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pendage 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
