Tones.Accent.
p.p.唐詩tóng sz’, poetry of Táng dynasty,pen.
文章vun tsáng, essays composed by rule,„
p.s.牙齒ngá ts’z, teeth,„
常久dzáng kieu, long time,„
p.k.憑據píng kü, evidence,ult.
同姓tóng síng, of the same name,„
p.j.頭髮teu fah, hair,„
p.p.停船ting zén, stop a boat,„
p.p.窮人kióng niun, poor man,pen.
p.s.文禮vun lí, elegance in style,„
騎馬kí mó, to ride,ult.
p.k.和尙u zong, priest,„
强盜kiáng dau, robber,„
p.j.題目tí móh, a theme,pen.
牛肉nieu nióh, beef,„

Obs. i. The accent is predominantly on the penultimate word, and the lower first tone is thus seen to be one of those, that attracts to itself the stress of the voice. In this combination the penultimate is always carefully enunciated in a low key.

Obs. ii. Where we have written t, k, p, the corresponding soft consonants d, g, b, if the ear only were consulted, might sometime be employed; but an orthography ought to be consistent, and it appears to us that the best imitation on the whole of the native sounds, will be secured by writing the latter symbols in the last word of a combination, and the former in the penultimate. The only case it is believed, where this method does not fully represent the true pronunciation, is in such words as 窮, 强, kióng, kiáng, and others whose initial is in mandarin k’ and which are in the lower first tone. There could be no objection to the use of g in those cases, except the want of uniformity among the mute consonants; keeping the letter k, it will be enough to inform the reader, that there is a peculiar thickness of sound, and a consonant difficult to write with any of our alphabetic symbols.

36. Examples of the lower first tone, as the antepenultimate in a group of three.

Tones.Accent.
p.p.p.黃昏星wong-hwun sing, evening star,ult.
p.s.p.神主牌zun-tsû bá, ancestral table,„
p.k.p.前世寃dzíen-sz’ yön, enemy of a former life,„
p.p.j.磨刀石mu tau záh, grinding hone,„
p.p.j.如來佛zû-lé veh, title of Buddha,„
p.s.j.前兩日zíen liáng-nyih, two days ago,ant.
p.k.p.堂弟兄dong tí-hiúng, cousin on father’s side,„
p.j.p.擡勿來dé veh-lé, cannot carry it,ult.

Obs. The first word in this table, as in the preceding, needs to be studiously kept low, even, and undeflected.

37. Examples of the lower first tone standing last in a group of two or three.

Tones.Accent.
p.p.京城kiung zung, metropolis,ult.
功勞kúng lau, merit,„
s.p.賞頭song deu, reward,„
k.p.進城tsing dzung, enter the city,„
性情sing dzing, disposition,„
j.p.北門póh mun, north gate,„
p.p.城頭dzung deu, city wall,„
衙門ngá mun, mandarin’s office,„
s.p.老爺lau yá, a title of respect,„
k.p.養牛yáng nieu, keep buffaloes,„
k.p.樹皮zû bí, bark of trees, ult.
j.p.月牙niöh ngá, moon’s horns,„
木頭móh deu, wood,„
j.p.p.黑心人huh-sing niun, black-hearted man,ant.
k.k.p.蓋地皮ké tí-bí, possess land,ult.
k.p.p.算希奇sûn hí-gí, regard as remarkable,„
j.p.p.木頭人móh-deu niun, wooden image,ant.
k.j.p.舊木頭kieu móh-deu, old wood,ult.

Obs. In the groups not marked p, p, and p, p, the last word changes to the upper quick falling tone. In the remaining instances it preserves its even character. The way is prepared for reciprocal changes between the upper and lower series, by the initial consonants being different. The alphabetical distinction prevents the confusion, that would arise from this intermingling of sounds.

38. Examples of the lower first tone, as the penultimate of three.