To
CHARLES R. CRANE
a true and enlightened friend of the Slavs
this work is dedicated
J. V. N.
Chicago, July 14, 1917
PREFACE.
In preparing the present work it has been my aim to present to English speaking people a practical text book of the Bohemian language written along modern lines, explaining the grammatical principles and supplying enough exercises to illustrate them. As far as I am aware there are only two other books published on the same subject in English:—Chas. Jonáš “Bohemian Made Easy” a book based on conversational method and Grammar of the Bohemian language by W. Morfill, a very brief work destined for philologists rather than general students. As Jonáš’s book is out of print, and, as there is quite a demand for a practical text book of Bohemian among businessmen and students—Bohemian is at present taught at several Universities and High Schools in the United States—this work was undertaken.
The basis of this work was “Mluvnice česká” by Dr. Jan Gebauer, this being the standard Bohemian Grammar sanctioned by the university of Prague. My task was to arrange, to present the facts of the language given by Gebauer in such a way as to make its study most easy, practical and palatable. To accomplish this aim I have used my own experience and also followed suggestions given in various methods employed in the teaching of modern languages, in order that the book may be of assistance not only in a class-room but also in private instruction.