138. With, of (instrumental case) are expressed by the verb, tan (also nan west of Shánghái), or nó, to bring, preceding the noun and a verb following it. (m. 將 tsiáng, 把 pa; in books, 以 ’í and by the suffix 個 kú‘, which usually takes a verb between it and the noun.
- 担刀來割 tan tau lé kweh (köh), cut it with a knife.
- 錫做个 sih tsú‘ kú‘, made of tin.
139. In expressing by (instrumental case), the auxiliary verb peh 撥 precedes the instrumental noun, and the principal verb with or without its regimen follows (m. 彼 pei):—
- 撥拉爺娘責備 peh lá yá niáng tsah bé‘, he was reproved by his parents
140. Along with is expressed by t’eh 忒, 替 t’í and 同 tóng. The governed noun is followed by ih dau 一淘 together. This appendage is sometimes omitted, when 同 is used.
- 忒伊一淘去 t’eh í ih dau k’í‘, go with him.
- 同我你跑 tóng ’ngú ’ní pau‘, go with us.
- 替我一淘去 t’í‘ ’ngú ih dau k’í‘, go with me.
- 我忒儂做朋友 ’ngú t’eh nóng tsú‘ páng ’yeu, I will be your friend.
141. As a sign of the vocative, the suffix 呵 á is sometimes used. 老兄阿 lau h’iung á, brother (addressed to strangers as friendly salutation).
142. Case particles in other languages. Prepositions standing before the noun, and terminations making up one word with the root, are used together in the classical languages to express case; and very frequently the suffixes alone. In the modern European languages, suffixes are much less used, prepositions performing the office of case particles. In the Tartar languages, the particles called in other languages prepositions, come after their words, and are therefore called postpositions. In Manchu, the oblique cases, four in number, are formed by suffixes selected from this class of particles. When written they are joined to the noun or not at pleasure, and may all be used independently as particles. Thus it appears that the Chinese in using separate case particles, some before and some after, the nouns to which they belong, do not depart from the practice common to other races.
143. Premare’s method of illustrating one by one, the words most important in a grammatical view, by numerous examples, is here followed in regard to some commonly used nouns.
- 口 ’k’eu, mouth, an opening. It is only used in combination.
- 口音 ’k’eu yun, speech.
- 口才 ’k’eu dzé, fluency.
- 口是心非 ’k’eu ’zz sing fí, plausible but not sincere.
- 三叉路口 san t’só lú‘ ’k’eu, where three roads meet.
- 口頭言語 ’k’eu deu íen ’nü, colloquial particles.
- 一口土白 ih ’k’eu ’t’ú báh, all he says is in the dialect.
- 門口 mun ’k’eu, opening.
- 海口 ’hé ’k’eu, sea-port.
- 乍浦口嘴 Dzó‘ p’ú‘ ’k’eu tsz‘, Háng-cheú bay.
- 口說無憑 ’k’eu söh m bing, words without foundation.
- 有口無心 ’yeu k’eu m sing, speaking without thinking, mere words.
- 一口咬定 ih ’k’eu ngau ding‘, spoke decisively.