan Michael Fleischman, later used in the Batavia Bible of 1744-1758. For the convenience of European readers, many passages appear in both scripts.
The work also includes a 130-page appendix, offering the first bibliography of printed Malay works and manuscripts, by both native authors and Europeans. It begins with the 1629 New Testament (part of which appeared in 1612) and includes notes on numerous publications and authors, alongside a detailed ten-page account of Werndly himself, and the Old and New Testament translations he edited.
Reprinted at least twice in the 19th century, Werndlys grammar is a cornerstone in Malay linguistic studies and an important contribution to the history of printing in Malay. Its combination of linguistic scholarship, bilingual presentation, and historical typographical innovation makes this edition a remarkable survival.
With a library stamp of the Nederlandsche Zendingsschool Oegstgeest (later Hendrick Kraemer Instituut, which deaccessioned this volume) on the inside of the front board and on the title page. The binding shows signs of wear. The work is slightly browned, a few wormholes in the margins of the leaves, a tear in the third flyleaf, the title page and pages 195-198 are detached, but still present, quires X and Y are partly detached, some leaves have been trimmed somewhat short without loss of text. Otherwise in good condition. Landwehr, VOC, 759 (8 copies, including the present); Karlsruher Virt. Kat. (9 copies); NCC (4 copies); STCN 188852247; cf. Lane, J., Enschedé Type Specimens of 1768 & 1773, p. 29 & 71-2.