Published in 1812, this study of Malay in its written form was begun during William Marsden's service with the East India Company in Sumatra (1771 9). He continued his textual work in England upon his return, thus putting his practical knowledge into a solid scholarly frame. An expert in Asian languages and an outstanding Malay scholar in the English-speaking world, Marsden (1754 1836) was a fellow of the Royal Society from 1783 and later its vice-president and treasurer. This work is distinctive for its substantial Malay English section, and for the use of examples from original Malay texts...