A Study Of The Alphabetic Dictionary Of The Foochow Dialect

The first version of The alphebetic dictionary of Foochow dialect was published in 1870, and then was republished contiually in 1897 and 1929. It is a giant book of foreign missionaries in Foochow, which was compiled by Methodist Episcopal Mission missionary R.S.Maclay and American Board of Comminsioners missionary C.C. Baldwin. Application of the historical comparative method, reconstruction method and the elimination method ,the paper not only compares the Foochow dialect recorded in the three versions with the same period books', but also compares it with An Qiang Ba Yin which is a rhyme book reflects the northern Min dialect and modern Foochow dialect diachronically and synchronically. Analysising the initials, finals and tones system of this dictionary comprehensively and systematically, this paper conjectures that the phonetic system of the dictionary reflects the suburbs of Foochow dialect in the late nineteenth century, that is the dialect around Tai Jiang district and Cang Shan district.Although the alphebetic dictionary of Foochow dialect refers to Qi Lin Ba Yin which is a traditional rhyme book on eastern Min dialect,this paper still thinks that it is not a simple republication of Qi Lin Ba Yin but absorbing it selectively based on the Foochow dialect in the late nineteenth century. The Romanized alphabetic system of this dictionary has an important influence on the following dictionary of Foochow dialect and Foochow colloquialism.This dictionary also retains the classical reading and colloquial reading in the late nineteenth century. Hence ,we should emphasize the fruits of missionaries from the nineteenth centry to the early twentieth centry and then utilize it to serve for us.