endeavouring toutteroneof these, another to . which the
same Organ has been habituatedisgeneraliy sounded : instead
of the letter R, the liquid L is usually pronounced
by,a Chinese; who thus occasionally fells into ridiculous
mistake^i Chinese dealer in rice, for example! is sometimes
heard to offer for sale what few persons would be
-disposed to purchase.
The nice distinctions between the tones and accents
o f words nearly resembling each other in sound, but varying
much in sense, require, no doubt, a nicely of ear
W distinguish, and of vocal powers to render them exactly.
To succeed in making those distinctions perfectly,
a stranger should begin to learn them at an early age.,
while his organs are flexible and acute. A material aid,
however, towards taking each wordin its proper sense
as afforded often by the general context of the sentence
in which they are used. An English reader, for example,
will scarcely recollect, when in conversation, he
had any difficulty in 'determining whether the idea o f
sum (which shines), or that o f son (obeying his father);,
was meant to fee conveyed, tho the words are not to be
distinguished in the pronunciation. Synonymous words
are also very frequently introduced m Ghinese dialogue,
as has been before observed, to prevent any doubt about
the intended sense. If, however, in an intricate discussion,
any uncertainty should Mill remain as to the
meaning of a particular expression, recourse is had to
Cmtqn.