Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-01-13
A CONFUSION OF TONGUES. >
Tne Hopeless Completely Of the Languages
Of China.

The enormous number of widely differ
ing languages and dialects spoken by
Chna's millions of inhabitants is one of
the strangest features of that vast and
wonderful empire. Not only does it pre-
sent n most disheartening obstacle to
the foreigner who hopes to be able to
make himself understood in his travels
through the country. but it is equally in
convenient for the Chinese themselves.
To a native of the Province Of Quang-
Tung, in which Canton is situated, the
city of Foo-Chow. two or three hundred
miles distant, would be like foreign
land for it would be impossible for him
TO communicate with its inhabitants in
any tongue common to them both In
the northern part of the empire. in the
neighborhood of Picking. another dialect,
wholly different from either that OF Can
ton or Foo-Chow, is spoken. But the con-
fusion is still more marked than these
facts would Indicate 1t is not necessary
to go two hundred miles, or even one
hundred miles. TO find diversitieS of IAN
guage so great that the natives of the re-
SpcctVe places could not understand each
other.
The Chinese vice-consul in New York
city. Mr.. Wing. told the Tribune. in
speaking OF the matter the other day,
that a Chinaman was often utterly unable
10 understand the spoken tongue of
resident in a town not more than I'VE or
ten miles away. The differences in pro-
nuncation are much greater than those
between the written characters. says Mr..
Wing so that if the Chinaman travelling
in his own land were able To write he
might be able to carry on his comlnum-
cations more successfully.
The Mandarin dialect is the language OF
the Court at Picking. II is the recognized
tongue in official circles. and is spoken
by the nobility and higher classes IN
Northern China The Chinese consul in
This city, Mr.. Chung Poa f1si pronounced
d., CO. hut II DhhrpEja -
in conversation to Mr.. CHUNG, speaks
the Mandarin dialect. as does the vice
consul Mr. Wing. The latter gave the
writer the correct Mandarin pronuncia-
ton of several Of the names which have
occurred prominently in the late dis
patches from China. 1t will be rcmem-
hered that this can by no means he re-
carded as the universal Chinese pronun-
citation of the names but as most Oh the
places referred to are in Northern China
the spelling of their names is according
10 the Mandarin dialect 1t is rather dlf-
ticult TO reproduce the sounds III EnShSh,
but fairly good equivalents can be given.
allowance being made for the peculiar
cultural sounds which the Chinese give
10 many combinations Of letters.
Picking the capital. is Pee-Chin 10 the
Mandarin. tho accent strong on the hrst
syllable The river Yang tse- kianG is
Yong-tse- Kong. following what seems TO
be a general rule to pronounce "a be-
fore ing" like short 90 in English.
There is a slight emphasis upon the sec
ond syllable of the name. Use. floanS-
no is pronounced Hwong-Ho. the last
syllable being accented. Kin-Chau and
kiao-Chau are respectively kin-Chow
and Kow-Chow, the stress in each in
stance falling on me tas, sy. Hhn.Foo "e IS
Chay-Foo, Nankin is Nonkeen. ana
Shanghai Shonghi. The name of the Gulf
of ,Pe-Chi-I.i is called Peh-Chee-Lee by
the Mandarin. and that of the Gulf OF
Of Lar
All these names are accented on their
last sylables as is also Taen- wan, the
pronunciation of which is sufficiently m
dictated by it's proper spelling. lleh-I Sln
is sounded like one word, Tien-Shin. with
the accent on the middle syllable "en.
Among the other important cities or the
empire Canton is kong-Tons in the Man.
DARN dialect, pronounced in the same
way as Hong-kong' the stress on the idsV
syllable.
The origin OF the diversity of dialects
iDsChina dates back so far into antiquity
that fun and accurate knowledge regard
ing it is impossible. But the subject mas
been carefully investigated as far as
suhh search could be extended, and many
Interesting articles have been written
thereon. According to the suppositions OF
the best authorities the founders OF the
chinese empire entered the country
through Turkestan about five thousand
years ago Their first colonies were
founded on the plain east OF the lioahS-
10. WHITTIER they Were loiloW'u an"
pushcd onward by the Turkish hordeS
from the country" they had left. Grad
lially they advanced eastward anu S"uth-
ward until they had gained al the land
as far az tn" Desert OF COB ana inc
modern coast province of thiil-iI III
which Picking is situated. IN their on
ward course they drove before them the
aboriginal population. which consisted OF
scattered tribes. These moved soutnWard
and mingled with the lndn-ChincSe in tn"
southern part of the empire. Nothing
is known of the pre-Chinese history oi
the provinces of Fuh-kien ana tsuahG-
Tung, on the southeast coast, nut II Is
known that they, with the provinces 81
Duane-Li and Yun-Nan, wer" partly
conquered by the invading Chimes" in the
third century y. e. canton was con