Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/bi

by Adele Marion Fielde

bi

• 米bí5901190
• Rice, hulled but not cooked;

small grains.

pêh bí;

clean hulled rice.

chò̤ bí;

imperfectly hulled rice.

cût bí;

glutinous rice.

ciam bí;

water grown rice.

hêⁿ bí;

dried prawns.

sîeⁿ cîah kâi sĭ ciam bí;

water grown rice is the kind that is commonly eaten.

tê-bí;

dry tea leaves.

oi bí;

to hull rice.

ceng bí;

to pound rice.

nîe bí;

to measure rice.

tîah bí;

to buy rice.

pùa bí;

to winnow rice.

bí būe oi, kìe-cò̤ chek;

rice that has not been passed through the hulling mill is called paddy.

bí cṳ̂ lío, bô̤ ám kâi kìe cò̤ pn̄g, ŭ ám kâi kìe cò̤ mûeⁿ;

cooked rice having no porridge with it is called boiled rice, while that having porridge with it is called congee.

bí hún;

rice flour.

bí ceng hu kìe-cò̤ chòi;

when rice is finely pulverized it is called rice-flour.

bí-chòi;

coarse rice flour.

bí hún kuaⁿ;

vermicelli made from rice flour.

cût bí cî;

large cakes made from glutinous rice.

cût-bí îⁿ; ciam-bí îⁿ;

pellets of boiled paste, made from rice flour.

• 低bî87795
• The position of a steelyard-bar, when the body weighed is a very little lighter than what is indicated by the notch at which the steelyard weight balances it.

téng tîeh ío bî;

rather light weight.

bŏi khio bî, pêⁿ chìn kùe;

the beam tilts neither the one way nor the other, but stands level, and thus weighed I hand it over to you.

lîah pêⁿ-pêⁿ īeⁿ, màiⁿ lîah khio bî;

treat them just alike, showing no more respect to the one than to the other.

• 㖐bĭ1051807
• The sound made in calling ducks—bĭ bĭ bĭ bĭ.

ah-bĭ;

a toy duck.

• 泳bī1149855
• To dive; to swim under water.

bī cúi;

to dive into the water.

bī kùe khoi;

swim across the river under water.

bī mûeh-kĭaⁿ;

to dive and bring up things.

bī cúi kâi nâng;

divers.

bī tîeh cêk peh ngṳ̂n;

dived and brought up a hundred dollars.

ŏi sîu ŏi bī;

can swim both above and below the surface.

cêk kâi khùi, bī jîeh kú?

How long can one stay under water with but one inspiration of breath?

• 未bī1052751
• The eighth in the cycle of twelve, symbolized by the goat.

bī sî;

from 1 to 3 o'clock P.M.

bī gûeh;

the 6th month.

bī nî;

the year of the goat.

bī nî chut sì kìe-cò̤ sìeⁿ îeⁿ;

one born in the year of the goat is called a goat.

• 味bī1053305
• To relish; to take pleasure in; a dainty; taste, flavor, seasoning, relish.

ngŏ-bī-kè;

a cruet-stand.

ngŏ-bī cí;

the seed of the Kadsura Chinensis^*, in which the five tastes are supposed to reside: it is used in medicine.

kîam, sng, tîam, hiam, khó, cĭu sĭ ngŏ bī;

salt, sour, sweet, pungent, and bitter, are the five tastes.

bô̤ bī bô̤ sò;

insipid.

hó̤ bī-sò;

delicious.

hó̤ cṳ bī;

very toothsome.

sit bī;

lose flavor.

cáu bī;

its flavor has departed.

ía bī;

a gamey flavor; delicacies of the forest.

suaⁿ tien hái bī;

delicacies from land and sea.

hâh bī, m̄ hâh bī;

palatable, or unpalatable.

bī hó̤;

it tastes good.

khì-bī;

the savor.

bô̤ mih bī;

rather insipid.

chàu ip bī;

a close smell; musty.

khî bī;

luscious.

ko̤h bī;

changed its flavor.

lṳ́ phīⁿ tîeh sĭm-mih bī;

you smell and see whether it is good.

chàu kâi bī, phang kâi bī;

a bad smell or a good smell.

koiⁿ bī cē;

season it a little more.

tîeh ŭ cí īeⁿ lô̤h khṳ̀ ah bī;

you must add this, to make the taste just right.

cìeⁿ-seⁿ ío ŭ bī;

thus it is more relishable.

bô̤ bī;

insipid; it does not affect me particularly.

cí kâi nâng bô̤ nâng bī;

this fellow is not human.

bô̤ cṳ bī;

no taste for the beauties of books.

sît-căi ŭ hiaⁿ-tĭ bī;

has truly a fraternal disposition.

chŵn bô̤ ang-cía bī;

wholly destitute of conjugal tastes.

sin bī;

the first of the season.

lău bī;

old fruits.

múi bī;

well-flavored.

chù-bī;

pretty, amusing, interesting.