A Manual of the Foochow Dialect In Twenty Lessons/Lesson VIII

by C. M. S. and A. E. Champness

LESSON VIII.

名 miàng

name

救 géu

to save

路 diô

road

姓 sáng

surname

下 â

below, down

帶 dái

to carry with one

擔 dăng

to carry on a pole

担 dáng

a load carried on shoulder

扛 gŏng

to carry between two

洗 sā̤

to wash

快 ká̤

quick

利 lê

sharp, as instruments

併 biáng

to throw away liquids

日 nĭk

day

月 nguŏk

moon, month

年 nièng

year

出 chók

to come out

早 cā

early

貴 gói

honourable, costly

貧 bìng

mean, poor

邁 mâi

to carry on the back

拖 tuă

to drag

拈 niĕng

to lift in the hand

落 lŏ̤h

downwards, at, upon

傾 kìng

to pour out (of a spout)

一担水 siŏh dáng cūi

a load of water

miêng-âu

when?

所 sū

that which, relative pronoun

剃頭 tié tàu

to shave the head

日頭 nĭk-tàu

the sun

貴姓 gói-séng

your honourable name

茶婆 dà-bò̤

teapot

今旦 gĭng-dáng

today

明旦 mìng-dáng

tomorrow

一冥 siŏh-màng

yesterday

só̤h-nĭk

day before yesterday

今年冥 gĭng-nièng-màng

this year

去年冥 kó̤-nièng-màng

last year

明年 màng-nièng

next year

倚靠 āi-kó̤

to trust

伊弟 ī-diê

youngster

毛拘 mŏ̤h-gṳ̆

don’t stand on ceremony

城外 siàng-ngiê

outside the city

生箬樣 săng-niŏh-iông  生乜式 săng-miéh-sék  將樣 ciŏng-iông

how? in what way

時候 sì-hâiu

time

1. It has already been shown in Lesson I. that nouns and pronouns in the possessive case acquire descriptive power, and act as adjectives. This is accomplished in the Foochow dialect by adding 其 gì to the noun or pronoun to form the possessive case. 其 Gì may therefore be called an adjectival particle. Verbs followed by gì acquire descriptive power, and sentences containing verbs followed by gì express in Chinese what is expressed in English by relative clauses. This descriptive power of 其 gì with verbs is helped by the use of the relative pronoun 所 sū before the verb. The things that he possesses, 伊所務其乇 ĭ sū ô gì nó̤h. These are the books that he bought, 嚽是伊所買其書 Cuòi sê ĭ sū mā̤ gì cṳ̆. Gì may also define or describe whatever refers to time. When he came, 伊來其時候 ĭ lì gì sì-hâiu. When he was here, 伊着只塊其時候 ĭ diŏh cŭ-cái gì sì-hâiu. Gì when used after verbs denoting certain actions, denotes the person doing these actions. It is frequently used t odescribe workmen, coolies, etc. A chair coolie, 扛轎其 gŏng-giêu gì. A barber, 剃頭其 tié-tàu gì.

2. 只邊 Cī-bĕng and 許邊 hṳ̄-bĕng with 只塊 cŭ-uái and 許塊 hŭ-uái are used as the equivalent of “in these parts”, “in those parts”. Have you horses in your part of the country? 汝許邊務馬吓毛 Nṳ̄ hṳ̄-bĕng ô mā â mò̤? We have donkeys but no horses, 奴許塊務驢毛馬 Nù hṳ̆-uái ô lè̤ mò̤ mā.

3. The words 落 lŏ̤h, 出 chók, 過 guó, are used with 去 kó̤ and 來 lì both as principal and auxiliary verbs. Come down, 落梨 lŏ̤h lì. Go down, 落去 lŏ̤h kó̤. Come out, 出來 chók lì. Go out, 出去 chók kó̤. Take these chairs and tables out, 將那椅棹都掏出去 Ciŏng hiā iē dó̤h dŭ dò̤ chók kó̤.

4. Great care should be taken in the use of the different verbs meaning “to carry”. 帶 Dái is used of light things, and taking persons with one. 掏 Dò̤ is used of heavier things. 担 Dăng of a load carried on a pole by one man. 扛 Gŏng of a load carried on a pole by two men or more. 邁 Mâi, to carry on the back. 拖 Tuă, to drag along. 拈 Niĕng, to lift in one hand. Bring that book over here, please, 起動汝拈許一本書來 Kī-daê̤ng nṳ̄ niĕng hṳ̄ siŏh buōng cṳ̆ lì. He took his son with him, 伊將伊其仔帶去 ĭ ciŏng ĭ gì giāng dái kó̤. Take away this teapot, 者茶婆掏去 Ciā dà-bò̤ dò̤ kó̤. Tell him to bring a load of water, 呌伊擔一担水來 Giéu ĭ dăng siŏh dáng cūi lì. Call two men to carry this table out, 呌二隻𠆧扛只一張棹出去 Giéu lâng ciáh nè̤ng gŏng cī siŏh tiŏng dó̤h chók kó̤.

5. No English word adequately conveys the force of, 生乜式 săng-miéh-sék and 將樣 ciŏng-iông. They answer to such expressions as “how about?” “how then?” If he takes no money, what will he do afterwards, 伊毛帶錢 以後將樣做呢 ĭ mò̤ dái ciēng, ī-hâiu ciŏng-iông có̤ nì?

6. Chinese politeness demands the use of the words, 貴 gói and 敝 bê, in asking and answering the question. What is your name? Your honourable name? 貴姓 Gói-séng? My unworthy name is Diong, 敝姓張 Bê-séng Diŏng. The following forms are used in asking one person the name of another one (when not in his presence), and in speaking of another person by his surname. What is the name of that gentleman? 許一隻先生姓世乇 Hṳ̄ siŏh-ciáh Sĭng-săng sáng sìe-nó̤h? That person is named Bieng, 許一隻姓卞 Hṳ̄ siŏh-ciáh sáng Biêng. What is the name of this gentleman? (asked in his presence) 只一位貴姓 Cī siŏh-ôi gói-séng?. It is well, however, for the student to know that in asking a child or uneducated person his name the following expression will be found more easily understood than the polite and elegant phrases given above. What is your name? 汝姓世乇 Nṳ̄ sáng sié-nó̤h?

7. The Chinese idiom for “how long ago?” is “early how long,” (years, months, days). How many years ago? 早幾年 Cā gūi nièng? Three years since, 早三年 Cā săng nièng.

8. 日 Nĭk and 年 nièng are repeated for “every day”, “every year”. He will come every day, 伊日日⿰亻鞋來 ĭ nĭk-nĭk â̤ lì. He goes back every year, 伊年年轉去 ĭ nièng-nièng diōng kó̤.

9. Apropos of politeness it is well to know the expression, 莫拘 mŏ̤h-gṳ̆ “don’t insist”, “don’t stand on ceremony!” The Chinese have very strict rules of etiquette with regard to the position of themselves and their guests, and if they are reluctant to take the seat offered, it may safely be assumed that they consisder it to be too exalted a place, and the expression mŏ̤h-gṳ̆ is then used.

N. B. It is always difficult in one’s dealings with the Chinese to impress upon them the fact that one is talking in their own tongue, and these little details of etiquette and politeness, if observed, help to bring the fact home to them. There is a tendency at the beginning of one’s missionary career to use a vocabulary that depends upon the knowledge of Christian phraseology alone for its elucidation, and which, while easily understood by such Church members, pastors, and servants who are constantly in the company of the newly arrived missionary, remains a foreign tongue to the average Chinaman.

EXERCISE VIII.

曝 puŏh

to dry in the sun

liàng

to dry in the air

起身 kī-sĭng

start

枹 pău

pumelo

涼 liòng

cool

生醭 săng pū

mildewed

退色 tó̤i saík

to fade as colours

客廳 káh-tiăng

reception room

刣 tài

to peel a pumelo; to kill

豫備 ê̤ṳ-bê

to prepare

透日 táu-nĭk

the whole day

免的 miēng-dék

lest

Translate into English:—

1. Cuòi sê diê-nè̤ng có̤ gì?
2. Màng-nièng săng-miéh-sék?
3. Dái lâng-tiŏng cāi lì.
4. Cĭ siŏh-dó̤i siŏh-tàu kák duâi; mâ̤-sāi-dék.
5. Ciā ĭ-siòng săng-pū; ô nĭk tàu gì sì-hâiu muōng dò̤ kó̤ puŏh.
6. È̤ng gì buó ng tĕ̤ng puŏh, diŏh liàng, miēng-dék è̤ng sáik tó̤i-kó̤.
7. Cī siŏh-ciáh niê-giāng mâ̤ giàng diô; kī-dâe̤ng nṳ̄ mâi ĭ kó̤.
8. Ciā siŏng siŏh-ciáh nè̤ng dăng mâ̤ kī.
9. Cī siŏh-bā dŏ̤ mâ̤ lê.
10. Ciā dà-bò̤ cêng gói.
11. Chāng diē-lì sô̤i; mŏ̤h gṳ̆.
12. Ĭ siŏh-nĭk â̤ dăng niŏh-uâi dáng gì cūi? Sĕk-lĕ̤k dáng.
13. Só̤h-nĭk nè̤ng-gă mā̤ siŏh-lăk gì pău. Nù-gáuk-nè̤ng dò̤ tài kó̤ siăh.
14. Nguŏk-siēu ô nê-sĕk-gāu nĭk. Nguŏk-duâi ô săng-sĕk nĭk.
15. Nè̤ng-gă mìng-dáng â-dáu săng-dēng-cṳ̆ng lŏ̤h sùng.

Translate into Chinese:—

1. He goes quickly.
2. These are the two large books that he bought.
3. Carry away these two boxes.
4. Tell the cook to make bread to-day, I must start tomorrow.
5. Where are you going? Round the district.
6. When will you return? In a few days.
7. You must wash those clothes to-day. Here is soap.
8. Please, teacher, come a little earlier tomorrow. I want to study three or four hymns.
9. I bought these things outside the city. Are they dear?
10. I will pour out the tea myself. When we have finished drinking tea, wash the tea-pot and bring it to me here.
11. Where are you going next year?
12. Last year I sold my horse and bought a donkey.
13. When did you arrive? Yesterday.
14. What is your honourable name? My unworthy name is Li.
15. You must buy mandarin oranges. The coolie oranges are too dear.