and even to those of Cochin-china and Japan; while the latter has assumed a greater variety of forms than the colloquial dialects of ancient Greece and of India, with this exception, that these varieties of dialect, (like those in the various counties of England,) are confined to conversation, because incapable of acquiring that permanent character, which their connection with the written medium, has conferred on those of Greece and of India.

This plainly points out what part of the Chinese language is the subject of variety in dialect. Strictly speaking, it cannot be the written, as this is quite independent of colloquial intercourse, which gives rise to the variety: it must therefore be the Colloquial part of the language alone. Yet to notice every variety which affects conversation, were it even possible, would be nearly as useless as to notice the varieties found in the various counties of England. In the province of Canton there is at least three or four, and possibly a much greater number. The variations found, however, in the most prevalent of these, will enable us to form some idea of those existing in other parts of the empire. With the Canton dialect indeed the author has had the best opportunity of being acquainted, as several of his assistants were born in that province; and it is moreover spoken by the bulk of the Chinese in Calcutta. It is also that with which our countrymen have the best opportunity of being acquainted.

The colloquial dialect in general use is that spoken by those who conduct the affairs of government, who are necessarily the best educated men in the whole empire. From this circumstance, the most correct and exten. sive colloquial dialect is termed, Kwan-hwà, 'the Mandarine dialect,

Sss

fromkwan a public officer, or mandarine, and wà, 'word, discourse.' It is this which is constantly referred to in this work, as the language of 'conversation.' The colloquial varieties which differ from this, are termed,

Puh-hwà, from Épůh, light, united with ference to particular places they are termed place, country, added to hwà.

hwa, word; and with re'hóo-hwà, from

t'hoo,

Exclusive of a different pronunciation, the modes by which the colloquial dialects are varied, are generally three; the introduction of words which have no character; the use of words to which certain spurious characters are affixed; and the application of certain characters in a sense not given them in the dictionaries. The variations observable in the Canton dialect, do not affect the Substantives, however: these as well as most of the verbs, are the same as in the Mandarine dialect, except as varied by a corrupt pronunciation.

Pronouns. The principal variations are found in the Pronouns. For the Third Personal Pronoun t'ha, 'he,' they substitute the word khyù, which they express in writing either by a character not found in the dictionaries, or by a drain,' which is said in the Imperial dictionary, to be vulgarly used for the third personal pronoun. Many however, express this and other words added, by any character they chuse.

The Interrogative Pronouns also vary: for Hho? Who? is substituted the character mut, which originally means 'oblique.' To this character they add Tyéa, ('a desert, a wilderness,') to which they affix the idea of thing,' as; Mut-yéa, What thing? But to express Persons they either add yin; as, Müt-yin, What man? or the interrogative shooi?

as Mut-shooi? Who? Instead of Hho yu? In what manner? they use Tim-yeong? which phrase they form by uniting tyén, a point or dot, (pronouncing it tim,) with yàng, manner,' the character used in respectable conversation.. A phrase responding to this, they form by adding to

yang the character this manner.

с

kyén, (or kúm), discontented,' as, Kum-yeòng, 'in

Further, to the generic particle

pyen, side, shore, they, pronouncing pin, prefix kò in order to form an interrogative. Thus Pinkò? is Which? but if yin, man, be added, it denotes Who? as Pin-kò yin, Who? or What man? This character pin is, further, applied to place, as Pin-chyù, Whither? or, What place?

In the Demonstratives too, a variation is perceptible. For tse, this, &c. they add nee, to the particle kò already mentioned; as, Nee-kò yun, 'this man ;' and to express 'that' they prefixkó to the generic particle kó; thus,kó kò yun, that man.' The Indefinite pronoun 'every' is expressed by the generic particle kò, reduplicated; thus kò-kò yun,

The Pronouns, moreover, express the Number in a different way. Rejecting túng, py, &c. and even mun,* used in conversation at Peking, this dialect expresses the plural by tee, which some identify with the genitive particle teè. Thus, We,' will be Ngó-tee; Ye,' Nee-tee; and

They,' Khyu-tee.

The Pronouns also undergo some alteration in Case. The place of the Ge

See the Pronouns, p. 372.

nitive particle

tee, they supply ad libitum, by either kè to which some affix the character kè' to gasp,' or 'laugh,' or the generic particle kò, mentioned before. Thus, ‘mine’ will be either ngó-hè, or ngó-hò ; thine, neè-kè or neě-kò; and 'his,' khyù-ke or khyù-kò. In forming the Genitive Plural, tee is retained; thus, Ngó tee-kè, or ngó-tee-kò, ours;' Neé-tee-ke, ‘ or Neé-tee-kò, 'yours ;' and Khyu-tee-kè, or khyu-tee-kò, 'theirs.' The genitive of others' is also expressed by adding these particles to yin a man ; as

yun-tee-ke; others.' Thus, Kò-chee put mhì ngó-kè, yun tee-kè, That

pen is not mine, it is some other person's.'

shee, 'to be,'

In the Verbs the chief variation is, that instead of the verb they generally substitute hy; of which an example occurs in the sentence,

just given; and as the negative pooh is exchanged for "m, Shee, pooh shee; Is it or not?' will be Hỳ, mhy? For 4 woo the negative of yeu 'to have,' they substitute mòu, which they express by the verb to have,' emptied of the two points within. They also use a verb or two, which have no character; as yăk, which among the vulgar is often used for the verb 'to eat,' &c. &c.

m,

In the Particles the change is small.

It has been already seen that the Adverb of Affirmation is made by the verb hy, it is,' and the Negative by which character, however, is not found in the dictionary. In forming Adverbs of Place, the characters nee and kò are united with chyù, 'place;' as Nee-chyù, here;' and ko-chyu' there.' These added to tee will also have the same meaning; as Nee-tee, here; Ko tee, there.

Thus the change of a few characters, scarcely twenty in number, with

a different mode of pronunciation, forms, what may be termed the dialect. of Canton. Of becoming acquainted with the varieties of dialect in other parts of the empire, Europeans have as yet small opportunity; but it is not unreasonable to suppose that they are of nearly the same nature with these just specified.

We have now attempted to examine the Chinese language in its fullest extent, and in its most formidable shape: not only have the characters been traced from their origin, a few rude imitations of natural objects, to their most extended and complicated forms; but they have been considered as uniting with each other so as to perform all the functions of language; and the manner in which they thus unite, illustrated by nearly Five Hundred examples selected from the writings of above three thousand years. And now may we not ask what there is in the language beside its being unknown to us, which has arrayed it in all those terrors hitherto associated therewith? Does not each character convey a determinate idea as really as the words of the western languages? Is that Position which supplies the place of grammatical terminations, and which must necessarily be fixed, more intricate and ambiguous than the terminations, and the inversion of sentences found in Latin? I grant that the Chinese written language is not only the Latin of Tonquin, Cochin-china, and Japan, but of China itself; and further, that it is wholly separated from conversation; for to this circumstance it owes that permanent perspicuity which has remained proof against the alterations in language arising from the lapse of ages, the revolutions of government, and the invasions of foreign enemies. Nay, I grant further, that a native Chinese studies the written language and the ancient classics which it contains, for five or six years before he be judged qualified for public bu