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
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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
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1 2 3 4
-a ��m ��ng ��d �gs 1
-ai ��g �ch �G. ��b 2
-am �Ts �nn ��g ��f 3
-an ��m ��n �zg �bb 4
-ang �vd �sl �gm �wng 5
-au ��m ��td �nh ��d 6
-e ��b �Us �~s �pg 7
-em ��s ��ng ��. �}ts 8
-en ��z �et ��h ��m 9
-i ��g ��t ��l �|s 10
-ia ��b ��ch �jj ��j 11
-iam ñch �Il �Ih ��ch 12
-iang ��g �Wm ��b �ms 13
-iau ��b �]m ��h ��m 14
-im ��s �^k �Ets �Tg 15
-in �ss �Hng ��g �Hs 16
-io �Tk �Xk �|ng ��s 17
-ioi * * * �Mk 18
-ion �nng ��l �mch ��ch 19
-iong ��g �Dl �fk �Vh 20
-iu ��ch �yl �fh ��g 21
-iun �xg �sk ��g ��k 22
-iung �cg �sl �dg ��k 23
-o �qg �eh ��s �ff 24
-oi �`m ��l �mt �Lts 25
-on ��g ��s �]g ��h 26
-ong ��g ��m �jb ��f 27
-un �]s ��l ��b ��m 28
-u ��ts �ll ��s ��s 29
-ui �Mb �pl ��s �Kts 30
-ung �Fd ��t ��k �es 31
m �� �� �� * 0b
5 6
-ak ��b ��s 1
-ap ��g �Xh 2
-at ��s ��l 3
-ep ��s ��ts 4
-et ��h ��s 5
-iak �Ns �{l 6
-iap ��j ��h 7
-iok �}g �zng 8
-iot ��j �hng 9
-ip ��s �Qs 10
-it ��s ��s 11
-iuk ��k ��k 12
-ok ��g ��l 13
-ot ��g ѻl 14
-uk ��ts Ūtd 15
-ut �Xt �Ns 16
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1 2 3 4
-a �� �� �� �g
-ia �� �� �j ��
-ai �� �c �G ��
-am �T �n �� ��
-iam ñ �I �I ��
-an �� �� �z �b
-ang �v �s �g �w
-iang �� �W �� �m
-au �� �� �n ��
-iau �� �] �� ��
-e �� �U �~ �p
-em �� �� �� �}
-en �� �e �� ��
-i �� �� �� �|
-im �� �^ �E �T
-in �s �H �� �H
-io �T �X �| ��
-o �q �e �� �f
-ioi * * * �M
-oi �` �� �m �L
-ion �n �� �m ��
-on �� �� �] ��
-iong �� �D �f �V
-ong �� �� �j ��
-iu �� �y �f ��
-iun �x �s �� ��
-un �] �� �� ��
-iung �c �s �d ��
-ung �F �� �� �e
-u �� �l �� ��
-ui �M �p �� �K
5 6
-ak �� ��
-iak �N �{
-ap �� �X
-iap �� ��
-at �� ��
-ep �� ��
-et �� ��
-iok �} �z
-ok �� ��
-iot �� �h
-ot �� ѻ
-iuk �� ��
-uk �� Ū
-ip �� �Q
-it �� ��
-ut �X �N