Myths and Legends of China by E. Werner (interesting books to read for teens .txt) 📕

round.

ü. The vowel-sound in the French tu, eût.

üa. Only in üan, which in some tones is üen. The ū as above; the an as in antic.

üe. The vowel-sounds in the French tu es.

üo. A disputed sound, used, if at all, interchangeably with io in certain syllables.

u. The oo in too; in un and ung as in the Italian punto.

ua. Nearly ooa, in many instances contracting to wa.

uai as in the Italian guai.

uei. The vowel-sounds in the French jouer.

uê. Only in final uên = ú-ŭn; frequently wên or wun.

ui. The vowel-sounds in screwy; in some tones uei.

uo. The Italian uo in fuori; often wo, and at times nearly ŏō.

ŭ. Between the i in bit and the u in shut.

Consonants

ch as in chair; but before ih softened to dj.

ch’. A strong breathing. Much-harm without the italicized letters = ch’a.

f as in farm.

h as ch in Scotch loch.

hs. A slight aspirate preceding and modifying the sibilant, which is, however, the stronger of the two consonants; e.g. hsing = hissing without the first i,

j. Nearly the French j in jaune; the English s in fusion.

k. c in car, k in king; but when following other sounds often softened to g in go, gate.

k’. The aspirate as in ch’. Kick-hard without the italicized letters = k’a; and kick-her == k’ê.

l as in English.

m as in English.

n as in English.

ng. The italicized letters in the French mon galant = nga; mon gaillard = ngai; son gosier = ngo.

p as in English.

p’ The Irish pronunciation of party, parliament. Slap-hard without the italicized letters = p’a.

s as in English.

sh as in English.

ss. Only in ssŭ. The object of employing ss is to fix attention on the peculiar vowel-sound ŭ (see above).

t as in English.

t’ The Irish t in torment. Hit-hard without the italicized letters = t’a.

ts as in jetsam; after another word softened to ds in gladsome.

ts’. The aspirate intervening, as in ch’, etc. Bets-hard without the italicized letters = ts’a. Page 427

tz. Employed to mark the peculiarity of the final ŭ; hardly of greater power than ts.

tz’ like ts’. This, tz, and ss used only before ŭ.

w as in English; but very faint, or even non-existent, before ü.

y as in English; but very faint before i or ü.

Tone

The correct pronunciation of the sound (yin) is not sufficient to make a Chinese spoken word intelligible. Unless the tone (shêng), or musical note, is simultaneously correctly given, either the wrong meaning or no meaning at all will be conveyed. The tone is the key in which the voice is pitched. Accent is a ‘song added to,’ and tone is emphasized accent. The number of these tones differs in the different dialects. In Pekingese there are now four. They are best indicated in transliteration by numbers added to the sound, thus:

pa (1) pa (2) pa (3) pa (4)

To say, for example, pa (3) instead of pa (1) would be as great a mistake as to say ‘grasp’ instead of ‘trumpet.’ Correctness of tone cannot be learnt except by oral instruction.

Rhythm

What tone is to the individual sound rhythm is to the sentence. This also, together with proper appreciation of the mutual modifications of tone and rhythm, can be correctly acquired only by oral instruction.

A

A Zie. In Miao legend of the creation, 407–408

Absolute. Of Lieh Tzŭ, 90–91

Accessory Institutions, 37–38; education, 37–38

Address, Forms of, 42

Administration. General, 28 sq.; in Feudal Period, 28–29; in Monarchical Period, 29; in Republican Period, 30

Æsthetic Products, 59

Age for Marriage, 23

Agents. The Three, 125; the Three Great Emperor Agents, 125; the Three Supreme Agents, 125

Agnosticism. Confucius and, 88–89

Agriculture, 49 sq.; Ministry of, 50

Agriculturists. Nung; the second class of the people, 28

Air. Sovereign of the Eastern, 136–137; sovereign of the Western, 137

Akkadia. Supposed origin of the Chinese in, 13, 15, 17

All Souls’ Day. Festival of (Mid-autumn Festival), 35, 44–45

Alligator, The Spiritual, 223–224

Amita, Amida. O-mi-t’o Fo; Buddha, 119, 120 Page 428

Amitabha. See Amita

An-kung. God of Sailors, 165

Ancestor-worship. The origin of Chinese religion, 52; by rulers, 94; ordinary, 100; and Buddhism, 118

Ao. A sea-monster; raises the scholar K’uei on its back, 106

Ao Ch’in. A Dragon-king; and the Eight Immortals, 214 sq.

Ao Ping. Third son of Lung Wang, 308–309

Aquila. Star; legend regarding Vega and, 189 sq.

Archer, The Divine, 180 sq.

Armless People. Legend of the, 388

Artisans. Kung; the third class of the people, 28

Arts, 49

Astrological Superstitions, 176

Asuras. Buddhist demons; enemies of Dêvas, 198

August. The Pure August One; Yü Huang, 130

B

Barge of Mercy, Taoist, 160

Beards. Little worn, 47

Beginning. Of Form, 90; of Pneuma, 90; the Great, 90; of Substance, 90

Bell, Casting of the Great. Legend of, 394 sq.

Bezoar. See Niu Huang

Bible. Parallelisms of, with Chinese religious and mythological beliefs, 79 n.

“Biographies of the Gods.” Shên hsien chuan, by Ko Hung, 79

Bird. Of Dawn, 186–187; the one-legged, 206

Birth of the Soul, 93

Blackwater River, Demons of. In the Hsi yu chi, 352

Blank, The Great, 90

Blower. See Ch’ên Ch’i

Blue Dragon. Ch’ing Lung; spirit of the Blue Dragon Star; guardian of Taoist temple gates, 146 sq.

Blue River. Hsüan Chuang exposed in, as an infant, 337

“Book of Ceremonial.” Li chi, 103

“Book of History,” 84

Brothers, The Three Musical, 151

Buddha. Ju Lai, 78; and the Law and the Priesthood, 119; Tathagata, 119; Fo Pao, one of the San Pao, 119; Shâkyamuni, 119; Yüeh-shih Fo, the Master-Physician, 120; Miao Shan (Kuan Yin) becomes a, 271; his jumping competition with Sun Hou-tzŭ, 332–333

Buddhism. As a Chinese religion, 53; effect on mythology, 62–63; one of the three religions, 100; brought to China, 118; Mahayanistic form of, 118; origin in ancestor-worship, 118; and Taoism, 118; and Confucianism, 118; Buddha, the Law, and the Priesthood, 119

Buddhist-s. Account of P’an Ku, 77; guardians of temple gates, 146; evil dragons, 208; number of dragons, 209; saviour of the Buddhists in Slow-carts Country, 353 sq.

Buffalo. Of T’ung-t’ien Chiao-chu, 133–134

Burial, Methods of, 39 sq.

Bushel Mother. See Tou Mu

Butterfly. Chuang Tzŭ and the, 91 and n., 148–149

C

“Canon of Changes.” See I Ching

Capture, Marriage By, 22

Carp. Ch’ên Kuang-jui and the released, 336, 339–340

Cart, Land of the Flying, 391

Cask of Pearls. Wang Tan and the, 131–132

Cause-s. First, Yüan-shih