Page:Essays on the Chinese Language (1889).djvu/102

88 that the latter followed the lines of its predecessor and took from it freely.

The "Tzŭ-wei" and the "Chêng-tzŭ-t‘ung" are still occasionally reprinted, but they may be said to have been quite superseded by the "Kang-hsi Tzŭ-tien." This dictionary was first published in 1717 and soon became the standard authority. Other works of a like character have appeared since, but it has not been displaced by any of them. The Emperor by whose orders it was made also caused a book on the phonetics of the language to be compiled. This was the "Yin-yun-ch‘an-wei" (音韻闡微), which became the standard authority on the use of the thirty-six Sanskrit initials. The same Emperor also engaged a college of scholars to make under his supervision the treatise to which the name "Pei-wên-yun-fu" was given. This is one of the largest dictionaries and cyclopedias of reference ever published, but its usefulness is impaired by slovenly, inaccurate quotations. It should always be used with caution and its statements verified where possible. Ten years after it appeared a supplement was found necessary. This was compiled by the Emperor's orders and published with the title "Yun-fu-shi-i" (韻府拾遺), Yun-fu gleanings. As an index to the "Pei-wên-yun-fu" a very compendious little dictionary was compiled and published in 1821 by Chêng Chang-kêng (鄭長庚) al. Hsüe-t‘ing (雪亭). This is the "Ssŭ-yin-shi-i" (四音釋義), a work which gives the characters of the "Pei-wên-yun-fu" according to the 214 classifiers with their spelling and the chief meanings. The "Ssŭ-yin" are the "four tones," and for each character explained a reference is added to the tone and final under which it is to be found in the "P‘ei-wên-yun-fu." This little dictionary is very popular with native students and it seems to be much needed. Another index to the great thesaurus is the tonic vocabulary named "Yun-hsio-chĭ-nan," A guide to the learning of the pronunciation of words. This work has a systematic arrangement of the characters under the four tones, and according to the Sanskrit initials and the finals of the "P‘ei