Page:Chinese spoken language.djvu/12

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
6
The Chinese Language spoken at Fuh Chau.

TABLE OF FINALS AND INITIALS AND INITIALS, WITH THEIR NAMES, AND THEIR ALPHABETIC VALUE IN ROMAN LETTERS

THIRTY-THREE FINALS. FIFTEEN INITIALS.
1 Ch’ung ung 18 Ngüng üng 1 Liu L
2[1] Hua ua 19 Kong ong 2[1] Pieng P
3[1] Hiong iong 20 Chi i 3 Kiu K
4 Ch’iu iu 21 Tëng ëng 4 K’e3 K’
5 Sang ang 22 Kau au 5 T
6 K’ai ai 23[1] Kuò 6 P’ò P’
7 Ka a 24 西 è 7 T’a T’
8 Ping ing 25[2] Küò üò 8 Cheng Ch
9[1] Huang uang 26[2] Kie ie 9 Nih8 N
10 ò 27[1] Siang iang 10 Si5 S
11[3] ü 28 Ch’oi oi 11 Eng
12[1] Pue ue 29 Ch’ë ë 12 Mung5 M
13 Ku u 30[1] Tieng ieng 13 Ngü2 Ng
14 Teng eng 31[1] Kia ia 14 Ch’oh4 Ch’
15[1] Kuong uong 32 Uai uai 15 Hi H
16[1] Hui ui 33[3] Keu eu
17[2] Sieu ieu

Note.—The twelfth and sixteenth finals are regarded by some teachers as having the same alphabetic sound, (the initial consonant, of course, is excepted,) but most persons observe the distinction given in the table. The characters arranged under the twenty-fifth final are pronounced by many persons residing within the walls of Fuh Chau, like those under the twenty-third. The vowel of the eighth final is pronounced by some teachers like the sound of i in machine, while others give it the sound of i as in pin. The vowel of the fourteenth final is pronounced by some like e in met, and by others like e in they. The thirty-third final has a peculiarly clear and ringing sound, and at once reminds a person of the croak of a frog.

The thirteenth initial sound is, in one instance, used alone without any final or vowel sound following it. It is used only in the seventh tone, and merely as a negative prefix to other words.

The primary syllables formed by joining each initial with all the finals, will be seen in the following table.


  1. 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Accented on the second vowel.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Accented on the vowel before the last.
  3. 3.0 3.1 The eleventh initial denotes merely the absence of initial sound.