Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-12-18
oct 16-Iyr
LINGO OF THE JAPS.
Result of Acquiring Language Without
Grammar or Dictionary.

Grammar Dictionary.
The atrocities wreaked upon the Eng
fish language by the well meaning Ba-
boo have long been familiar to readers
of Anglo-Indian literature. He shows
surprising facility in the choice Of
''words alive with import" to quote a
phrase Of Mr.. Stevenson's. His only
fault is that the import is much too
lively. Indeed, for an utter contrast to
Mr.. Stevenson's own skill in selecting
the one apt and significant word for the
Expression of his thought one could not
do better than study the essayist quot
ed by Lady Dufferin, who graphically
recorded the difference in the lot of
rich and poor by the lament that "while
the rich man welters On crimson velvet,
the poor man snorts Oh flint.
But the student who has feeling for
style viii find much TO repay research
as he travels further east than Calcutta.
AT Hongllong and the Chinese ports
be will find himself in the region of
"pidgin, " language which at first i'll
suits his manhood by its inevitable
suggestion of baby talk, bat which he
soon learns to respect as more bril-
liantly successful instance OF interna-
tional compromise than any treaty for
which diplomatist was ever knighted
The moment he lands at Yokohama he
may discard his painfully acquired
''pidgin, - for he is among people who
would scorn to say ono can do for sit
80 i,,,y,nCci hlo ;; 11o1,7, Ton
side'' for 81 live up stairs When they
speak English, they speak it uncontami-
mated by local accidence or syntax.
The results of this acquisition Of a
foreign tongue by means of the unsup-
plemented study of grammar and die
tionary are evident On many shop
sign. "Raudo House" illustrates the
curious national inability to hear o.
pronounce tho sound Of ~. -" AS the
Chinese are equally unable to make any
thing of "r,' no Volapuk viii be worth
anything which does not omit both the
letters from its alphabet. Ramp Shop"
and "Gents', Radies' and Chirdren's
Shoes" arc instances Of the same eccen-
tricity.
Occasionally ones attention is arrest
ed by a sheer error III spelling, which
looks as though the painters copy had
been written in a bad hand by person
who had conided superficial knowl-
edge Of English photography to the care
Of q treacherous memory.
It may be that the absence from Jap
anese Of any distinction between singu-
lar and plural is to blame for such de-
Walton from usage as Ships and Houses
Painter, - 1.-The Wines and Foods and
critics ard Powders. F" Il is only nat
ural that when Il Jap does come across
a language possessing the luxury of
special sin OF plurality he should wish
to make the most of his opportunities.
The expression Of multiplicity seems
indeed usually to cause disturbance i'll
the native mind. Thus we get shop
For the Kind Of Parasol, Umbrella and
Stick, - 'Wine, Ale and Other" and
Manufacturer and Dealer Of Furniture
and Others. p" Over a store by the side
of the canal at Yokohama may be read
all inscription which is pathetic proof
Of the completely Of our proposition.
The owner having set up the announce
ment, "Dealer Of Coal and Coke, was
evidently troubled by the suspicion that
his sign might not be quite idiomatic;
so, in order to be quite sure Of hitting
the correct thing one way Or the other,
he wrote "for" as a second choice be-
low the word "of.
The advertisements sent to the visit
or at his hotel are prolific in surprises
A firm Of photographers assures him
that they "kindle the hope that you
will visit our exhibition. If he is un
fortunate enough to fall i'll during his
stay, he will find great relief by using
as a substitute for the poultice the in
genious native "kairo," an invention
which delights English doctors when
they make its acquaintance. 1t is a
small comfortably padded box contain
ing a special preparation Of charcoal,
and when fastened to the chest keeps
the heat much longer than any other
contrivance known in medicine. But
even the ''kairo" itself viii hardly warm
tho cockles Of the patients heart as eff
fectiyely as the inscription On the out
side wrapper, declaring as it does that
"this is SO good and convenience as to
get out all diseases result by cold. -
london Christian World