A Grammar of the Chinese Colloquial Language Commonly Called the Mandarin Dialect/Preface

by Joseph Edkins

PREFACE.

The study of the Chinese language is much too extensive to be conveniently comprised within the limits of a single work. The elucidation of one portion only of Chinese grammar has been undertaken in the present work, viz. that of the mandarin dialect. The field thus embraced coincides with that of Prémare in the first part of his work, and with the second division of Remusat's grammar. I very much regret that I have not yet seen M. Bazin's work on colloquial mandarin published this year. The manner in which this author prefers to discuss the spoken language, is however clearly seen in his earlier brochure on the same subject, given to the public several years since. His aim has been to exhibit in all their copiousness and variety, the laws of combination existing in groups of words, and further to trace the origin and progress of the mandarin language by means of its literature. This mode of treatment is in harmony with the advancement of modern philology generally, and has resulted in several valuable contributions to Chinese philology in particular.

The works of Morrison and Marshman on the grammar of this language, fail to convert to the mind of the student, the richness of its idioms, and the extended development of its peculiar principles. They were not aware of what their predecessors had already accomplished, and consequently spent several years in acquiring such a knowledge on the subject, as may now be gained in one, by means of Prémare and the other helps since placed in the hands in the learner.

Prémare himself with all his breath of view, learning and taste, lived too early to be influenced by modern improvements in the study of languages. That part of his treatise which is occupied with the mandarin dialect, is chiefly a dictionary of particles with copious examples of their use. Invaluable as such a work is to the student, it is not properly speaking a grammar, nor did the author adopt for it that title.

The province of the grammarian I understand to be, to find out the laws of the language, and arrange them in the most natural and convenient manner. It has been my endeavour to do some little towards realizing this conception, but practised comparative philologists must study Chinese grammar closely, before a treatise upon it free from blemishes can be composed. Ere long probably, well-qualified scholars in Europe, will pursue their researches in this field, and in the cognate languages spoken in the Birman peninsula. If so the best mode of arranging the grammar of a monosyllabic language will receive full consideration.

That scholars of high reputation still form erroneous views of the Chinese language, may be seen in the manner in which Dr. K. F. Bekker speaks of it, in his profound work on the Organism of language.^[1] He says, “The oldest history of the Chinese and of other monosyllabic languages is unattainable by us. We are not in a position even to conjecture with any probability, what devia­tions from early development, or what outward causes, have occa­sioned in these languages the early and entire loss of inflections, or their original absence. But the whole organic structure of these languages, is less perfect than that of languages having inflections. Yet” he continues, “philology may obtain valuable illustrations from abnormal languages, just as physiology gains information from misshapen organisms in the animal world.”

A better acquaintance with the Chinese language will probably lead to the abandonment of such words as “abnormal” and “mis­shapen,” in the description of it. It will rather be spoken of, as possessing a very copious and admirable development of the prin­ciples of monosyllabic language,—as indeed the most perfect exam­ple of that class of languages. Comparative philology has hitherto directed its efforts too exclusively, to languages whose words con­sist of a root and some addition to or modification of the root. The Chinese must be regarded as the best type of those languages, which do not admit any modification of the root, but allow the appendage of auxiliary words under a strict law of limitation. The scientific investigation of it is adapted to throw light on the structure of a language like the English. The English occupies a middle position between the classical European languages, and the monosyllabic languages of Asia. To the former, it is related by its tense and case endings, etc.; to the latter, by its formation of compounds and its auxiliary verbs, etc. Tonic pronunciation also is found more fully developed in China than elsewhere, and a com­petent knowledge of it as there existing, will lead to a better understanding of the local accent found in provincial dialects of English and other modern languages, and of the syllabic accents of Greek and Sanscrit.

The line of distinction drawn in the present work, between na­tural tones belonging to the dialect of a city, and tone-classes extending over several provinces or the entire empire, will be found essential to clearness of views on the subject of tonic pronunciation. The sketch here attempted of the origin and growth of the man­darin pronunciation, of secular changes in the tone-classes, and of the older forms of the language, from about the eighth century up­wards, will shew that the earliest history of this language, is per­haps not “unattainable.” The description of native mandarin dictionaries, and the notice at the end of native researches in phi­lology, will shew that the Chinese have already done no little to aid foreign scholars in these investigations.

In the department of etymology, the auxiliary substantives, and the remarkable development of the verb, have received particular attention.

I still feel some uncertainty as to the distinction to be preserved between etymology and syntax; but such deviations as are here observable, from the plan of a former work on the Shanghai dialect, will probably be regarded as improvements.

The examples have been taken partly from the lips of natives, and partly from books in colloquial mandarin. Two works, the Sacred edict, and the Dream of the red chamber, both written since the time of Prémare, have furnished a considerable number of them.

In regard to the spelling of the Chinese sounds a few words are here requisite. Inaccuracies in preceding works on the language had to be corrected. In Prémare for example, the syllables pwan, chi, jin and chii had to be altered, to pan, chï, jen and chu, in the orthography of this work. In Morrison, the syllables shen, mun, and ching, needed to be changed into shan, men and cheng. These changes, and others of the same class, will possibly be objected to by those who are accustomed to follow without questioning the sounds of these writers. But they are necessary for correctness. Prémare appears to have been influenced by the dialects west of Nanking, and Morrison by those of the southern provinces.

That such improvements as these should not have been made till the present time, is a convincing proof that a reform in our spelling of Chinese sounds is much wanted.

In adopting Sir William Jones’ mode of spelling, as proposed in the Chinese Repository, some modifications have been introduced to obviate the frequent use of accents.

In preparing the present work, while I have been far from in­different to the advancement of scientific philology, in application to the Chinese language, my highest wish is that it may be useful in opening the treasures of the language to Christian Missionaries. With the hope that it may in some humble degree, aid in convey­ing religious truth to the Chinese nation, I commit it to the blessing of God.

1. Organism der Sprache, von Dr. K. F. Bekker.