Page:Primary Lessons In Swatow Grammar.djvu/16

 Interchangeable Consonants.

Certain consonants in certain words are often interchanged, some Chinese using the one and some the other without appearing to notice the difference. Thus:—

l and n—initial.
 * lâm-pôiⁿ, or, nâm-pôiⁿ,
 * south side.


 * lâm-nńg, or, nâm-nńg,
 * male and female.

b and m—initial.


 * che̍k-buān, or, che̍k-muān,
 * ten thousand.


 * kiâⁿ-bûa, or, kiâⁿ-mûa,
 * step near.

t and k—final.


 * ta̍t-chîⁿ, or, ta̍k-chîⁿ,
 * worth money.


 * sat-khang, or, sak-khang,
 * stop up a hole.

ch and ts—initial.


 * taⁿ-chúi, or, taⁿ-tsúi,
 * to carry water.


 * lo̍h-chûn, or, lo̍h-tsûn,
 * to go into the boat.

g—final.

At the Hu City many words have g final which is often dropped elsewhere:—

In our Western languages it is found helpful to the memory of pupils learning to spell, to group together words having the same number of syllables and the same accentuation. The suggestion is made whether pupils in Chinese may not derive some help from grouping together double words, one or both of which have the same tone. A few examples are here presented, simply by way of illustration:-—


 * phîn-khiông,
 * poor.


 * khî-khiû,
 * to pray.


 * chhâi-chhêng,
 * talents.


 * chhai-gî,
 * doubt.


 * hêng-iông,
 * appearance.


 * thiû-thú,
 * to procrastinate.


 * chai-iang,
 * calamities.


 * lú-tun,
 * stupid.


 * eng-kai,
 * ought.


 * hīⁿ-kau,
 * ear-ring.


 * phêng-an,
 * peace.


 * hīn-kim,
 * now.