- 一口棺材 ih ’k’eu kwén zé, a coffin.
- 造一條橋 ’zau ih diau giau, build a bridge.
- 殺一隻雞 sah ih tsáh kí, kill a fowl.
- 一枝大筆 ih tsz dú‘ pih, a large pencil.
Obs. i. At first sight, these words look like a capricious superfluity of articles, arising merely from a fondness for multiplying words. They appear appropriate in a language, where there is so much arbitrary classification, and so little exhibition of the power of generalizing by means of deep and comprehensive principles. Here are thirty words made use of, where one would be sufficient. It should however be remembered, that when used as adverbs there is great clearness given to the conception they express, and that they diminish the confusion that arises from similarities of sound.
Obs. ii. When an adjective is used, it comes between the particle and the noun, as in the last example. This is also true of the other particles that are the subject of this chapter.
II. Of the significant particles, or those that are applied to material nouns, and define quantity and form, apart from number, there are about 40. E.g.
- 一張紙頭 ih tsáng ’tsz deu, a sheet of paper.
- 二十担泥 ní‘ seh tan‘ ní, twenty loads of earth.
- 九層塔 ’kieu zung t’áh, pagoda of nine stories.
Obs. i. When they become parts of compound appellative nouns, one of the distinctive particles precedes.
- 一个面孔 ih ku‘ míen‘ ’k’óng, one face.
- 一隻節頭 ih tsáh tsih deu, one finger.
Obs. ii. 點, 眼, tíen, ngan, are applied to any material noun in the sense of a little of. Ih 一 precedes them.
III. The subdivisions or definite parts of material nouns, form the most numerous class of the auxiliary substantives. Upwards of 50 are here collected. They take no particle after the number preceding, and must therefore be classed as imperfect substantives. Thus the construction in the following examples is similar.
| (III.) | 一斤花 ih kiun hwó, pound of cotton. |
| (II.) | 一包花 ih pau hwó, bundle of cotton. |
| (II.) | 一粒米 ih lih ’mí, a grain of rice. |
| (III.) | 一斗米 ih ’teu ’mí, a peck of rice. |