Early Cantonese Colloquial Texts: A Database
As a by-product of Prof. Samuel Cheung’s research project “The Cantonese Language: Its Past as Reconstructed from Early Cantonese Texts” (RGC Project No. HKUST/CUHK 6055/02H), the “Early Cantonese Colloquial Texts: A Database” includes seven texts, from Robert Morrison’s Vocabulary of the Canton Dialect (1828) to D. Ball’s Cantonese Made Easy (1883, 1888, 1907 and 1924). The texts themselves, searchable according to specified Chinese characters or segments in both Cantonese and Middle Chinese pronunciations, render the database an indispensible tool for research into early Cantonese.
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Early Cantonese Tagged Database
As a by-product of Prof. Carine Yiu’s research project “Directional Verbs in Early Cantonese Colloquial Texts: A Study of Metaphorical Extension and Word Order Change” (RGC Project No. 644608), the Early Cantonese Tagged Database includes ten texts, from the Cantonese translation of the St. Mark’s Gospel (1872) to A. Fulton’s Progressive and Idiomatic Sentences in Cantonese Colloquial (1931). The database is another important tool in the study of early Cantonese, especially since the texts are searchable according to a set of syntactic categories in the tagging.
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Database of Early Chinese Dialects
As a by-product of Prof. Carine Yiu’s research project “Reconstructing the History of Chinese Dialectal Grammar: A Study of Word Order” (RGC Project No. 16600215). The Database of Early Chinese Dialects includes twenty-one texts, covering Cantonese, Hakka, Mandarin, Min and Wu and including both Bible translation and textbooks. The texts, searchable according to specified Chinese characters or chapters and verses in the Gospel of Mark, render the database an indispensable tool for research into the grammar of early Chinese dialects.
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A Bibliography of Electronic Texts of Early Cantonese
Libraries around the world have been producing e-books of rare or out-of-print items in their collections, including missionary and pedagogical texts written in major dialects of Chinese. A list of electronic texts of early Cantonese available on the internet is given here, starting from Robert Morrison's A Grammar of Chinese Language (1815), in which a chapter "Of the Provincial Dialect" (pp. 259-67) talks about Cantonese, and Volume III "Chinese Words and Phrases" of A Vocabulary of the Canton Dialect (1828), which glosses common sayings and expressions in Cantonese.
| Year | 1815 |
| Author | Morrison, Robert |
| Title | A Grammar of Chinese Language |
| Chinese Title | 通用漢言之法 |
| Imprint | Serampore: The Mission Press |
| Descript. | vii + 280 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | The section “Of the Provincial Dialect” (pp. 259-267) gives information on Cantonese. |
| Year | 1828 |
| Author | Morrison, Robert |
| Title | A Vocabulary of the Canton Dialect |
| Additional Title | Part III Chinese Words and Phrases |
| Chinese Title | 廣東省土話字彙 |
| Imprint | Macao: East India Company’s Press |
| Descript. | 3 volumes |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | The section “Of the Provincial Dialect” (pp. 259-267) gives information on Cantonese. |
| Year | 1831 |
| Author | Klaproth, Heinrich Julius von |
| Title | Asia Polyglotta |
| Imprint | Paris: Verlag von Heideloff & Campe |
| Edition | 2nd edition |
| Descript. | xvi + 384 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | Cantonese pronunciation for a list of words (pp. 368-378) |
| Year | 1841 |
| Author | [Anonymous] |
| Title | A Lexilogus of the English, Malay, and Chinese Languages |
| Additional Title | Comprehending the Vernacular Idioms of the Last in the Hok-keen and Canton Dialects |
| Imprint | Malacca: Anglo-Chinese College Press |
| Descript. | 111 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1842 |
| Author | Williams, S. Wells 衛三畏 |
| Title | Easy Lessons in Chinese |
| Additional Title | Or Progressive Exercises to Facilitate the Study of that Language, Especially Adapted to the Canton Dialect |
| Chinese Title | 拾級大成 |
| Imprint | Macao: The Office of the Chinese Repository香山書院梓行 |
| Descript. | ix + 287 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1853 |
| Author | Bonney, S. W. |
| Title | Phrases in the Canton Colloquial Dialect, |
| Additional Title | Arranged According to the Number of Chinese Characters in a Phrase, with an English Translation |
| Imprint | Canton: [s.n.] |
| Descript. | 98 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | The scanned version from Stanford University Library has hand-written romanized transliteration and notes. |
| Year | 1855 |
| Author | [Anonymous] |
| Title | A Chinese Phonetic Vocabulary, |
| Additional Title | Containing all the Most Common Characters, with Their Sounds in the Canton Dialect |
| Chinese Title | 初學粵音切要 |
| Imprint | Hong Kong: London Missionary Society’s Press 香港英華書院活板 |
| Descript. | 63 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1856 |
| Author | Williams, S. Wells 衛三畏廉士甫編譯 |
| Title | A Tonic Dictionary of the Chinese Language in the Canton Dialect |
| Chinese Title | 英華分韻撮要 |
| Imprint | Canton: Printed at the Office of the Chinese Repository 羊城中和行梓行 |
| Descript. | xxxvi + 832 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1891 |
| Author | Chalmers, John |
| Title | An English and Cantonese Dictionary; |
| Additional Title | For the Use of Those who Wish to Learn the Spoken Language of Canton Province |
| Chinese Title | 英粵字典 |
| Imprint | Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh, Limited |
| Edition | 6th edition, with the changing tones marked |
| Descript. | 296 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | 1st ed., 1859 |
| Year | 1907 |
| Author | Chalmers, John |
| Title | An English and Cantonese Dictionary |
| Chinese Title | 英粵字典 |
| Imprint | Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh, Limited |
| Edition | 7th edition, revised and enlarged by T. K. Dealy |
| Descript. | vii + 818 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1862 |
| Author | Chalmers, John |
| Title | An English and Cantonese Pocket-Dictionary, |
| Additional Title | For the Use of Those who Wish to Learn the Spoken Language of Canton Province |
| Chinese Title | 英粵字典 |
| Imprint | Hong Kong: The London Missionary Society’s Press |
| Edition | 2nd edition |
| Descript. | 163 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | 1st ed., 1859 |
| Year | 1870 |
| Author | Chalmers, John |
| Title | An English and Cantonese Pocket-Dictionary, |
| Additional Title | For the Use of Those who Wish to Learn the Spoken Language of Canton Province |
| Chinese Title | 英粵字典 |
| Imprint | Hong Kong: The London Missionary Society’s Press |
| Edition | 3rd edition |
| Descript. | iv + 146 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | 1st ed., 1859 |
| Year | 1864 |
| Author | [Anonymous] |
| Title | The Tourists’ Guide and Merchants’ Manual |
| Additional Title | Being an English-Chinese Vocabulary of Articles of Commerce and of Domestic Use; Also, all the Known Names Connected with the Sciences of Natural History, Chemistry, Pharmacy, &c. &c. &c. |
| Chinese Title | 英華行篋便覽 |
| Imprint | Hong Kong: Office of the “Daily Press” |
| Descript. | 148 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | In the Court and Punti Dialects |
| Year | 1864 |
| Author | Lobscheid, W. |
| Title | Select Phrases and Reading Lessons in the Canton Dialect |
| Imprint | Hong Kong: Noronha’s Office |
| Descript. | 71 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1866-1868 |
| Author | Lobscheid, W. |
| Title | English and Chinese Dictionary, |
| Additional Title | With the Punti and Mandarin Pronunciation |
| Chinese Title | 英華字典 |
| Imprint | Hong Kong: The “Daily Press” Office |
| Note | Part I [A-C, 1866]: Part II [D-H, 1867]: Part III [I-Q, 1868]: |
| Year | 1867 |
| Author | Lanctot, Benoni |
| Title | Chinese and English Phrase Book, |
| Additional Title | With the Chinese Pronunciation Indicated in English, Specially Adapted for the Use of Merchants, Travelers and Families |
| Chinese Title | 華英通語 |
| Imprint | San Francisco: A. Roman & Company |
| Edition | 2nd ed., revised and enlarged |
| Descript. | 88 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1870 |
| Author | Bunyan, John |
| Chinese Title | 續天路歷程土話 |
| Imprint | [廣州]: 羊城惠師禮堂鐫 |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | Pilgrim’s Progress, Part II, Christiana. “惠師禮堂” may be related to Wesleyan Missionary Society. |
| Year | 1874 |
| Author | Dennys, N. B. |
| Title | A Handbook of the Canton Vernacular of the Chinese Language |
| Additional Title | Being a Series of Introductory Lessons, for Domestic and Business Purposes |
| Chinese Title | 初學階 |
| Imprint | London: Trübner & Co.; Hong Kong: “China Mail” Office |
| Descript. | Pages: ii + 195 (lessons) + 31 (appendix) |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1877 |
| Author | [Anonymous] |
| Chinese Title | 散語四十章 |
| Imprint | 香港：聖保羅書院 |
| Descript. | 94 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | On the cover: “由自邇集繙譯羊城俗話” |
| Year | 1888 |
| Author | Ball, J. Dyer |
| Title | Cantonese Made Easy: |
| Additional Title | A book of simple sentences in the Cantonese dialect, with free and literal translations, and directions for the rendering of English grammatical forms in Chinese |
| Imprint | Hong Kong: “China Mail” Office |
| Edition | 2nd edition |
| Descript. | 122 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | 1st ed., 1883 |
| Year | 1907 |
| Author | Ball, J. Dyer |
| Title | Cantonese Made Easy |
| Additional Title | A book of simple sentences in the Cantonese language, with free and literal translations, and directions for the rendering of English grammatical forms in Chinese |
| Imprint | Singapore: Kelly & Walsh, Limited |
| Edition | 3rd edition |
| Descript. | 153 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1892 |
| Author | Ball, J. Dyer |
| Title | The Cantonese Made Easy Vocabulary: |
| Additional Title | A small dictionary in English and Cantonese, containing only words and phrases used in the spoken language, with the classifiers indicated for each noun, and definitions of the different shades of meaning, as well as notes of the different uses of some of the words where ambiguity might otherwise arise |
| Imprint | Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh, Limited |
| Edition | 2nd edition |
| Descript. | 40 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | 1st ed., 1886 |
| Year | 1908 |
| Author | Ball, J. Dyer |
| Title | The Cantonese Made Easy Vocabulary |
| Additional Title | A small dictionary in English and Cantonese, containing words and phrases used in the spoken language, with the classifiers indicated for each noun, and definitions of the different shades of meaning, as well as notes of the different uses of some of the words where ambiguity might otherwise arise |
| Imprint | Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh, Limited |
| Edition | 3rd edition |
| Descript. | 294 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1888 |
| Author | Stedman, T. L., and K. P. Lee |
| Title | A Chinese and English Phrase Book in the Canton Dialect; |
| Additional Title | Or dialogues on ordinary and familiar subjects for the use of the Chinese resident in America, and of Americans desirous of learning the Chinese language; with the pronunciation of each word indicated in Chinese and Roman characters |
| Chinese Title | 英語不求人 |
| Imprint | New York: William R. Jenkins |
| Descript. | 187 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1920 |
| Author | Stedman, T. L., and K. P. Lee |
| Title | A Chinese and English Phrase Book in the Canton Dialect; |
| Additional Title | Or dialogues on ordinary and familiar subjects for the use of the Chinese resident in America, and of Americans desirous of learning the Chinese language; with the pronunciation of each word indicated in Chinese and Roman characters |
| Chinese Title | 英語不求人 |
| Imprint | New York: William R. Jenkins Co. |
| Edition | Reprint |
| Descript. | 187 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1902 |
| Author | Ball, J. Dyer |
| Title | How to Speak Cantonese: |
| Additional Title | Fifty conversations in Cantonese colloquial; with the Chinese character, free and literal English translations, and romanised spelling with tonic and diacritical marks, &c. |
| Imprint | Hong Kong: Kelly & Welsh |
| Edition | 2nd edition |
| Descript. | viii. + 229 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | 1st edition, 1889 |
| Year | 1894 |
| Author | Ball, J. Dyer |
| Title | Readings in Cantonese Colloquial: |
| Additional Title | Being Selections from Books in the Cantonese Vernacular with Free and Literal Translations of the Chinese Character and Romanized Spelling |
| Imprint | Hong Kong: Kelly & Walsh, Limited |
| Descript. | 171 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1902 |
| Author | Stevens, Harry Jabez |
| Title | Cantonese Apothegms, |
| Additional Title | Classified, translated, & commented upon |
| Imprint | Canton: E-Shing怡盛 |
| Descript. | 155 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1904 |
| Author | Brouner, Walter Brooks, and Fung, Yuet Mow 馮悅茂 |
| Title | Chinese Made Easy |
| Chinese Title | 你噲講唐話咩 |
| Imprint | New York: Macmillan; London: Macmillan |
| Edition | 1st edition |
| Descript. | 351 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1906 |
| Author | Wisner, O. F. |
| Title | Beginning Cantonese |
| Chinese Title | 教話指南 |
| Imprint | Canton: China Baptist Publication Society |
| Descript. | Pages: 32 (introduction) + 135 (lessons) |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1906 |
| Title | Canton Colloquial New Testament |
| Chinese Title | 新約全書 |
| Imprint | British and Foreign Bible Society聖書公會 |
| Descript. | 568 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | In the lower half of the book spine and on the title page is printed “廣東話”. |
| Year | 1907 |
| Title | Canton Colloquial Bible |
| Chinese Title | 舊新約全書 |
| Imprint | British and Foreign Bible Society聖書公會 |
| Descript. | 400 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | In the lower half of the book spine and on the title page is printed “廣東話”. |
| Year | 1912 |
| Author | Jones, Daniel, and Kwing Tong Woo [胡烱堂] |
| Title | A Cantonese Phonetic Reader |
| Imprint | London: University of London Press |
| Descript. | xxii +95 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1921 |
| Author | Bunyan, John (translated by George Piercy, Wesleyan Missionary Society, 1871) |
| Title | The Pilgrim’s Progress |
| Chinese Title | 天路歷程（土話） |
| Imprint | Canton: South China Religious Tract Society兩粵基督教書會 |
| Descript. | 141 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | 1922 |
| Author | Whymant, A. Neville J. |
| Title | Colloquial Chinese (Northern) |
| Additional Title | Expressly for the use of those who desire to acquire a rapid and sound colloquial knowledge of the Chinese language |
| Imprint | London : Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co., Ltd.; New York: E. P. Dutton & Co. |
| Descript. | 106 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | Both Pekingese and Cantonese pronunciations are given in “English and Chinese Vocabulary”, the last section of the book (pp. 61-106). |
| Year | 1923 |
| Author | 何純葆 |
| Title | Canton Language School Primer |
| Chinese Title | 六百字粵語雜句 |
| Imprint | Canton: China Baptist Publication Society廣州：美華浸會印書局 |
| Descript. | 191 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Year | [1927] |
| Title | Cantonese New Testament (Revised) |
| Chinese Title | 新約全書 |
| Imprint | 聖書公會、美華聖經會 The American Bible Society and the British & Foreign Bible Society |
| Descript. | 614 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | In the lower half of the book spine and on the title page is printed “廣東話”. There is no publication year in the book, but “H. Davis / Nov. 1927” was hand-written on the blank page before the title page. |
| Year | [19??] |
| Author | 譚季強編 |
| Title | 分類通行廣州話 |
| Imprint | 附百家姓同音字表 |
| Descript. | 70 pages |
| Link | To view this book |
| Note | There is no publication year in the book. |