An Introduction to the Maithili Dialect of the Bihari Language as Spoken in North Bihar

In submitting the following somewhat full grammar of the Maithili dialect to the Asiatic Society of Bengal Wish to explain the sources of my information. They may be divided into two classes; First forma obtained by translating into Maithili. Second forms obtained by translating from Maithili. The first I obtained as follows: I printed paradigms of all the forms in Hindi and Sanskrit Grammar and circulated them as widely as possible amongst the Pandits, village school masters, and educated native gentlemen of Northern Mithila, with directions to give the exact translation of each of these forms in their own native language. I was enabled, in this way, to collect some fifty most useful books of forms, supplied by representatives of all classes of society, from the village guru, who knew little more than the herd-boys he taught, to the most learned Pandits of Mithila. I am glad to say that the utmost interest was taken in my design, for the people are proud of their language and were pleased at the idea of its being made a polite one by obtaining the honour of print. These books of paradigms formed the basis of this grammar. They were compared with each other; and where one was found wanting, another supplied the deficiency. At the same time, it must not be imagined that they showed many mutual discrepancies: on the contrary, considering the many varied sources from which they were derived, their unanimity was wonderful and justifies me in hoping that what I here publish will be found accurate.