" And again he remarks: "Dr. Krap was unable to
find any word expressing the idea of gratitude in the language of
all the Suaheli (Wasawahili) tribes; a fact significant enough as
to the total absence of the moral feeling denoted by that name."
Similarly the Mpongwe cannot express our "honesty;" they must
paraphrase it by "good man don't steal." In time they possibly
may adopt the word bodily like pus (a cat), amog (mug), kapinde
(carpenter), krus (a cross), and ilepot (pot).
Such a task is difficult as it is interesting, the main obstacle
to success being the almost insuperable difficulty of throwing
off European ideas and modes of thought, which life-long habit
has made a second nature. Take the instance borrowed from Dr.
Krap, and noticed by a hundred writers, namely, the absence of a
synonym for "gratitude" amongst the people of the nearer East. I
have explained the truth of the case in my "Pilgrimage," and it
will bear explanation again. The Wasawahili are Moslems, and the
Moslem view everywhere is that the donor's Maker, not the donor,
gives the gift. The Arab therefore expresses his "Thank you!" by
"Mamnun"--I am under an obligation (to your hand which has passed
on the donation); he generally prefers, however, a short
blessing, as "Kassir khayr' ak" (may Allah) "increase thy weal!"
The Persian's "May thy shadow never be less!" simply refers to
the shade which you, the towering tree, extend over him, the
humble shrub.
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