A Grammar of Colloquial Chinese, as Exhibited in the Shanghai Dialect

by Joseph Edkins

Tones.	Accent.
p.p.s.	新房子	sing vong-tsz, a new house,	pen.
s.p.p	主人家	tsû niun-ká, master of family,	ult.
k.p.p.	做人家	tsú niun ká, to be economical,	„
k.p.p.	要銅錢	yau dóng-dien, he wants money,	ant.
s.p.p.	老人家	lau niun-ká, an old man,	ult.
s.p.p.	洞庭山	tóng-ding san, island in the Great Lake,	„
j.p.k.	十王殿	seh-wong dien, temple of the ten kings.	„

Obs. After the deep deflected tone preceding it in s, p, p, the penultimate in these examples is usually raised to the upper falling tone.

39. Lower second tone. This tone properly a low protracted tone rising at its close, contains in it a number of words whose pronunciation is not fixed. These words, sometimes counted in this tone, and at other times in the next in order, are in other parts of China in the third tone. It will be better to consider them under the heading to which they belong in other dialects, and present here such examples as are free from this uncertainty in tone.

Ex. 有 yeu, have; 五 ng, five; 里 lí, Chinese mile.

40. Examples of the lower second tone in the penultimate of two words.

Tones.	Accent.
s.p.	眼睛	ngan tsing, eyes,	ult.
	老君	lau kiün, founder of Taúism,	„
s.s.	冷水	láng sz, cold water,	pen.
	鈕子	nieu tsz, button,	„
s.k.	理性	lí sing, reason,	ult.
	買處	má ts’û, means of buying,	„
s.j.	免脫	míen t’eh, forgive,	„
s.p.	領頭	ling deu, neckband,	„
	女人	nü niun, woman,	„
s.s.	永遠	yúng yön, very long time,	„
s.k.	引誘	yun yeu‘, to tempt,	„
	領路	ling lú, lead the way,	„
s.j.	擄掠	lú liáh, rob,	„

Obs. i. The tone under illustration, keeps its natural character throughout. No initial letters occur but l, m, ng, n, r, and the vowels. Words beginning with mutes and sibilants that were originally in this tone, are in course of transition to the lower third tone. V from w in mandarin, remains in the second tone.

Obs. ii. The low deflected tone in the penultimate of s.p. and s.s. so affects the last words, that they are heard in the quick falling tone.

Obs. iii. This tone is difficult to describe as distinct from the preceding, from the fact that both tend upwards; the former deviates slightly, after beginning even; the latter begins low and ascends through its whole time. The first is in its general character even, but when compared with the pure monotone in the Amoy dialect, to which it is most nearly allied, there is a difference perceptible that needs to be specified. It is heard we believe with this peculiarity when pronounced alone, and when standing last in a binary combination, if it does not then change to the upper first tone. When first in order, it is even. It was before observed, that the first upper tone, when last in order, changes to the first lower. In the sound then heard, when enunciated with the true native drawl, the same may be noticed.

Obs. iv. There is nothing even in the second tone when alone, except when enunciated in a high key. When last in order it often rises to the upper second tone, and is then heard even.