53. Examples of this tone in the penultimate of two words.

Tones.Accent.
j.p.陌生mák sáng, strange, unknown,ult.
j.p.畧些liák sü, a little, ult.
j.s.落水lok sz, ebb tide,„
j.k.孛相peh siáng, amusement, do nothing,„
j.j.狭窄hah tsah, narrow-minded,„
落脫lok t’eh, let fall,pen.
j.p.別人pih niun, another man,ult.
j.k.實在seh zé, truly,„
j.j.目錄móh (g) lóh, table of contents,„

Obs. The terminating consonants of the fourth tone, in some dialects are three, k, t, p, corresponding to the final ng, n, m, of words in the other tones. Only the first of these is audible in Shánghái pronunciation. It occurs after á, ó, o, u. It is heard k before consonants of the upper series, particularly s, t; and g before those of the lower series, particularly z, d. Both will be found exemplified in these two tables.

54. Examples of combinations of three.

Tones.Accent.
j.p.s.學生子hok-sáng tsz, scholar,pen.
j.j.k.勿一定veh ih ding, not necessarily,ant.
j.k.p.落下來loh ’au-lé, fall down,„
j.k.j.白話脫páh (g) wó-t’eh, speak to no purpose,pen.
p.j.s.担勿起tan veh-k’í, cannot lift,ant.
p.j.j.尋勿着dzing-veh-dzáh, cannot find,ult.

Obs. The first of these may be compared to a trissyllable with an accent on the penultimate, as “convicted,” i.e. if 生 sáng be pronounced high. The syllables adjacent to the accent in English are so contracted in time as to sound more like words in short tones or enclitics, than in long tones. Should 生 fall to the lower first tone as it often does, the similarity would not hold.

55. Examples of larger groups in the lower tones.

56. General remarks on the lower tones.

I. The initial consonant is a test for any word being in the upper or lower series. Thus, all the broad mutes and sibilants, the weak aspirate, with the liquids and nasals are in the lower tones. The other consonants with the strong aspirate are in the upper series. The following in the higher tones are exceptions.