Directory_and_Chronicle_1842 — Page 46

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New System of Orthography

JAN.

nation, only remarking that he had been "so instructed by the pilot.” They came at the appointed hour, but Howqua only was admitted; and he, having declared that the communication would not be receiv- ed unless superscribed as a petition, was at once dismissed.

31st. Howqua and Mowqua waited on the superintendents, with an edict from the governor, not addressed to lord Napier but to them, and by them to be enjoined on him. Corresp. p. 9.

(To be continued.)

ART. II.

New orthography adopted for representing the sounds of Chinese characters, by the Roman alphabet, in the national language and in the dialects of Canton and Fukien. DISSATISFACTION with the existing systems of orthography for indi- cating the sounds of Chinese characters has been repeatedly express- ed in our pages, defects have been pointed out, and improvements suggested. In volume third, page 29, was introduced a table of the Chinese significant sounds, exclusive of the variations formed by the modulation of tones and aspirates.' In volume fifth, page 22, a new system was proposed; this was somewhat modified in volume sixth, page 479 and the sequel, and with a few slight changes is now adop- ted for the pages of the Repository.

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Note. The new orthography comprises all the syllables, alphabetically arrang- ed, contained in Morrison's Dictionary, Part 2d. In this list of syllables, all the modifications occasioned by the tones and aspirates, are disregarded-otherwise instead of 410, there would have been nearly 1600 syllables. A complete syllabic system ought to define each of these 1600 syllables, and arrange under one or other of them, every word in the language.

Morrison's orthography is that given in Part 2d of his Dictionary; the numbers, as they there stand, are here retained, but are disarranged by the new orthography. The Canton Dialect is that used in the Chinese Chrestomathy, made out from a Chinese Tonic Dictionary. The number of syllables in this Tonic Dictionary- in which all the modifications occasioned by the tones and aspirates are marked- amounts to 1582: the work comprises 8335 characters, being those most in use.

Medhurst's orthography is that in his dictionary of the Fukien dialect, in which work he has fully explained it.

In the new orthography of the Fukien dialect the sounds of the Roman letters (vowels, diphthongs, and consonants,) are the same as in the other new ortho- graphy and in the Canton dialect. The object aimed at, and it is one of great im- portance, is to have but one system of orthography for all the dialects.