Page:English-Chinese Vocabulary of the Vernacular Or Spoken Language of Swatow.djvu/8



This vocabulary is based on a manuscript work prepared about thirty years ago by the Rev. R. Lechler of the Basel Mission, Hongkong, who was the first Protestant Missionary resident in this part of China. Mr Lechler's vocabulary was founded again on one by Dr. S. Wells Williams.

A purpose having been formed to copy Mr Lechler's MS. for personal use, with no further thought regarding it, the suggestion was made to have it printed in the Mission press, and so made available for general use. Hence its appearance in this form.

No time has been taken, because none could be spared, to do much more than rapidly write a copy for the press, making such additions and alterations as were attainable in the circumstances. From many varieties of dialect found in the Swatow region that has been chosen which is spoken in the city of Ch'ao-chow-foo; and no words or phrases not current there have been knowingly admitted. By this rule many expressions are excluded which must be amongst the most familiar to persons acquainted with the general speech of the Swatow people.

The vocabulary makes no pretension to completeness in any sense. Very many words and idiomatic phrases are omitted; comparatively few of the terms given have been strictly defined and discriminated; for which reason the contents must be used with cautious regard to distinctions of meaning and usage. Years of labour and a very complete knowledge of the unwritten speech of the country would be necessary to make a work of this kind what it ought to be; and the difficulty is immensely increased by the absolute non-existence of native books in the vernacular. The exception of two or three broadsheets of proverbs and ballads is not worth mentioning. But if it be clearly understood that the present vocabulary is merely a collection of useful words, tolerably correct (it may be hoped) so far as it goes, but not by any means a work judged ready for publication, it may escape undue severity of criticism and prove of some service to those who make use of it.

When it is stated that the type-setting and printing have been done by two young men who do not know a word of English, and have not even been trained in the art of printing; and further, that the work has sometimes been hampered by scarcity of type, a kind indulgence will be extended to any typographical shortcomings.

Whatever errors may be found to exist in the vocabulary, it is quite certain that their number would have been much greattergreater [sic] but for the kind assistance of Miss C. M. Ricketts and the Rev. H. L. Mackenzie in correcting the proof sheets; and the