Mashi Wentong (Chinese: 馬氏文通; pinyin: Mǎshì Wéntōng, English: Ma's Grammar) is the first grammar of the Chinese language written by a Chinese scholar, Ma Jianzhong, who published it in 1898.[1][2] Although the "germination of modern linguistics in China"[3] is attributed to this book, Mashi Wentong was criticized by critics such as Chen Chengze[4] and Li Jinxi[5] as imitating Western grammar and imposing the Western grammatical tradition on Chinese.[6]

References

  1. ^ Pan, Wenguo & Tham, Wai Mun. (2007:page83). Contrastive Linguistics: History, Philosophy and Methodology. London: Continuum. ISBN 0-8264-8634-7.
  2. ^ Victor H. Mair (1997), "Ma Jianzhong and the Invention of Chinese Grammar", in Chaofen Sun, ed., Studies on the History of Chinese Syntax. Monograph Series Number 10 of Journal of Chinese Linguistics, 5-26.
  3. ^ Pan, Wenguo & Tham, Wai Mun. (2007:page4). Contrastive Linguistics: History, Philosophy and Methodology. London: Continuum. ISBN 0-8264-8634-7.
  4. ^ Chen, Chengze. (1922:page11) Guowenfa Caochuang (A Preliminary Grammar of Chinese), reprinted in 1982, Beijing: Commercial Press.
  5. ^ Li, Jinxi. (1933:page13) Bijiao Wenfa (Comparative Grammar), revised in 1973, reprinted in 1986, Beijing: Zhonghua Shuju.
  6. ^ Pan and Tham. (2007:page101). Contrastive Linguistics: History, Philosophy and Methodology. London: Continuum. ISBN 0-8264-8634-7.
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