516 RESEARCH IN CHINA. 
The last two examples are cases in which the old sound had a consonant at the end; 
they are read chat and yaé in Cantonese. But since no difference in sound is now heard 
between if chi (Cantonese chat) and Z chi (Cantonese cht), we are by analogy 
entitled to describe the sound for A (Cantonese yat) as 7é in Mandarin. 
The symbol # thus denotes the amalgamation of a vowel with the adjoining sonant. 
I have also used it to describe the sound ez in /e#, mez, etc., the 1 of which is but faintly 
heard by the side of e. 
Note 3. I have followed the precedent set by Dr. Bretschneider in omitting the 
final h at the end of certain syllables, which in former systems was meant to indicate that 
a consonant (¢, &, or #) appears in its stead in ancient Chinese and in the Southern dia- 
lects. ‘Thus the word for ‘‘wood”’ used to be spelt muh, because its Cantonese, and prob- 
able ancient sound is muk. Bretschneider spells 7, because this is the sound actually 
heard in Northern China, the h at the end having none but historical value. When it 
is of importance to indicate the old final, I prefer to describe the word by ‘‘wz (Canton 
Dial. muk).”’ 
