庄延龄 宁波方言 the ningpo dialect.pdfVIP

138 THE CHINA REVIEW . THE NINGPO DIALECT. The Ningpo dialect, though perhaps that ern philology is a science, except on this or with which Europeans were earliest familiar some other common basis. in considerable numbers, appears to be that The heads under which the dialect must for which least has been done in the way of be discussed are:—1 . The initials . 2. The exhibiting local marks with precision. The finals. 3. The tones. 4 . The characterless romanized system initiated by the mission- sounds. 5 . The duality of sounds. aries seems to have remained almost un - The initials may be summarily stated to changed, and, though imperfect from a be precisely the same as those of Wenchow; philological point of view, is quite good that is, every English consonant is repre- enough for all practical purposes, and is too sented, though it occasionally happens that deeply rooted to be changed : not to add in these two dialects different initials are that large numbers of Chinese have been used for the same theoretical sound ; thus, trained to its use in such wise that a change k for c or ch; ts for ch; v for w ; dj for j ; would be undesirable, even if it were possible. ng for y; and so on. Notwithstanding There seems to be no special reason why the this, as a rule, each word may be said to Ningpo dialect should have been singled out begin with the same initial (though varied