Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-12-15
NAMES IN EASTERN WAN NEWS.
More Easily Understood After Pc
rusfng This.

Newspaper readers who attentively
follow the course of events In eastern
Asia are doubtless oftentimes puzzled
over the queer names OF Chinese and
Corean towns and cities and wonder
over their meaning. Although not In
complete mastery OF the language OF
the celestlals, sa. the Burlington
Hawkeye, we are able to give the
meaning of some of the sounds and
syllables which occur most frequently
In Chinese names. Thus hel means
black; hal, the lower; huang. yellow;
nan, southern; pal, white; pei, NORTH
ern; pc, white; shang, the upper; 81,
western; slad. small; ia. large, great;
tung, eastern. The endings have II
qualifying meaning and here Is list
OF them: Ain means mountain; chof.
city; chen, city, chuang, village; gol,
stream; hada. mountain; hal, lake; no,
river; hoto, city; hotum. city; khon,
mouth of river; glang, river; kon,
stream; kuenn, fort or camp; ling, pass,
men, gate; muren, river; nor. lake or
swamp; ONO, lake; pc. lake or swamp;
phu, village; sha, sandbank; shan, Is
land or mountain; shut. stream; so,
fort or camp; stu. village tas, Island;
tschang,' village; tschen, city; tohu,
river; tchuan. river; than, rapidsi thun,
village; ten, lake or swamp ten. vii
luEts LSt, lake III swamp eRAs
ulua, river; ussu, streami wei, tort;
ying, fort or camp.
This small list, which contains no
less than eleven different words, all
meaning stream or river, gives an idea
Of the wealth of words OF the Chinese
language. The difficulties of learning
the language of these Orientals for
foreigners are enormous, and 1t Is
equally difficult to learn to write or
to speak It. The Chinese use about
10000 different signs or characters In
their writing, and often a combination
of thirty or forty of these Is necessary
to express the meaning OF a single
idea.
The Japanese, however, progressive in
everything, are on the way to emanci-
pating themselves from the bane OF
such a language; they are making eff
forts to Introduce the Latin charac-
tiers In general use, substituting them
for the 10000 characters which they
have taken from the Chinese and kept
in use with slight alterations. The
Romantic characters are taught in the
better chools, and already one or more
newspapers in the Japanese language
appear, printed In Latin letters.
A peculiar squabble about words has
arisen from China's declaration of war
against Japan, dated August l. In
1t the Japanese are termed as ''Wo" or
WA" which means servants or
"vassals." The word had been used
for long centuries as the name of the
Japanese, but latterly it has received
Il contemptuous meaning, and as the
Japanese have for quite a while past
claimed the name OF "Jl-Kwo" or III
PEN the people OF the Land Of the
Rising SUM-" they looked upon the APP
pellatlon given them by the Chinese as
an Intentional and deadly insult. Japan
Is not the only country, however. which
complains about Chinese want of
courtesy. Other foreign persons have
had reason to protest against the habit
OF the Chinese government to Insert.
in the constant belief that the foreign
ers would not comprehend the meaning,
terms In the treaties made with them
which were anything but flattering.
Foreign ambassadors. therefore, became
more careful and employed experienced
Interpreters to carefully search all docu-
ments composed in the Chinese lam
guage for any opprobrious terms. When
the cunning Chinese noticed this, they
FASTENED to concillate the foreigners
BY applying to them the most fiatter-
ing terms of endearment. And hence
England is today by the Chinese called
"Ying-Two." the tiourishing; France,
''Fa-Kwo," the land where the laws
live; Italy, "T-Kwo," the land of JUS
tlcei Germany, "fe-Kwo,' the one rich
In virtues. and the United States, Mel
kwo,' the beautiful.