Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-03-21
All SINS ENGLISH.
Some Facts as to the Chinese-American
Dialect.


1t is we'll known that the Chinese can
not master the sound of the letter e."
but this has proved the rock on which
many professed writer's of the Chinese
dialect have come to grief. They do
not recognize the fact, says the San
Francisco Chronicle, that while John
Chinaman can not make the ''r" sound,
he is fertile in eXpedients to avoid it,
Two illustrations will show how easy it
is to blundcr on this point. In an early
edition of one of Bret Harte's stories
altered, we believe, in later editions
he makes Chinese servant call him
self 'Ah Ri," which is manifest i'm
possibility. His name would certainly
have been "Ah Lii" for the initial ''r''
would not only not come trippingly
from his tongue, but not at all. But in
the same or another story he makes a
Chinaman call his employer MIR.
Fostel," his name being Foster. Now,
no "Chinese person." to quote the re-
striction act, would ever say 'Fostcl."
He would soften the last syllable of the
name and call it "Fostah," just as the
name PORTER" in his mouth would be-
"Potah," very like the negro pronuncia-
ton of the same word.
The author of GA Summer in Can
yon% hasgivena very good example of
the difficulties of the Chinese with the
letter ''r." She makes one of her
hcroines, Il mischievous girl, select
reading lesson for the Chinese cook.
who wants to learn English. The les
son is made up of such sentences as
'"rhc grass is green" "The rose is
red and the like. Of course they be-
came in.Hop Sings mouth 1.-The glass
is glecn, "The lose is led" and SO on.
The whole scene is an excellent study
in broken China and is commended to
the ambitious. Eastern writer's who
want to try their hands at English us
she is spoken by the Chinese in Cali
fornia.
The letter ~ is another which pre-
sentS difficulties to John. which, how
ever, he usually resolves by making it
into ''ch." 1t may be slightly cXagger-
ated to say that Chinese scholars in
Sunday-school know the author and
founder oftthn Christian faith rs ''Chec
ely" but it is not very far out of the
way. An American in this city, an in
terprctcr of the Chinese language,
whose given name is Jerome" is usual
1y known among the Chinese as ''Chee
. Loarl," they, perhaps, imagining that
that is all the name that belongs to
him.
1t should be noted, too, that the Chi
ncse in California do not use the lingua
franca called pigeon English" which
is employed in China. Such IN express
sion as "''My bong topsidc." meaning:
Il live higher up" is never heard here
The Chinesc.in this State try to talk En-
glish, and some of them succeed fairly
well, although the ''r'' and 81" are too
much for them. .l..
This is not IN attempt at an exhaust
i've study ofChincse English, but rather
n note of warning to ambitious dialect
writer's who have learned the dialect
from books. If they will but bear in
mind that ''r" does.not become So" un-
less it carries the genuine ''r" sound.
md that such q word, Tor example, as
"Bcrl1Icy." is not "BcllIlcy" in the Chi
ncsc tongue, but something more nearly
rsstn bling "Bahllley," they will be
saved from blunders which make their
sketches and stories rather ludicrous
than humorous to those who are accus-
toned to the dialect.