The main stages of the study of parts of the speech of the Chinese language in Western linguistics

The article provides a brief overview of the development of the Chinese grammar study by scholars in Europe and the United States from the moment the first descriptions appeared in the 17th century to the publication of studies at the present time. The purpose of this article is to describe the main stages in the study of Chinese parts of speech (word classes) in the works of linguists for the time of the existence of Western Sinology. The publication of the “Basic principles for writing clearly and coherently by Mister Ma” (“Ma shi wen tong”) by Chinese linguist Ma Jianzhong is regarded as a point, which divided European and American history of Chinese grammar study in general and parts of speech in particular into two periods: the period of “independent” description and the period of research in-parallel or together with native speakers.