SOUNDS OF THE TONES

The sounds of the tones of course can only be learnt from the Chinese teacher.

The Bing-sung is an even tone, the voice being level, with a slight falling inflection, as when we say “Come,” “Hear,” in our imperatives.

The Zang-sung in the upper series is a twanging sound, and sounds something like the vibration of a string of a musical instrument.

In the lower series it has a wave sound which can be symbolized to the eye by the curve

; the voice first falls and then rises.

The Chui-sung has the same sound in both the upper and lower series. The voice rises much as it does when we ask a question.

The students should practise with the teacher on the following table of sounds, and in time will be able to distinguish the tones clearly and to make the proper inflection himself. Foreigners are seldom able to perfect themselves in the use of tones, but this is due not so much to inability as to the lack of attention paid to the matter at the beginning of the study of the language.

It should be understood that the names of the tones are those of the original tones and often bear no relation to the inflection now used, which varies in different localities.

COMPLETE LIST OF INITIALS AND FINALS USED IN THE SHANGHAI DIALECT

ZAUNG-HE LOO-MO Z

Z-MOO 字母
Initial Sounds
Pp不杯
Phph潑坏
Bb孛賠
’M’m每螟
Mm末明
’V’v勿
Ff拂°粉
Vv物°忿
Tt䊚堆
Thh脫推
Dd疊臺
Tsts [C1]避
Tshtsh出义
Dzdz姪茶
Ss失衰
Zz十裁
’L’l拎°擄
Ll垃°櫓
’N’n乃懦°
Nn納怒°
’Ny’ny拈°撚
Nyny業°染
’Ng’ng’颜一颜
Ngng丌呆
Kk鴿加
Khkh磕揩
Gg搿茄
Kyky吉鳩
Chch怯邱
Jj及求
Kwkw骨規
Khwkhw闊奎
Gwgw揆葵
Ii一腰
Yy葉姚
’W’w威彎
Ww活還
Hh黑亨
Hyhy歇興
Hwhw忽昏
‘‘合恒
IUNG-YUIN 音韻
Vowel sounds and finals
Aa挨篩
Angang櫻生
Akak矮柵
Anan俺三
Ahah押殺
Ee哀衰
Enen菴𢹞
Eheh盦失
Ii衣西
Ienien煙先
Inging喑心
Ihih一雪
Auau凹燒
Aungaung盎霜
Auhauh惡朔
Oo喔沙
Okok屋束
Oooo烏梭
Oongoong翁松
Oeoe隨雖
Oenoen安酸
Oehoeh曷率
Eueu謳收
Ungung恩深
Uhuh厄色
Uu如書
Uiui餘須
Uinuin雲熏
Iaia雅斜
Iangiang央廂
Iakiak約削
Iauiau夭小
Ieuieu憂修
DOK YOONG Z-MOO 獨用字母
Constants used as words
Mm嘸姆
Tsts之資
Tshtsh雌痴
Dzdz池遲
Ss思施
Zz時鰣
’R’r°耳
Rr而兒
NgNg魚吳

The student should practise repeating after the teacher the pronunciation of the characters in which these sounds occur.

EXERCISE IN TONES

上平聲Upper Bing-sung.Tau,刀Pa,叭Si,犀
下平聲Lower Bing-sung.Dau,桃Ba,排Zi,徐
上上聲Upper Zang-sung.°Tau,禱°Pa,擺°Si,死
下上聲Lower Zang-sung.°Dau,道°Ba,罷°Zi,薺
上去聲Upper Chui-sung.Tau°,倒Pa°,拜Si°,壻
下去聲 Lower Chui-sung.Dau°,導Ba°,敗Zi°,謝
上入聲Upper Zeh-sung.Tauh,沰Pah,八Sih,息
下入聲Lower Zeh-sung.Dauh,度Bah,拔Zih,蓆

The student should practise upon the sounds illustrating the different tones. The columns should be read from the top down. The teacher can guide him by first pronouncing the Chinese characters.

LESSONS IN THE SHANGHAI DIALECT

LESSON I
The Classifier

A or an is translated into Chinese by the numeral ih (一) one, and a classifier placed between the numeral and the noun. There are over forty classifiers, different nouns taking different ones, according to the class to which they belong. Nouns being generally used with classifiers accounts for the fact that in Pidgin English we have the oft recurring expression, “one piecee.”

Most concrete nouns take classifiers, but not all. Exceptions will be pointed out later on. Sometimes when the object spoken of is quite definitely known, the noun is used without the classifier.

In this lesson, the two most common classifiers will be introduced, and in succeeding lessons the others will appear gradually.

It must be remarked that some nouns may take more than one classifier, sometimes one being used and sometimes another.

The most common classifier is kuh (個). “It is applied to such nouns as have no special classifier, and may upon occasion be applied to almost any noun as a substitute for the special classifier” (Mateer).

The classifier tsak (隻) is used with animals, birds, fowls, insects; also with articles of furniture having legs or resting on a base; also with vessels, boats, etc.