Selected Cantonese Publications by Western Missionaries in China (1828-1927)

I’m not a great one for missionaries bit their role in the formation of the early foreign press in Southern China is undeniable...This new book is a useful source and there’s an article on it here….

The Cantonese people have a tradition of incorporating spoken Cantonese into their literature, but what is less well known is that in the 19th century, Western missionaries compiled Cantonese dictionaries and textbooks in order to help missionaries to master the Cantonese language, and also translated Bibles, hymns, gospel novels, and wrote catechisms and Sunday school textbooks in Cantonese to help Cantonese people to understand Christianity. This book contains a selection of Cantonese works by missionaries during the period from 1828 to 1927, introducing the authors and their works as well as the linguistic features of Cantonese of the time. In the appendices, the total of 278 Cantonese works by missionaries were listed, which will give the reader an insight into their unique writings.