13. We shall illustrate the tones one by one with numerous examples, adding a translation for the use of those who wish to acquire at the same time, a vocabulary of common phrases. We have hitherto regarded tones as they are heard, when the sound is enunciated emphatically and single. But there are certain changes which occur in combinations of two or more words in rapid conversation, which can be only explained by examples of such groups arranged in separate columns. In the observations appended to each table, the more prominent of these variations will be pointed out, and the place of the accent determined.[1] ]
The vowel marks employed in this work are repeated here, that the eye of the reader may be familiarized with them:—
| Long vowels. | Short vowels. | Other vowels. | |||
| á | rather. | a | sang. | au | au Paul. |
| é | ray. | e | set. | eu | eu as in 頭 teu. |
| í | read. | i | sing. | ö | Göthe. |
| ó | road. | o | song. | ü | vertu. |
| ú | rude. | u | sung. | û | as in 書 sû. |
In writing mandarin, the following will also be used:—
| aú | á, ú, combined. | Prolongation of au. | ||
| eú | cow. | Prolongation of eu. | ||
| ei | kine. | The Greek, ei. | ||
The accents denote long vowels, and a symbol is never used for more than one sound. This is the principle of the orthography usually called Sir W. Jones’ system. It was proposed by the Hon. J. R. Morrison in 1836, in the Chinese Repository, (vol, 5, page 22), for application to the Chinese language. For this part of China, modifications are needed in the details, and hence the differences in the system here adopted, from that described by the writer of that article, and in Williams’ Chinese Vocabulary, etc.
The long vowels all have, what is called in England, the Italian pronunciation.
The sound eu is something like the French eu in douleur, or the common short English u as in bun prolonged ’or the corresponding mandarin sound eú as in 口 ’k’eú, Premare uses eou, and Klaproth eu; from them we have borrowed it. In the lengthened form, it is a diphthong eú or uú, as in English cloud. The shorter form eu has no exact English equivalent.
[ [1] In an Essay on the Hok-kien tones by the Rev. S. Dyer of Malacca, descriptions of them with a musical notation are given. Tables of examples for groups of two like those we now give, but without the Chinese characters, are annexed.
14. The upper first tone. This is the common quick falling sound, usually given in. English pronunciation, to any monosyllable when standing alone, and spoken with emphasis.