EFEO Chinese transcription

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The Chinese transcription of the

French-speaking world until the middle of the 20th century. While it is often deemed to have been devised by Séraphin Couvreur (who was not an EFEO member), its actual creator was Arnold Vissière [fr] (1858–1930).[1] It was superseded by Hanyu Pinyin
.

The transcription of the EFEO did not borrow its phonetics from the national official

alveolo-palatal consonants, before the high front vowels [i] and [y
].

Since EFEO makes use, to a large extent, of the phonetic values of Latin letters as used in French, the transcription of many Chinese syllables into the EFEO system is quite similar to how they were transcribed by French missionaries in the late 17th to 19th centuries (e.g., as seen in Description ... de la Chine compiled by

Yanzhou Fou" is "Yen-tcheou-fou" in both cases. However, a few features (notably, the wide use of "ts", and the use of apostrophes to show aspiration) distinguishes it from the early French missionary systems.[2]

Table

Initials

Bilabial Labiodental Alveolar Retroflex Alveolo-palatal Velar
Voiceless Voiced Voiceless Voiceless Voiced Voiceless Voiced Voiceless Voiceless
Nasal
m [m]

ㄇ m
n [n]

ㄋ n
Plosive Unaspirated p [p]
ㄅ b
t [t]

ㄉ d
k [k]
ㄍ g
Aspirated p' [pʰ]
ㄆ p
t' [tʰ]

ㄊ t
k' [kʰ]
ㄎ k
Affricate
Unaspirated ts [ts]
ㄗ z
tch [ʈʂ]
ㄓ zh
k or ts [tɕ]
ㄐ j
Aspirated ts' [tsʰ]
ㄘ c
tch' [ʈʂʰ]
ㄔ ch
k' or ts' [tɕʰ]
ㄑ q
Fricative
f [f]
ㄈ f
s [s]

ㄙ s
ch [ʂ]

ㄕ sh
h or s [ɕ]

ㄒ x
h [x]
ㄏ h
Liquid
l [l]

ㄌ l
j [ɻ~ʐ]

ㄖ r

Finals

Coda
/i/ /u/ /n/ /ŋ/ /ɻ/
Medial e/eu [ɨ]
-i
ö/é [ɤ]
ㄜ e
a [a]
ㄚ a
ei [ei̯]
ㄟ ei
ai [ai̯]
ㄞ ai
eou [ou̯]
ㄡ ou
ao [au̯]
ㄠ ao
en [ən]
ㄣ en
an [an]
ㄢ an
ong [ʊŋ]
ㄨㄥ ong
eng [əŋ]
ㄥ eng
ang [aŋ]
ㄤ ang
eul [aɚ̯]
ㄦ er
/j/ i [i]
ㄧ i
ie [je]
ㄧㄝ ie
ia [ja]
ㄧㄚ ia
ieou [jou̯]
ㄧㄡ iu
iao [jau̯]
ㄧㄠ iao
in [in]
ㄧㄣ in
ien [jɛn]
ㄧㄢ ian
iong [jʊŋ]
ㄩㄥ iong
ing [iŋ]
ㄧㄥ ing
iang [jaŋ]
ㄧㄤ iang
/w/ ou [u]
ㄨ u
ouo [wo]
ㄨㄛ uo
oua [wa]
ㄨㄚ ua
ouei [wei̯]
ㄨㄟ ui
ouai [wai̯]
ㄨㄞ uai
ouen [wən]
ㄨㄣ un
ouan [wan]
ㄨㄢ uan
ouong [wəŋ]
ㄨㄥ ueng
ouang [waŋ]
ㄨㄤ uang
/y/ iu [y]
ㄩ ü
iue [ɥe]
ㄩㄝ üe
iun [yn]
ㄩㄣ ün
iuan [ɥɛn]
ㄩㄢ üan

Notes

  1. ^ Dimitri Drettas, “Fact-Checking Against Diluted Knowledge: Setting the Record Straight on Séraphin Couvreur and the EFEO Romanization System.” Sinology News 稷風 [Newsletter of the Jao Tsung-I Academy of Sinology], 2016, Issue 2, pp. 39-41.
  2. ^ See e.g. the transcription of place names, including "Yen tcheou fou", in du Halde, pp. 10-11


Bibliography

External links