A CHINESE DICTIONARY. 407 



indicated, though the less complicated forms of the Egyptian 

 characters can hardly admit of phenomena so various as those 

 which are presented by the Chinese. In the latter, for instance, 

 I believe we might trace that curious principle of language, 

 which, for want of a better name, may be called ' the principle 

 of intelligibility,' of which we cannot have a better instance 

 than the conversion of ' mandragore ' into ' main de gloire ;' I 

 mean, that in Chinese groups of strokes, originally forming only 

 a part of a complex picture, have probably, in some cases from 

 accidental suggestions, shaped themselves into the likeness of 

 other simpler characters. 



With regard to the etymology of the spoken language, such 

 an arrangement as Gallery's is of the greatest value. When we 

 find different sounds associated together under the same phonetic 

 element, we may, special cases being set aside, conclude that 

 they are, with reference to the Chinese organs of speech, cognate 

 sounds, and thus establish the laws by which our investigations 

 are to be guided. The change of Ch into T, which we are 

 familiar with as the peculiarity of the Fokien dialect, is one of 

 the most obvious phenomena thus made manifest*. 



To return from this digression, to the formation of an index 

 to a Chinese dictionary. I should propose to form a list of all 

 simple characters, and of all in which there could be any serious 

 doubt or uncertainty as to their analysis. The latter would not 

 be a very large addition to the number of the list. Gallery's 

 own estimate is that his 1039 phonetic elements result from 

 about 300 primary ones. 



A small number, and those capable of further analysis, of 

 his classifying characters do not belong to his phonetic list; 

 but if we say, that all the elements he employs cannot much 

 exceed 300, we shall not perhaps be far from the truth. Taking 

 account of omissions, accidental and otherwise, we may perhaps 

 say, that 500 elements would appear in our list. I admit this 

 seems a small number; but Gallery speaks of having gone 

 through almost all the Chinese characters, and having omitted 



* Compare with this the change of tr into cr, in craindre from tremere, veintre 

 (Hymn on Eulalia) from vinccre, &c. The same thing is seen in the English cor- 

 ruption of ask into ast. Is not triticum formally equivalent to Kpidri ? Compare 

 also the Greek and Latin names for Carthage ; Oxmantown and Ostraantown, 

 (Worsaae, Danes and Northmen in England.) 



