818 On the Study of the Chinese Language. [No. 141. 



Under the Han dynasty, says the author of the Vocabulary of the 

 Kings, candidates for the offices of historians of the empire were 

 required to know at least nine thousand different characters. Now, as 

 the complete annals of any epoch must comprise, in methodical order, 

 almost every subject of literature and science, it would appear from this 

 alone, that the number of characters which the most learned men were 

 required to know, differs prodigiously from that which many persons 

 in Europe suppose necessary for the lowest literary grades. 



We may indeed suppose, that these last hardly require more than 

 five or six thousand words to speak, read, and write Chinese. In 

 fact, the four classic books do not contain more than two thousand 

 and four hundred characters ; but nevertheless, a person who has care- 

 fully studied them, and who is at the same time master of the prin- 

 ciples of Chinese syntax ( construction, J can understand without assist- 

 ance almost all books of history, geography, and philosophy. In China 

 the candidates for the literary rank of Kiu-jin, (Licentiate,) are only 

 required to have well studied the four classic books, and any one of 

 the Kings (canonical books,) which they may choose. 



From what has been said, the study of the Chinese language does 

 not require, as far as relates to the necessary words, more trouble than 

 any foreign language ; such as German for instance, which is com- 

 menced without any fear, and with a certainty of mastering it.* But 

 the difficulty in the study of Chinese does not consist in the number of 

 words. It is well known, that this language is a monosyllabic one, 

 and that its words do not allow of inflexions indicating in substantives 

 and adjectives genders, numbers and cases, and in verbs, times and 

 persons. Moreover, the same word sometimes changes its value in 

 changing its place, and becomes a substantive and adjective ; a passive 

 active, or neuter verb or adverb. The word chew for example, may 

 signify good (substantive,) good (adjective,) esteem good (approve,) 

 and good adverbially taken ; when the mechanism of the Chinese 

 language is understood this word is as explicit in its different positi- 

 ons as the Latin words bonum, bonus, bonum judicare, bene. 



The English language has some similarity to this. Certain sub- 

 stantives by their position, and by the words which accompany 

 them, become sometimes adjectives, verbs, and adverbs, without the 



* See also Marshraan's Introductory Remarks, p. 3. 



