A Chinese chrestomathy in the Canton dialect / [E.C. Bridgman].

  • Bridgman, E. C. (Elijah Coleman), 1801-1861
Date:
1841
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A Chinese chrestomathy in the Canton dialect / [E.C. Bridgman]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/750
    ever, with reference to such as are known, some particulars may be here noticed. In the first place, the differences, between the colloquial style and that generally used in books, seem to be greater in the Chinese than they are in most other languages. These differences are not everywhere the same. For example, in that dialect given in Mr. Medhurst’s Dictionary，the differences between the colloquial and the written idioms are far greater than they are in the dialect of Canton. In the second place, standard works, which form the great body of nationai literature, are read and understood with nearly equal ease by people in every part of the empire? however much their local dialects may differ from the style of those works. In the third place， the system of intonation, except in a few instances, appears to be one and the same in all the dialects. Bat it is not true, (as some have supposed,) that Chinese books can be understood by people of the neighboring states一Lewchew, Japan, &c.,—unless, like all other foreigners and like the Cliinese themselves, they have by dint of study acquired a knowledge of the language. And， i the fourth place, the characters preserve an unvarying form in all parts of the empire: a partial exception to this, however, is occasioned by the use of well-known characters, slightly changed to express new local phrases; in all such cases, regard is had only to the sound of the characters; while the addition, usually that of hau 口 (a mouth) to the left side, indicates that the character is changed. For instance, the three characters |]J^ used to express the sound of the word hampalang (all), have no meaning in themselves when used in this collocation, their united sound being alone attended to and recognized. So with names of persons, coun- tries, &^c. When the word is well known, the hau is usually omitted, as 美士 mi sz7 for Mr.;先士 sin sz^ for cents, &c. The characteristics of the Canton dialect are limited to the pronunciation, choice, and col- location of words. In these three particulars, the deviations from the standard language are less than in many of the other dialects ； still they are too numerous to be here specified. A reference to Morrison’s Dictionary will show the principal differences in pronunciation. And a careful comparison, throughout the following pages, of the extracts from standard works with the sections written in the local dialect will in a measure illustrate its peculiarities in the choice and collocation of words. The books written in this dialect are but few, and they are sometimes accompanied with glossaries, containing explanations of the dialectical words and phrases. III. ORTHOGRAPHY ADOPTED. The system of orthography proposed by sir William Jones, afterwards recommended by Mr- J^ickering, and now adopted, with some variations, thr(^ughout almost all India, in the islands of tl)e Pacific, and among the native tribes of North America, seems better fitted than any other to ex- press the sounds of the Chinese language. And with few exceptions and alterations, it has been followed in this work. The system is too well-known to need here any explanations, and too generally approved to need any defense. The changes made in it are such as the peculiarities of the Chinese language necessarily require. In defining the letters^ no attempt has been made to distinguish the double vowels from the true diphthongs, nor to separate the consonants into different classes. Vowels and Diphthongs. 1. a pronounced as in quotay America^ agreeable^ and like short u in tun, pun. 2. d pronounced as in calm^ balm^ father, t pronounced as a in may； lay^ and as ei in neigh. 3.