Page:The Cantonese Made Easy Vocabulary.pdf/14

 to a comparatively ancient period. It seems probable that they existed in the original Munda language, and there are perhaps indications of their use in the language of the aboriginal inhabitants of Nearer and Further India.' Dr. Konow describes this peculiarity as a pronunciation of the consonant which stops before the completion of its full enunciation 'and there is no off-glide.' This is the same as the pronunciation of (what Dr. Konow calls) the semi-consonant k as a final in the only two words that the Author has found it to appear in the Cantonese. To discover the full force of the difference let a distinct speaker of Cantonese be requested to pronounce 呮, cheᵏ˳ and 隻, chek˳ and 咯, loᵏ˳ and 落, lok꜆lok꜇ [sic]. The full force of the k, it will be seen, is given to the k in 隻, chek˳ and 落, lok꜇, while in 呮 cheᵏ˳ and 咯, loᵏ˳, the voice commences to pronounce the consonant k and stops abruptly before completion of the act of pronunciation.

Circumstances compelled the Author to leave Hongkong when this book was in the press and before its completion, while in fact the words under the letter S were being printed. Though the rest of the book was outlined and filled up to a large extent, yet it required some additions and careful revision before being put in the hands of the printers. UuderUnder [sic] these unfortunate conditions of affairs Rev. G. Bunbury very kindly consented to see the remainder of the book through the press and to him the Author is indebted for the great assistance thus rendered in a time of need.

JAMES DYER BALL

Exmouth, Devon,

England.

29th July, 1908.