CO129-210 - Governor Sir Bowen - 1883 [6-7] — Page 306

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All AI Reviewed

now in the Civil Service of Wongkong,

Know patois.

3. only the Cantonese dialect, or.

Your Lordship is doubtless already aware that there is but one national and written language throughout the Empire of China, which is known to Europeans as the "Mandarin", official language, but that it is spoken with such great variations of pronunciation and dialect in the different provinces that, for example, the dialect of Peking is unintelligible at Canton, and vice versa. By way of illustration, (though the circumstances are not quite similar in all respects), I may mention the parallel case in Italy. In Italy, (as we all know), as in China, there is one National literary and official language, which is, practically, the dialect of Tuscany as pronounced at Rome. But the mass of the people in the several Provinces speak dialects differing very much from each other and from the National language. For instance, the Piedmontese dialect.

"In the Italian phrase,— La Lingua Toscana in bocca Romana.

"Mandarin is a term applied by Europeans to the Official class in China, but unknown to the Chinese themselves.

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now in the Civil Service of Wongkong, Know patois. 3. only the Cantonese dialect, or. Your Lordship is doubtless already aware that there is but one national and written language throughout the Empire of China, which is known to Europeans as the "Mandarin", official language, but that it is spoken with such great variations of pronunciation and dialect in the different provinces that, for example, the dialect of Peking is unintelligible at Canton, and vice versa. By way of illustration, (though the circumstances are not quite similar in all respects), I may mention the parallel case in Italy. In Italy, (as we all know), as in China, there is one National literary and official language, which is, practically, the dialect of Tuscany as pronounced at Rome. But the mass of the people in the several Provinces speak dialects differing very much from each other and from the National language. For instance, the Piedmontese dialect. "In the Italian phrase,— La Lingua Toscana in bocca Romana. "Mandarin is a term applied by Europeans to the Official class in China, but unknown to the Chinese themselves.
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now in the Civil Service of Wongkong, Know patois. 3. only the Cantonese dialect, or. Your Lordship is doubtless already aware that there is but one national and written language throughout the Empire of China, which is known to Europeans, as the Mandarin", official language, but that it is __ of spoken with such great variations · pronunciation and dialext in of different provinces that, for example, the dialest of Peking is unintelligible Portug at " Mandarin is a wese torm, applied by Europeans to the Official class in China, but unknown to the Chinese themselves. 295 at Canton, and vice versa. By way of illustration, (though the circumstances. are not quite similar in all respects). I may mention the parallel case Staty. In Italy, (as we all know), of , as in China, there is as one National literary of and official language, which is, -practically, the dialect of Tuscany as pronounced at Rome. But the mass the people in the several Provinces speak dialeats differing very much from each other and from the National language. For instance, the lied montese dialect "In the Italian phrase,- La Lingua Joseand in __ bocea Romana.
2026-05-23 10:39:42 · Baseline
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now in the Civil Service of Wongkong,

Know

patois.

3.

only

the Cantonese dialect, or.

Your Lordship is

doubtless already

aware that there is

but one national and written language throughout the Empire of China, which

is known to Europeans, as the Mandarin",

official language, but that it is __

of

spoken with such great variations

· pronunciation and dialext in

of

different provinces that, for example,

the dialest of Peking is unintelligible

• Portug

at

" Mandarin is a

wese torm, applied by Europeans to the Official class in China, but unknown to the Chinese themselves.

295

at Canton, and vice versa. By way of

illustration, (though the circumstances.

are not quite similar in all respects). I may mention the parallel case

Staty. In Italy,

(as we all know),

of

, as in China, there is

as

one National literary

of

and official language, which is, — -practically, the dialect of Tuscany as pronounced at Rome. But the mass the people in the several Provinces speak dialeats differing very

much from each other and from the National

language. For instance, the lied montese

dialect

"In the Italian phrase,- La Lingua Joseand in __

bocea Romana.

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