Philological Discoveries in the Missionary Descriptive Tradition of Malayalam: A Research Journey

Abstract

The manuscript Ges. 963 of the National Library of Rome, a Malayalam grammar in the Portuguese language attributed to Fr. Joseph Kariattil, represents an intriguing discovery within the missionary descriptive tradition. Dating back to the 18th century, the text is part of the efforts of Catholic missionaries to codify local languages for evangelization purposes. A comparative analysis with the manuscript Vat.Ind.13 reveals strong structural and content similarities, suggesting an original-copy philological relationship. This approach allows for the reconstruction of the genesis of Ges. 963, its connection to other texts, and the dating of various annotations found in Vat.Ind.13, which can be attributed to hands different from that of the author. Consequently, it also provides valuable data for a broader analysis in missionary linguistics concerning the grammatical tradition of Malayalam. This interdisciplinary study combines archival research, history, philology, and linguistics, highlighting the importance of rediscovering and enhancing these texts, which are often overlooked in catalogues and modern studies.