English and Cantonese Dictionary

John Chalmers (1825 - 1899) and Thomas Dealy (1861 - 1924)

John Chalmers’ English and Cantonese Dictionary offers a valuable glimpse into the state of Cantonese that was spoken in Canton and in the colony of Hong Kong during the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century; through the comprehension of, and the presentation made by, Mr. Chalmers and some other foreigners. Anyone who has only heard Chinese spoken in Putonghua/Mandarin, can now hear how different Chinese may sound in Cantonese; and how different its style and expression are from that of Putonghua.

Words were listed in alphabetical order, each of which was accompanied by its corresponding Chinese characters (logograms), and was followed by tonal markings for its Cantonese pronunciation. Additional words and/or expressions in Cantonese that derived from the word were also found in many of the entries. A handy introduction to the rules for pronouncing Cantonese and those for their tonal markings could also be found.

Please refer to the appended booklet for further remarks by the reader and a full index of this recording. (summary by the reader)

Additional Proof Listening by YuqingJune

Genre(s): Reference, Language learning

Language: Cantonese Chinese

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 Preface to the 7th Edition, Notes to the 4th & 5th Editions, Rules for Pronouncing the Chinese, Directions for Using the Dictionary DavidReader
00:27:51
Play 01 A - Ambitious DavidReader
00:21:55
Play 02 Ambush - Back DavidReader
00:22:33
Play 03 Back-bite - Blade DavidReader
00:22:11
Play 04 Bladed Knife, three - Butler DavidReader
00:20:05
Play 05 Butt - Chasm DavidReader
00:20:58
Play 06 Chaste - Complete DavidReader
00:20:56
Play 07 Competent - Courtesy DavidReader
00:19:38
Play 08 Cousin - Deep DavidReader
00:22:08
Play 09 Deer - Discretionary DavidReader
00:21:23
Play 10 Discriminate - Dyspepsia DavidReader
00:20:49
Play 11 Dysury - Err DavidReader
00:20:48
Play 12 Error - Feces DavidReader
00:21:01
Play 13 Fee - Foundation DavidReader
00:20:17
Play 14 Foundling - Glauber-salts DavidReader
00:20:28
Play 15 Glazed - Hale DavidReader
00:19:28
Play 16 Half - Hound DavidReader
00:20:14
Play 17 Hour - Independent DavidReader
00:18:27
Play 18 Index - Intestines DavidReader
00:18:51
Play 19 Intimate - Knell DavidReader
00:19:40
Play 20 Knife - Lift DavidReader
00:20:34
Play 21 Light - Mahogany DavidReader
00:20:16
Play 22 Mahommedanism - Merciful DavidReader
00:20:15
Play 23 Merciless - Mountain DavidReader
00:20:38
Play 24 Mourn - Night-dress DavidReader
00:20:03
Play 25 Nimble - Office DavidReader
00:20:08
Play 26 Officer - Over-night DavidReader
00:19:51
Play 27 Overpass - Part DavidReader
00:18:27
Play 28 Partake - Pelvis DavidReader
00:19:06
Play 29 Pen,Pencil - Philosopher DavidReader
00:19:40
Play 30 Phlegm - Plain DavidReader
00:20:21
Play 31 Plaintiff - Polyhedron DavidReader
00:20:06
Play 32 Polypod - Pox DavidReader
00:18:04
Play 33 Practicable - Pretty DavidReader
00:18:28
Play 34 Prevail - Prolapse DavidReader
00:17:07
Play 35 Prolegomena - Pulverize DavidReader
00:17:59
Play 36 Pumice - Quinquennial DavidReader
00:18:56
Play 37 Quinsy - Rations DavidReader
00:18:34
Play 38 Rattan - Red-hot DavidReader
00:17:30
Play 39 Redeem - Remain DavidReader
00:18:37
Play 40 Remainder - Respect DavidReader
00:17:13
Play 41 Respectable - Rhyme DavidReader
00:18:45
Play 42 Rib - Roast DavidReader
00:18:17
Play 43 Rob - Run DavidReader
00:20:49
Play 44 Runner - Sample DavidReader
00:17:13
Play 45 Sanctify - Scissors DavidReader
00:19:34
Play 46 Scoff - Secretary DavidReader
00:20:00
Play 47 Secretion - Serious DavidReader
00:18:59
Play 48 Sermon - Sharp DavidReader
00:19:34
Play 49 Sharpen - Shot DavidReader
00:18:20
Play 50 Should - Silk DavidReader
00:19:06
Play 51 Silk-worm - Sky DavidReader
00:19:59
Play 52 Sky-blue - Slough DavidReader
00:19:40
Play 53 Slovenly - Snub-nosed DavidReader
00:19:31
Play 54 Snuff - Son DavidReader
00:20:24
Play 55 Son-in-law - Special DavidReader
00:20:12
Play 56 Specially - Spoil DavidReader
00:21:26
Play 57 Spoil,to - Stabling DavidReader
00:21:08
Play 58 Stack - Statement DavidReader
00:21:09
Play 59 State-paper - Sting DavidReader
00:21:34
Play 60 Stingily - Straightway DavidReader
00:20:27
Play 61 Strain - Strive DavidReader
00:20:38
Play 62 Stroke - Submissive DavidReader
00:20:47
Play 63 Submissively - Sulphate DavidReader
00:21:25
Play 64 Sulphur - Suppose DavidReader
00:21:12
Play 65 Supposing - Swarthiness DavidReader
00:21:27
Play 66 Swath - Synagogue DavidReader
00:21:07
Play 67 Synchronize - Talisman DavidReader
00:20:46
Play 68 Talk - Tea-tray DavidReader
00:22:13
Play 69 Teach - Ten DavidReader
00:20:00
Play 70 Tenable - Thank DavidReader
00:20:28
Play 71 Thankful - Third DavidReader
00:21:08
Play 72 Thirst - Throw DavidReader
00:22:42
Play 73 Throwster - Tightly DavidReader
00:19:03
Play 74 Tile - To DavidReader
00:22:02
Play 75 Toad - Tooth-ache DavidReader
00:20:00
Play 76 Tooth-brush - Train DavidReader
00:21:34
Play 77 (to)Train - Tread DavidReader
00:21:20
Play 78 Treason - Trill DavidReader
00:20:40
Play 79 Trigger - Trustee DavidReader
00:21:11
Play 80 Trustful - Twelve DavidReader
00:21:29
Play 81 Twentieth - Unassisted DavidReader
00:21:53
Play 82 Unassuaged - Undercurrent DavidReader
00:21:15
Play 83 Underdo - Unison DavidReader
00:22:15
Play 84 Unit - Unreserved DavidReader
00:20:54
Play 85 Unreservedly - Unwell DavidReader
00:22:00
Play 86 Unwholesome - Use DavidReader
00:22:01
Play 87 Useful - Vapouring DavidReader
00:21:29
Play 88 Vaporize - Vernacular DavidReader
00:22:32
Play 89 Vernal - Vileness DavidReader
00:22:10
Play 90 Vilify - Vituperate DavidReader
00:20:15
Play 91 Vituperative - Wake DavidReader
00:21:59
Play 92 Wakeful - Warp DavidReader
00:20:29
Play 93 Warped - Wax DavidReader
00:21:02
Play 94 Wax-candle - Weigh DavidReader
00:20:05
Play 95 Weighing-machine - Whereas DavidReader
00:19:07
Play 96 Whereat - Wholly DavidReader
00:20:07
Play 97 Whore - Wily DavidReader
00:21:41
Play 98 Win - With DavidReader
00:23:33
Play 99 Withal - Wood DavidReader
00:17:59
Play 100 Woodbine - Worry DavidReader
00:19:47
Play 101 Worse - Wrongfully DavidReader
00:21:18
Play 102 Wrongly - You DavidReader
00:24:09
Play 103 Young - Zymotic DavidReader
00:15:51