William Ashmore

“ There is a great disposition to drop parts of well known sentences and to make the remaining parts do duty for the whole. Sometimes the middle part is left out and the two ends are fused together into a new compendious expression which is current coin in every day speech. ”

“ Why so? chí kâi sĩ-sĩ mih-mue̍h? contracted to„ chiá sīm-mue̍h, what thing is this? chò-nî õi-tit? contracted to„ chãi-tit, how can it be? chò-nî sen-iēn? contracted to„ chãi-sen, what manner or fashion? chí-chièn-nâng, contracted to„ chièn-nâng, these men. hṳ́-hièn-nâng, contracted to„ hièn-nâng, those men. chha-m̄-to, contracted to„ chham-to, differing not much. tóu khùn-chãi, contracted to„ khùn-chãi, very hungry. chhông-kóu chì-kàu tan lâi, contracted to„ chhông-lâi, from of old down to the present. lṳ́ chò-nî-tàn? contracted to„ chò-nî-tàn, what do you say? chò-n tàn, lṳ́ tõ chò-mih-sṳ̄? ”