"Shanghai Syllabary, Arranged in Phonetic Order." By J. A. Sil Shanghai: American Presbyterian Miss Press.
Under this title Mir. J. A. Silsby has issued a new edition of a very useful little volume, embodying the restilts of a considerable amount of patient and careful labour. The chief content of the volume, is a syllabary of Chinese characters used in writing the Shanghai vernacular, which syllabary is arranged in the syllabic order of Roman transliteration. The first edition was issued some two years ago and contained the syllabary alone, but tue present edition contains also a description of Shanghai sounds and some explanation of the Union System of Romanisation. It is not intended to make any criticism of the syllabary as a list of characters, Suffice it to say that on this point the names of Mr. Silsby and his ce-workers are in themselves guarantee of complete and wise choice. But while the subject of Chinese phonetics is far from new, it is not inappropriate to offer in connection with this work a few suggestions from the view-point of one who has—for this purpose, ut least—the advantage of nativity in Shanghai and who has
sides. dal not a little training in phonetics be-Ido not intend, by what follows, to di parage the earnest work of those who hi elaborated the system.of Romanisation now in use, There was no one else to do
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.