Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-09-30
CANTON ENGLISH.o

The elegant Greek slave imposed his Ian
guage and his modes Of thought upon his bar
barou, Roman master; our civilized Chinese
attendants have communicated to US outer bar
barians the syntax of the Chinese tongue. They
have made for US a new English language,
wherein words once familiar to us as English
words startle us by new Specifications. Ac-
cOrding 10 the canons of criticism they have
well done
'sDixeris egregIe, notum 81 cslHda verbum
Redddcrit juHctura nOvum.G
Horace must have stolen his ars poefica from
COnfucius
Ny friend introduced me to his comprador
thus
- ou see gentlemen-you tawkee one piecey
cOOIie, one piecey bOy-larnt pigeon. you savey,
no number one foolo-yOu make see this gentle
man-yOu make him house pigeon"
This was said with great rapidity and in my
innocence believed that my friend was speak
ing Chinese fuently. He was only talking
= Canton English Translated into the YER
nacular it would stand -". 1870
= gu see this gentleman-yOu must engage
for him coolie and a bOy-people who under
stand their business, you know not stupid fel-
lows; You will bring them to him, and then
manage to get him lodging and furnish it,
To whom the polite cOmpradOr, keHster 0tfr-
yeHs caNdam, replied
Hsb got. L catchee one piecey eoolie, cat
chez one piecey boy. House pigeon number
one dearO; no hab got. Soger man hab catchee
house pigeon"
Must got" .-.-
. Hepigh.'
The basis of this Canton English''-which is
a tongue and literature, for there are die ton
aries and grammars 70 elucidate it, consists of
turning the ''T' into the al - adding final VOW
els to oyery word, and constant use Of ''sayey''
for know" .'talkee for ''sreak," ''piecey"
for piece "number 0ne'' for FIRST class, :"
hat aaaN1x III u
employment of the word pigeon" Pigeon
means business in the most extensive sense Of
the word. = Heaven pigeon hab got means
that church service has commenced; JOS pi-
5eon" means the Bhuddist ceremonial; ANY
pigeon Canton ?" means 9 Have any operations
taken place at Canton - - That no boy pigeon
that COolie pigeon, is the form of yOur SER
wants renonstrance if you ask him to fill your
bath or take a letter. 1t also means profit, ad-
vantage or speculation. Z" Him Wang too much
fOoto, him no savey. yely good pigeon hat got,
was the commentary Of the Chinese plot upon
the Fatshan Greek business
Until you can not only speak this language
fuenuy. but also. which is far more difficult
understand it when spoken rapidly in a low
monOtonOus voice, all communication with your
servants is impossible.
The second morning after had been installed
an my dwelling my new = boy All Lin who
sleeps on mat outside my door and whom 1
suspect 70 live principally upon successful rat
hunts, for he knocks down about three Der
diem with q bamboo pole as they run about the
ro0m-this All Lin, drawing up my nusauito
curtains, presenting me with the 6 clock cup
Of tea, and staring at me with his little round
eyes, gravely remarked. "MiSsa Smith one
small piecey COW child hab got" II was n long
TINE before eOmprehended that il being part
OF boys duty to inform his master Of the
social events of the colony, he wishesl,to give
me TO understand that Mrs. Smith had pre-
sented her husband with daughter
Ii makes a bachelor laugh and an exiIed
family man almost cry to hear this grOtesaue
earicature OF the language Of the nursery
Hong hOHS Correspondent LOn,2on TiD,es