Carey's study of Indian languages began on board the Kron Princess Maria in 1793 as he travelled from Dover, England to Calcutta, India.  By 1801, he had produced a Bengali grammar "with the help of native assistants."  He subsequently recognized, along with other students of the subject, that Sanskrit provided the key to understanding other Indian languages, all of them being more or less derived from it.  His Sanskrit grammar appeared in 1806, to be followed by a Mahratta grammar and then, four years later in 1810, by the Mahratta dictionary.

The Mahratta (Marathi) language derives most of its words from Sanskrit.

Two issues remain uncertain with regard to Carey's Mahratta dictionary.  As always in translation work at Serampore, the question of the extent of involvement by pundits is a difficult one.  Carey's work acknowledged two concerns that contrast sharply with those faced by modern scholars of the languages in which he worked.  First, Carey assimilated information in order to publish Indian translation of the scriptures as rapidly as resources and prudence would permit.  Second, Carey clearly tailored his grammars and dictionaries to needs of British students who wished to acquire a ready working knowledge of the Indian languages.  Those who assess Carey's work must keep these aims in mind.

Created: January 11, 2002  Updated: January 14, 2002