In the past, Chinese scholars invented a means by which words could be classed according to their rhyme (rime) and tone. This created a table of characters, just over 100 in all, in which the four basic tones are represented. These are traditionally called in Mandarin the Ping (pin2 - level), Shang (song1 - rising), Qu (hi4 - going) and Ru (ngip6 - entering) tones respectively. In some cases, there was a distinction that could be made in the Ping tones into high and low registers, but they are no longer borne out in modern dialects. All the original sounds have shifted away from the older forms, and this leaves us with the problem with how to distinguish the rhyme and tones in a proper way.
I have therefore arrived at a list of some 153 characters plus an extra three to account for the ng/m rhyme, listed according to their rhyme both alphabetically, and by closest rhyme. All six modern Hakka tones are here represented by one character with its associated rhyme.
Traditional rhyming dictionaries such as the QieYun of 601 AD built upon previous works. Its original rhymes may have encompassed a general state of common rhymes throughout Chinese at its conception. Today however, the rhymes are unsatisfactory for expressing all the rhymes in Hakka. Below, it is proposed that this should be a subset of a wider Hakka rhyme list, set out according to the tones of Modern Hakka at the latter quarter of the Twentieth Century. This is essentially based on the the Shataukok Hakka dialect, but there are characters here which are missing because no suitable rhyme could be found in character form for them, or that they simply do not exist at all in the spoken dialect and here represented by an asterix. Where there is a character with an asterix beside it on the right, the author has taken this from Lau's input so that it can fill the slot otherwise left blank, and so is outside his experience of that particular character.
20 Initials =========== Bad Puppy Man Handle Fun Vole Daft b.. p.... m.. h..... f.. v... d... sTDuff Nice Lounge Green Kite Zorro youNGer td.... n... l..... g.... k... z.... ng..... Song SHeet Job biTS Top CHance s... sh... j.. ts.. t.. ch.... b, ch, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, ng, p, s, sh, t, td, ts, v, z 153 Basic Rimes ================ 1 2 3 4 -a 馬m 牙ng 打d 射s 1 -ai 街g 鞋h 矮. 拜b 2 -am 三s 南n 減g 犯f 3 -an 滿m 難n 揀g 半b 4 -ang 釘d 零l 蜢m 硬ng 5 -au 毛m 桃td 好h 到d 6 -e 啤b 柿s 洗s 計g 7 -em 參s 蟾ng 捂. 鴆ts 8 -en 煙z 前t 很h 面m 9 -i 機g 遲t 李l 四s 10 -ia 啤b 斜ch 姐j 借j 11 -iam 簽ch 鐮l 險h 暫ch 12 -iang 驚g 名m 餅b 姓s 13 -iau 錶b 苗m 曉h 貓m 14 -im 心s 琴k 枕ts 禁g 15 -in 新s 人ng 緊g 信s 16 -io 蹻k 茄k 揉ng 嗉s 17 -ioi * * * 癐k 18 -ion 軟ng 攣l 吮ch 旋ch 19 -iong 薑g 涼l 鏹k 向h 20 -iu 秋ch 流l 口h 夠g 21 -iun 軍g 群k 謹g 近k 22 -iung 宮g 龍l 鞏g 供k 23 -o 歌g 河h 鎖s 貨f 24 -oi 霉m 來l 彩t 嘴ts 25 -on 乾g 船s 館g 汗h 26 -ong 光g 忙m 綁b 放f 27 -un 孫s 論l 本b 問m 28 -u 租ts 爐l 手s 數s 29 -ui 杯b 雷l 水s 醉ts 30 -ung 東d 蟲t 孔k 送s 31 m 唔 魚 五 * 0b 5 6 -ak 百b 石s 1 -ap 甲g 合h 2 -at 殺s 辣l 3 -ep 澀s 浙ts 4 -et 血h 舌s 5 -iak 鵲s 叻l 6 -iap 接j 協h 7 -iok 腳g 弱ng 8 -iot 啜j 虐ng 9 -ip 濕s 十s 10 -it 識s 食s 11 -iuk 曲k 局k 12 -ok 角g 落l 13 -ot 割g 捋l 14 -uk 竹ts 讀td 15 -ut 出t 術s 16 ===================================== 1 2 3 4 -a 馬 牙 打 射 -ia 啤 斜 姐 借 -ai 街 鞋 矮 拜 -am 三 南 減 犯 -iam 簽 鐮 險 暫 -an 滿 難 揀 半 -ang 釘 零 蜢 硬 -iang 驚 名 餅 姓 -au 毛 桃 好 到 -iau 錶 苗 曉 貓 -e 啤 柿 洗 計 -em 參 蟾 捂 鴆 -en 煙 前 很 面 -i 機 遲 李 四 -im 心 琴 枕 禁 -in 新 人 緊 信 -io 蹻 茄 揉 嗉 -o 歌 河 鎖 貨 -ioi * * * 癐 -oi 霉 來 彩 嘴 -ion 軟 攣 吮 旋 -on 乾 船 館 汗 -iong 薑 涼 鏹 向 -ong 光 忙 綁 放 -iu 秋 流 口 夠 -iun 軍 群 謹 近 -un 孫 論 本 問 -iung 宮 龍 鞏 供 -ung 東 蟲 孔 送 -u 租 爐 手 數 -ui 杯 雷 水 醉 5 6 -ak 百 石 -iak 鵲 叻 -ap 甲 合 -iap 接 協 -at 殺 辣 -ep 澀 浙 -et 血 舌 -iok 腳 弱 -ok 角 落 -iot 啜 虐 -ot 割 捋 -iuk 曲 局 -uk 竹 讀 -ip 濕 十 -it 識 食 -ut 出 術