A Dictionary of the Chinese Language

A Dictionary of the Chinese Language (1815-1823) By Robert Morrison Published across six quarto volumes totaling 4,595 pages, this work stands as the first comprehensive Chinese-English and English-Chinese dictionary. The text contains 47,035 head characters derived from the Kangxi Dictionary and is organized into three distinct parts based on different classification systems. Robert Morrison completed this landmark reference work while serving as the first Protestant missionary in China, working under challenging conditions in Macau during the Qing Dynasty. The dictionary was published by Peter Perring Thoms and took eight years to complete, representing an unprecedented advancement in Chinese-Western linguistic scholarship. The dictionary's historical significance extends beyond its role as a translation tool, marking a pivotal moment in East-West cultural exchange and academic understanding. While containing some technical limitations in areas like phonetic notation, it established foundational patterns for Chinese-English lexicography that influenced generations of subsequent works.

Limited reader reviews exist online for this historical dictionary, as it was published in 1815-1823 and is primarily found in research libraries and archives. Scholars and language students value: - The first major English-Chinese dictionary - Detailed character explanations - Inclusion of both literary and colloquial terms Academic critiques note: - Outdated romanization system - Some translation inaccuracies due to limited resources in the early 1800s - Character organization can be difficult to navigate No ratings available on Goodreads, Amazon, or other consumer review sites due to the book's rarity and age. Modern readers primarily access this work through libraries for research purposes. Chinese language scholar W.W. Lockwood wrote in a 1936 review that despite its flaws, the dictionary "laid vital groundwork for future Western study of Chinese."

A Chinese-English Dictionary by Herbert Allen Giles This dictionary from 1892 contains 13,848 Chinese characters with pronunciation guides and multiple meanings for each character.

Chinese-English Dictionary of the Vernacular or Spoken Language of Amoy by Carstairs Douglas This specialized dictionary documents the Amoy dialect of Chinese with detailed explanations of tones and usage in the southern Min region.

Kangxi Dictionary by Zhang Yushu and Chen Tingjing The comprehensive Qing Dynasty dictionary compiles 47,035 characters with their etymologies, pronunciations, and historical usage examples.

Mathews' Chinese-English Dictionary by Robert Henry Mathews The reference work indexes Chinese characters by radical system and provides English definitions with example compounds for each entry.

A New English-Chinese Dictionary by Wu Jingrong This bidirectional dictionary contains modern vocabulary and provides detailed etymological information for both Chinese characters and English words.

🔍 Morrison spent 16 years learning Chinese in secret before creating the dictionary, as teaching Chinese to foreigners was illegal in China at the time. 📚 Each copy of the dictionary cost about £15 when published (equivalent to roughly £1,500/$1,900 today), making it accessible only to wealthy scholars and institutions. 🖨️ The printing blocks for the dictionary were carved by Chinese craftsmen in Macau, with over 280,000 individual wooden blocks created for the project. 🌏 Morrison was not just a linguist but also the first Protestant missionary to China, translating the Bible into Chinese alongside his dictionary work. 🏛️ The East India Company, despite initial reluctance, ultimately funded the dictionary's publication after recognizing its potential value for trade relations with China.