''Mashi Wentong'' (, English: ''Ma's Grammar'') is the first

grammar In linguistics, grammar is the set of rules for how a natural language is structured, as demonstrated by its speakers or writers. Grammar rules may concern the use of clauses, phrases, and words. The term may also refer to the study of such rul ...

of the

Chinese language Chinese ( or ) is a group of languages spoken natively by the ethnic Han Chinese majority and List of ethnic groups in China, many minority ethnic groups in China, as well as by various communities of the Chinese diaspora. Approximately 1.39& ...

written by a Chinese scholar,

Ma Jianzhong Ma Jianzhong (; 1845 – 1900), courtesy name Meishu (), also known as Ma Kié-Tchong in French, was a Chinese official and scholar in the late Qing dynasty. Ma was born in Dantu District, Dantu (), Jiangsu province to a prominent Catholic Churc ...

, who published it in 1898. Although the "germination of modern linguistics in China" is attributed to this book, ''Mashi Wentong'' was criticized by critics such as Chen Chengze and

Li Jinxi Li Jinxi (; February 2, 1890 – March 27, 1978) was a Chinese linguist and educator. In 1911, he graduated from the Hunan Teachers College. He participated in the China Alliance Committee in his early years and launched the Jiusan Society in 194 ...

as imitating Western grammar and imposing the Western grammatical tradition on Chinese.Pan and Tham. (2007:page101). ''Contrastive Linguistics: History, Philosophy and Methodology''. London: Continuum. .

References

{{reflist 1898 non-fiction books Chinese grammar