A number of useful little phrases as well as sentences are given, some of which are idiomatic, while others, though simple in their construction, are in as common use.
The 中入 ꜀chung yap꜇ tone, which has never yet appeared in an English-Cantonese dictionary, but which any cultivated ear can detect without the slightest difficulty, here appears, as well as the colloquial rising tone, into which so many of the 下平 há꜅ ꜁p‘ing, 下去 há꜅ huí꜄ and occasionally 入 yap꜇, as well as other, tones are thrown in conversation. An asterisk indicates these last.
Another new feature in this little book is the full rendering of English words into Chinese. The author has not been content when two nearly synonymous words are used together in Chinese to represent an English word, which one or both of them equally well represent, to merely put the two together; but by a use of brackets attention is drawn to the fact of one, or both, of them being used singly, as well as in union together, to represent the meaning of the English word, as for instance:—Truly, 眞 (正) ꜀chan (ching꜄), which means that 眞 ꜀chan alone is aften used to represent truly, as well as the two words 眞正 ꜀chan ching꜄ together. The brackets are also used when the exigencies of everyday use often drop, as superfluous, a word which it is necessary to use when strict accuracy is required, as for instance:—Spirits (燒) 酒 (꜀shíú) ꜂tsau. 酒 ꜂tsau alone being often used in common talk, though strictly speaking 酒 ꜂tsau is applied also to fermented liquors. Brackets have also been used to indicate that an English word may be represented in different ways in Chinese, as for instance:—Manager 司事 (人, or 嘅) ꜀sz sz꜅ (꜁yan, or ke꜄). Here there are three ways of representing Manager, as simply 司事 ꜀sz sz꜅, 司事人 ꜀sz sz꜅ ꜁yan, or 司事嘅 ꜀sz sz꜅ ke꜄.
The orthography is that of Dr. Williams' adaptation of Sir William Jones', with some slight provincialisms and errors corrected. When the colloquial pronunciation differs from that of the book language the former is given, and attention is drawn to it by a dagger.
The student is referred to 'Cantonese Made Easy' for full explanations as to the tones and orthography.
The Author's thanks are due to Mr. Chung Shing-hong, Translator in the Supreme Court, for much valuable assistance rendered to him in the Compilation of this little Vocabulary.
