A History of the Romanisation Interdialectique Transcription System for Chinese, 1931–1952 / Mårten Söderblom Saarela

Half Title -- Series Information -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Conventions -- Figures -- Introduction -- Chapter 1 R.I. in the Context of Chinese Language Reform -- 1 French Spelling as a Model for R.I. -- 2 Earlier Catholic Romanizations of Chinese -- 3 Chinese Lexicography and Historical Linguistics Provide Data and an Epistemology -- Chapter 2 Origins and Early History of R.I. -- 1 R.I. Tested with a New Dialect -- 2 Promotion of R.I. until the Outbreak of the Pacific War -- Chapter 3 Reception of R.I. -- 1 Reception, Part 1: Wang Li
2 Reception, Part 2: Willem Grootaers -- 3 Reactions to Grootaers's Criticism of R.I. -- Chapter 4 Plans for a Better R.I. in Times of War and Revolution -- 1 From Manchuria to Davao to Quebec -- 2 Jasmin's "Super R.I.", a Casualty of War -- 3 Lamasse's New R.I. Lexicon as an Alphabetic Mirror of Chinese Characters -- 4 Rutten's Attempts to Bring R.I. to the Chinese Masses -- Chapter 5 Epilogue -- Bibliography -- Index

A study of how the science of diachronic linguistics merged with the will to reform language in the Catholic missionary milieu of Republican China.In focus is a romanization of the Chinese language that was proposed in 1931 by two missionaries in Manchuria.