Sau Kau-Too, Wade J. Thesaurus of Karen Knowledge Comprising Traditions, Legends or Fables, Poertry, Customs, Superstitions, Demonology, Therapeutics etc. Volume 3

Tavoy: Karen Mission Press, 1849. — 384 p.Alphabetically arranged and forming a complete Native Karen Dictionary, with definitions and examples, illustrating the usages of every word.The matter contained in the following work was at first designed to be used only in preparing a Karen and English Dictionary for the use of Karen Missionaries, the author of this work being fully determined not to insert a single word, or to give any word a single definition, for which he could not show his authority and for that purpose he intended to append them to the English definition, as examples and authorities; but is soon occurred to him that these materials, if published separately, would form a work which would be highly valuable as a Dictionary for the use of the native themselves, and would be equally available as authorities for the definitions given in the Karen and English Dictionary as if comprised in that work on the original plan, while the size of that work would thereby also be reduced to a more convenient form.
This work has been the labor of many years; in the first place, the compiler, with the aid of a Karen, Sau Chetthing, now Chief Native Magistrate of all the Karens in the Maulmain District, took up the Burman Dictionary, and wrote out the corresponding Karen word to each term in that work. These he than arranged in the alphabetical order of the Karen, and the whole was subsequently revised with the aid of Sau Panlah one of the most valuable preachers among the Maulmain Karens.
Next, all the syllables in the compound terms already found were separately placed in their alphabetical order as roots, with references to the compounds or phrases in which they were found used; to the whole was then added all the words which Rev. Mr. Mason and other Karen Missionaries had collected, in their intercourse and labors among the Karens, and all that the compiler could pick up from letters and writings of the natives. The words thus collected, were then given to Sau Kau-Too, to be defined; and examples of their use to be added, according to the best of his ability. These examples and definitions brought to light a multitude of roots and compound terms, not before found, which were carefully picked up, and inserted in their proper places, according to alphabetical order.
Such has been the method by which so large a number of Karen words have been collected, a tsk of no small difficulty, in the absence of written books in the language.
It would be chimerical to suppose, that all the terms in the language have been or could be found by these limited means, but the Compiler feels confident, that if the learner makes himself a master this collection, he will find himself quite at home and easy in the language; he will know more of it than any native at present does.
J. Wade
Tavoy; October, 1847