Konkani once had a literature of its own, which is said to have been destroyed by the Inquisition at Goa. Temples and manuscripts were burnt wholesale. Under Roman Catholic auspices a new literature arose, the earliest writer being an Englishman, Thomas Stephens (Thomaz Estevão), who came to Goa in 1579, wrote the first Konkani grammar, and died there in 1619. Amongst other works, he was the author of a Konkani paraphrase of the New Testament in metrical form, which has been several times reprinted and is still a favourite work with the native Christians. Since his time there has grown up a considerable body of Christian literature from the pens of Portuguese missionaries and native converts. AUTHORITIES.--Marathi is fortunate in possessing the best dictionary of any modern Indian language, J. T. Molesworth's (2nd ed., Bombay, 1857). Navalkar's (3rd ed., Bombay, 1894) is the best grammar. The earliest students of Marathi were the Portuguese, who were familiar only with the language as spoken on the coast, i.e. with the standard dialect of the northern Konkan and with Konkani. They have since devoted themselves to these two forms of speech. For the former, reference may be made to the _Grammatica da lingua Concani no dialecto do norte_, by J. F. da Cunha Rivara (Goa, 1858). For Konkani proper, see A. F. X. Maffei's _Grammar_ (Mangalore, 1882) and _Dictionaries_ (ibid., 1883). These are in English. Monsenhor S. R. Dalgado is the author of a _Konkan-Portuguese Dictionary_ (Bombay, 1893). For further information regarding Marathi in general, see the list of authorities under INDO-ARYAN LANGUAGES. For accounts of Marathi literature, see the preface to Molesworth's _Dictionary_; also J. Murray Mitchell's "The Chief Marathi Poets" in _Transactions of the Congress of Orientalists, London, 1892_, i. 282 sqq., and ch. viii. of M. G. Ranade's _Rise of the Maratha Power_ (Bombay, 1900). For Konkani literature, see J. Gerson da Cunha's "Materials for the History of Oriental Studies among the Portuguese," in the _Proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of Orientalists_, ii. 179 sqq. (Florence, 1881). A full account of Marathi, given in great detail, will be found in vol. vii. of the _Linguistic Survey of India_ (Calcutta, 1905). (G. A. Gr.) FOOTNOTES: [1] The name is sometimes spelt _Mahrathi_, with an _h_ before the _r_, but, according to a phonetic law of the Aryan languages of western India, this is incorrect. The original _h_ in "Maharastri," from which the word is derived, is liable to elision on coming between two vowels. [2] Shastri Vrajlal Kalidas, quoted by Beames in _Comparative Grammar_, i. 102. [3] See B. A. Gupte in _Indian Antiquary_ (1905), xxxiv. 27. [4] For details see Dr Sten Konow's article on Maharastri and Marathi in _Indian Antiquary_ (1903), xxxii. 180 seq.