Page:語言自邇集 - Yǔ yán zì ěr jí. A progressive course designed to assist the student of colloquial Chinese Vol 1.djvu/14

ia.

With the vowels distinct; not ya, bnt as in the Italian piazza, Maria. In some syllables terminating in ia, iang, iao, the ia is in certain tones almost da or eyah. This is oftener observable where the initial is l, m, or n ; but even with these the usage is capricious.

iai.

The iaj in the Italian vecchiaja.

iao.

The vowels as in ia and ao, with the terminal peculiarity of the latter. This sound is also modified by the tone.

ie.

With the vowels distinct, as in the Italian siesta, niente. The i is modified, as in the case of ia, under similar circumstances; that is, in certain tones ie inclines to become éé, or eyeh, often making lien, nien almost leyen, neyen.

io.

Shorter than the Italian io; more nearly the French io in pioche. END OF PROOFREADING -- Arthur200000 (talk) 13:22, 13 October 2015 (UTC)

iu.

As a final, nearly eeyew or eeoo, at all times longer than our ew. Thus chiu is not chew, bnt rather chyew, and the tone may make the vowel sounds even more distinct. In the syllables liu, niu, the i is affected as in ia, ie; they become almost leyew, neyew. In chiung, hsiung (the only syllables ending in consonants into which 1 have introduced iu), it must be admitted that in most instances, though not in all, the iung is rather eeyong than eeyoong, the 5 representing o in roU.

o.

Something between the vowel-sound in awe, paw, and that in roll, toll. When single, it commences with a slight consonantal sound, part nasal and guttural, which the 'ng inadequately expresses, and is inflected at the close as if an a or ah were appended to it. The tones seriously modify this syllable. As a final the power of the vowel remains the same, with the same terminal inflection, and not altogether divested of the guttural peculiarity which it is not within the compass of our alphabet to reproduce. Let the reader, as an experiment, try to pronounce Io as law, prolonging the aw in his throat.

ou.

In reality to ; the vowel-sounds in burrow when all the consonants are withdrawn ; in English, nearest the ou in round, loud.

u.

When uttered alone, as it is at times for yii, or when a final, nearest the vowel-sound in the French eut, tu. In un it is not so long as in the French une; but nearer the un in the German Miinchen.

iia.

Occurs only in the final uan, which in some tones is uen ; the u as above, but the a much flatter than in the final an ; nearer the an in antic,

ue.

The u as above, the e as in eh; the vowel-sounds in the French tu es represent this combination perfectly.

uo.

A disputed sound, used, if at all, interchangeably with to in certain syllables.

u.

When single (as at times instead of wu), and when a final, the oa in too; in un and ung it is shorter, as in the Italian punto, lungo. In the latter final it vacillates between ung and ong, being nasalised at the close so as to produce a sound between the French long and longue.

ua.

As we pronounce it in Juan ; nearly ooa, which in many instances contracts to wa. In the final uan, uang it is also sometimes 6a or od, as the tones may rule.

uai.

As in the Italian guai; the above sound ua, with the i in ai appended to it; the u subject to the same changes as in ua.