Ernst Johann Eitel
Encyclopedia
Ernst Johann Eitel or alternatively Ernest John Eitel (13 February 1838-1908) was a German Protestant missionary to China
born in Württemberg
, Germany
.
as pastor. Adopting a Chinese name (歐德理), he later came to Lilang, Xin'an
district in Canton, China
under the Basel Mission
. In April 1865 he transferred to the London Missionary Society
at Guangzhou
to take in charge of the Boluo Mission and the Hakka
villages outside Guangzhou. In January 1870 he moved to Hong Kong
while still having charge of the Boluo Mission. In 1875 he became Director of Chinese Studies. In April 1879 he resigned from the London Missionary Society.
He then became Inspector of Schools in Hong Kong and later Chinese Secretary to Sir John Pope Hennessy
. In 1866 he married Mary Anne Winifred Eaton of the Female Education Society. He died in Adelaide
, Australia
, in 1908.
, expanding with the work of James Legge
and Kangxi Dictionary
. His publication was intended to standardize the pronunciation of Cantonese.
His work was criticised by Wong Shik Ling
in the book A Chinese Syllabary Pronounced according to the Dialect of Canton
that it inherited the inaccuracy from former works.
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
born in Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Missionary career
He served in Evangelical-Lutheran Church in WürttembergEvangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg
The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Württemberg is a Protestant church in the German former state of Württemberg, now the part of the state Baden-Württemberg. The seat of the church is in Stuttgart.It is a full member of the Evangelical Church in Germany , and is a Lutheran Church...
as pastor. Adopting a Chinese name (歐德理), he later came to Lilang, Xin'an
Xin'an County (Bao'an)
Bao'an County , formerly named Xin'an County is a historical region of South China. It is the predecessor of the modern city of Shenzhen and the territory of Hong Kong....
district in Canton, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
under the Basel Mission
Basel Mission
The Basel Mission is a Christian missionary society active from 1815 to 2001, when it was merged into Mission 21, the successor organization of Kooperation Evangelischer Kirchen und Missione founded in 2001....
. In April 1865 he transferred to the London Missionary Society
London Missionary Society
The London Missionary Society was a non-denominational missionary society formed in England in 1795 by evangelical Anglicans and Nonconformists, largely Congregationalist in outlook, with missions in the islands of the South Pacific and Africa...
at Guangzhou
Guangzhou
Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...
to take in charge of the Boluo Mission and the Hakka
Hakka people
The Hakka , sometimes Hakka Han, are Han Chinese who speak the Hakka language and have links to the provincial areas of Guangdong, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan and Fujian in China....
villages outside Guangzhou. In January 1870 he moved to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
while still having charge of the Boluo Mission. In 1875 he became Director of Chinese Studies. In April 1879 he resigned from the London Missionary Society.
He then became Inspector of Schools in Hong Kong and later Chinese Secretary to Sir John Pope Hennessy
John Pope Hennessy
Sir John Pope Hennessy, KCMG , was an Irish and British politician and colonial administrator who served as the eighth Governor of Hong Kong.-Early life:...
. In 1866 he married Mary Anne Winifred Eaton of the Female Education Society. He died in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, in 1908.
A Cantonese Dictionary
Eitel has published its Cantonese dictionary, Chinese Dictionary in the Cantonese Dialect in 1877. It is based on a Cantonese glossary dictionary Tonic Dictionary of the Chinese Language in the Canton Dialect written in 1856 by Samuel Wells WilliamsSamuel Wells Williams
Samuel Wells Williams was a linguist, missionary and Sinologist from the United States in the early 19th century.-Biography:...
, expanding with the work of James Legge
James Legge
James Legge was a noted Scottish sinologist, a Scottish Congregationalist, representative of the London Missionary Society in Malacca and Hong Kong , and first professor of Chinese at Oxford University...
and Kangxi Dictionary
Kangxi dictionary
The Kangxi Dictionary was the standard Chinese dictionary during the 18th and 19th centuries. The Kangxi Emperor of the Manchu Qing Dynasty ordered its compilation in 1710. The creator innovated greatly by reusing and confirming the new Zihui system of 596 radicals, since then known as 596 Kangxi...
. His publication was intended to standardize the pronunciation of Cantonese.
His work was criticised by Wong Shik Ling
Wong Shik Ling
Wong Shik Ling was a prominent scholar in Cantonese research. He is famous for his authoritative book, A Chinese Syllabary Pronounced According to the Dialect of Canton , which is influential in Cantonese research.He graduated from Lingnan University, Guangzhou and then taught and researched...
in the book A Chinese Syllabary Pronounced according to the Dialect of Canton
A Chinese Syllabary Pronounced According to the Dialect of Canton
A Chinese Syllabary Pronounced According to the Dialect of Canton is a book written by Wong Shik Ling within a few years before being published in Hong Kong, 1941. It is one of the most influential books on the research of Cantonese pronunciation...
that it inherited the inaccuracy from former works.
Publications
- The central school : can it justify its raison d'etre? (1877)
- Buddhism : its historical, theoretical and popular aspects (1873)
- Chinese School-Books (1893)
- Europe In China : The History Of Hong Kong From The Beginning To The Year 1882 (1895)