Lessons in the Shanghai Dialect

By F. L. Hawks Pott

"Lessons in the Shanghai Dialect" by Francis Lister Hawks Pott is a language book that was an invaluable resource when it was first published in the early 20th century. Learning a new language or dialect has always been difficult and if one is unable to do full-immersion, having books for help is a great tool to use.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DigiCat
• Release date: Jul 21, 2022
• ISBN: 8596547095033

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F. L. Hawks Pott

Lessons in the Shanghai Dialect

EAN 8596547095033

DigiCat, 2022

Contact: [e-mail]

Table of Contents

PREFACE

THE REVISED EDITION

NEW EDITION

DESCRIPTION OF THE SHANGHAI ROMANIZED SYSTEM

INITIALS

FINALS

TONES

TONE SIGNS

SOUNDS OF THE TONES

LESSON I The Classifier

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON II Demonstrative, and Personal Pronouns.

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON III The Numerals up to one Hundred

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON IV Adjectives

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON V Interrogatives, and Negatives

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON VI Some Remarks on the Verb

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON VII Prepositions and Postpositions, and Common Connectives

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON VIII Potential and Subjunctive Moods, and some Interrogative Adverbs

VOCABULARY.

EXERCISES

LESSON IX The Use of Dzak, Reduplication of Verbs, Reflexive Pronouns

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON X Divisions of Time. More Adverbs

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XI The Passive Voice, and Adverbs of Place and Time

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XII Some Verbal Idioms

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XIII Auxiliary Verbs

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XIV Causality, and Necessity

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XV Further Remarks on Numerals, the Relative Pronoun

VOCABULARY.

EXERCISES

LESSON XVI Verbal Idioms

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XVII More Verbal Idioms

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XVIII More Verbal Idioms

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XIX Asking Questions, Expecting Negative and Affirmative Answers

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XX More Verbal Idioms

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XXI Verbal Idioms, Ordinals, and Remarks on the Expression of Time

REMARKS ON TIME

EXERCISES

LESSON XXII On Comparison

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XXIII The Points of the Compass

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XXIV Some Remarks on Gender

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XXV Weights and Measures

MEASURE OF WEIGHT

MEASURE OF DISTANCE

MEASURE OF AREA

CURRENCY

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XXVI Family Relations

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XXVII Compound Verbs

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XXVIII Abstract Nouns formed from two Adjectives of opposite meaning

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XXIX Some Useful Phrases

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XXX More Useful Words and Phrases

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XXXI Polite Language

VOCABULARY

EXERCISES

LESSON XXXII Proverbs

CHINESE-ENGLISH VOCABULARY

ENGLISH-CHINESE VOCABUARY

PREFACE

Table of Contents

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At

a time when there is much discussion in China as to the desirability and possibility of the adoption of a uniform language all over the Empire, it may seem strange to put forth a book on the Shanghai Dialect.

The writer sympathizes fully with the aims of those who would make Mandarin the Medium of Communication throughout China, but at the same time feels very strongly that a great many years must pass before this can be accomplished.

Local Dialects die hard, as witness the still existing varieties of speech found in Great Britain. Even more perfect means of communication binding the parts of a country closely together, and even the introduction of a common language into the School System, are not able of themselves to do away with the speaking of the old local dialect. Men cling persistently to the speech of their forefathers.

When we reflect that the so-called Shanghai Dialect is in reality the ancient language of the Wu Kingdom, and is perhaps more closely akin to the original language of the Chinese people than Mandarin, we can understand why it will last for many years.

Further, it has a very wide range. Although local varieties occur every few miles, yet in the main the Shanghai Dialect is understood by at least 20,000,000 of people.

For the missionary working is the Kiangsu Province a knowledge of the local dialect is indispensable, and the acquisition of it would be most useful for all those whose lot is cast to this part of China. Foreigners living in Shanghai would find it a great advantage to speak the native language, and in their business relations with the Chinese would be greatly helped if they could converse is something better than the jargon known as Pidgin English.

It is for the purpose of making the attainment of a speaking knowledge of the language somewhat less difficult that the writing of this book has been undertaken.

It has seemed to the writer that the acquisition of a knowledge of the written characters, and of the spoken language are two distinct things. It is possible for one to learn to speak the language without being able to read the characters.

By the use of the clear and simple System of Romanization, adopted by missionaries in Shanghai, it is possible to represent approximately all the sounds employed in the dialect.

In these lessons this system is adopted, and the student is urged to master it thoroughly. If he will do so, he can use these lessons and learn to speak the language even without knowing the characters.

The characters of all the words and sentences employed are given, but they are put in the book for the benefit of the Chinese teacher. It would be unwise to trust entirely to the Romanization. The student in using the book should have a teacher by his side, who by reading the Chinese corresponding to the romanized sounds can give him a clearer idea of the pronunciation.

Although in a sense the book is a short cut to learning the spoken language, of course it is not meant to discourage the student from mastering the written language. This is however, a distinct study, and should be undertaken in a different way. The best method for this will be to use a primer in vernacular containing the most familiar characters, and then to advance from it to the reading of the New Testament or other books in the vernacular. Vernacular books should be read first, for the reading of them will be a great assistance in learning the spoken language. After the first year, books in the literary style (Wên-li) should be begun.

In using this book, the first thing to be mastered thoroughly is the introductory matter. The student must get this first, for it is the key to the rest of the book. He must also learn to distinguish the tones, and the inflections of the voice which they imply. Then he will be ready to go on with the lessons.

Although the book is divided into thirty lessons, it is not expected that the student will be able to master a lesson a day. Some of the lessons will require three or four days’ work.

In putting the English sentences into Chinese, the best plan would be to write out in the Romanization what the student thinks the proper way of translating them would be. Then these sentences may be read to the teacher, who will correct them, and from the Chinese text will be able to tell the right way to say them.

At present only thirty lessons are published. The writer hopes, however, if the method proves to be useful, to extend these lessons still further in the future.

In preparing these lessons, many books have been consulted, especially the lessons by Dr. Yates, which contain a most useful collection of words and sentences, and have long been the standard book for learning the Dialect, the Grammar by Dr. Edkins which contains a mass of useful information in regard to the structure of the language, and the Mandarin Lessons by Dr. Mateer, a most exhaustive work on spoken Chinese.

The writer’s thanks are due especially to Rev. J. A. Silsby for the permission to make use of his clear statement of the Shanghai System of Romanization, and to Prof. F. C. Cooper for many suggestions and the trouble he has taken in reading the proofs.

The unfailing courtesy of Rev. G. F. Fitch, D.D., Messrs. Gilbert McIntosh and C. W. Douglass has been much appreciated, in the care they have taken in seeing the book through the Press.

F. L. H. P.

January 1st, 1907.

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THE REVISED EDITION

Table of Contents

The compiler of these lessons is gratified to find that they have proved useful to students of the Shanghai Dialect. He regrets that he has been too much occupied to prepare additional lessons.

In reprinting them care has been taken to make the necessary corrections. The copy used by the late Prof. W. O’B. Harding has been of great service in the work of revision, as in it almost all the errors in tone marks, punctuation, and typography had been noted. Dr. A. W. Tucker has very kindly compiled the vocabularies at the end of the book, and in this way has enhanced its value.

The author’s thanks are due to all those who have given him suggestions and pointed out mistakes.

F. L. H. P.

April 28th, 1909.

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NEW EDITION

Table of Contents

In preparing the new edition, the author has received most valuable help from his colleague, Prof. F. C. Cooper. The two new lessons were suggested by him, and the one containing more useful words and phrases is the result of his experience, gained through teaching the book to a class of beginners.

My thanks are also due to him for the time and care he has spent in correcting the proofs, and seeing the book through the press.

The author hopes the book will continue to be a useful stepping-stone in the acquisition of a knowledge of the Shanghai Dialect.

Inasmuch as Davis’s Shanghai Dialect Exercises may be used as a second book after the completion of this, it has not been deemed necessary to add many new lessons.

F. L. H. P.

October 29th, 1913.

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In putting out this new edition, the author has made necessary corrections, and added a few new terms. The Chinese language is changing rapidly at the present time. Some expressions and terms formerly used have become obsolete and new ones have taken their place.

The French Fathers at Siccawei, with the author’s permission, have published a French edition, and it is gratifying to think that the influence of this book has in this way been further extended.

Attention is called to a very good little book, Conversational Lessons in the Shanghai Dialect, prepared by Dr. Frank Rawlinson and Rev. J. W. Crofoot, which has as its subtitle A Supplement to Dr. Pott’s Lessons. The author would recommend it as a second book in the course on the study of the Shanghai dialect.

F. L. H. P.

November 18th, 1924.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SHANGHAI ROMANIZED SYSTEM

Table of Contents

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Nearly all the syllables are represented by the combination of an initial and a final, a system which has been found to be well adapted to the Chinese language.

INITIALS

Table of Contents

Chinese sounds are divided into upper and lower series. The initials to represent the

Upper Series

are—p, ’m, ’v, t, ts, s, ’l, ’n, ’ny, ’ng, k, ky, kw, i and ’w. These initials are pronounced in most cases much the same as in English, but without aspiration, higher in pitch and with very little vibration of the larynx. The apostrophe before a letter indicates that the letter belongs to the higher series. Pure vowel initials also belong to this series.

ny has a sound similar to that of ni in spaniel

ky ＝ ch in chuk with all aspiration eliminated.

i as an initial has the sounds of i in dahlia.

The

Aspirates

are—ph, f, th, tsh, ky, ch, khw, h, hy, and hw (th as in Thomson—not as in thing).

ch ＝ ch in church.

hy is nearly like ti in Portia.

The other aspirates are like the corresponding initials of the higher series with the addition of a strong aspiration (indicated by h).

The initials to represent the

Lower Series

are—b, m, v, d, dz, z, l, n, ny, ng, g, j, gw, y, and w. Their pronunciation is much the same as in English. They are lower in pitch than corresponding initials of the higher series, and have more voice, being pronounced with more decided vibration of the larynx. The lower vowel initials, indicated by an inverted comma (‘) and attended with a slight aspiration, belong to this series. It will be noted that this sign differs from that employed to indicate that a consonant initial belongs to the upper series, an apostrophe being used to denote the upper initial. This inverted comma is used only before vowels, and if, by mistake, this sign is used before a consonant instead of the apostrophe, this need not confuse the reader, for the sign of the upper series is properly used only before the initial consonants m, v, l, n, ny, ng, w, and r.

It should be noted well that the difference between the corresponding initials of the upper and lower series is not so much a difference in consonantal quality as a difference in pitch, but there is a real consonantal difference. The higher series may be classified as surd and the lower as sonant.

FINALS

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The

Vowel Endings

are—a, e, i, au, o, oo, eu, u, ui, ia, iau, ieu, and ie.

The

Nasal Endings

are—(a) an, en, ien and oen, in which the n is not sounded, but lengthens out and imparts a nasal quality to the preceding vowel; (b) ang, aung, oong, ung and iang, in which ng has the value of ng in song; (c) uin, in which n is sonant and has a value varying between n and ng.

The

Abrupt Vowel Endings

are—ak, ah, eh, ih, auh, ok, oeh, uh, and iak, in which h and k are the signs of the zeh-sung (人聲), and the vowel is pronounced in a short, abrupt manner.

The sounds of the vowels are—

a as in far, except when followed by n or h, when it has the sound of a is man or mat.

e as in prey; before h it has the sound of e as in met.

i as in caprice; before h or ng it is shortened to i as in mit or sing.

au as in August.

o as in so.

oo as in oo in too.

oe as in œ Goethe (German ö).

eu as in French Monsieur.

u as in oo in foot (always preceded by an s sound).

ui as in fruit (or rather, French ü).

In ia, iau, ieu and ie, we have short i followed closely by a, au, eu, and e, as described above.

Of course it is understood that the Chinese sounds in a majority of cases vary somewhat from the English sounds which are given as the nearest equivalent. The true pronunciation of Chinese sounds should be learned from a Chinese teacher, and the student should always bear it in mind that any Romanization used does not represent English sounds, but Chinese sounds. This fact can not be too strongly emphasized.

The

Dok-yoong Z-moo

—"Initials used alone," i.e., without vowels, are—ts, tsh, dz, s, z, m, ng, and r. The first five are followed by the vowel sound in the second syllable of able—prolonged. Mateer and Baller use ï for this sound and the new Mandarin Romanized uses i [C0]. It is not written, but understood in the Shanghai system. m has the sound of m in chasm and ng the sound of ng in hanger. r is a sound between final r and l.

TONES

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The tones are four in number, each occurring in the upper and lower series. As has been stated, the upper and lower series can be distinguished by the initials. Sounds in the upper series are of higher pitch and those in the lower series of a lower pitch.

The names of the tones are:—