A Sea Dyak dictionary, in alphabetical parts, with examples and quotations shewing the use and meaning of words. de Howell, William, Reverend, & D.J.S. Bailey - 1900-[1903]

Singapore: American Mission Press, 1900-[1903]. First edition. Four parts bound in one, 8vo (23.5 x 15.5 cm), pp.xi, [1], (1)-83, [1, blank], [2, errata], [ii], (85)-133, [3], [ii], (134)-186, [1, blank], [iv], 24. Each part with separate title-page. A very good copy bound in contemporary half calf over marbled boards, neatly rebacked. The first substantial dictionary of the dialect spoken by the Iban people of Sarawak, which was published in parts over four years and dedicated to Charles Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak. The first three parts consist of a Sea Dyak to English dictionary. The fourth part adds an appendix of useful information, including units of measurement, money, fines, and vocabulary specific to the home, together with a selection of sayings, stories, and laws. The compilers note that this dialect was a living, spoken language with a strong oral tradition: these stories and sayings were collected in the field, as were the words of the dictionary. The sayings include such pithy gems as "A tiger in the house but a frog in the field." Our copy was presented to the Royal Empire Society by Miss G. Hose. We are unsure whether she was a relation of George Frederick Hose (1838-1922), Archbishop of Singapore, Labuan, and Sarawak, and a founding member of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, or Charles Hose (1863-1929), author of numerous works on the peoples of Sarawak. The former seems more likely, as the Archbishop is thanked for his assistance in the preface.