Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/cuaⁿ

by Adele Marion Fielde

cuaⁿ

• 揸cuaⁿ3649
• To clutch; to grasp; to hold fast.

cuaⁿ kín i kâi sim-kuaⁿ-thâu;

held him fast, clutching his chest.

chíu cuaⁿ i kâi piⁿ;

grasped his queue.

bô̤ cuaⁿ ná;

there is nothing to hold on by.

cí-kò̤ bô̤ cuaⁿ, li chūe hṳ́-kò̤ lâi cuaⁿ;

if you cannot get a hold in one place, seek another.

cìeⁿ-seⁿ bô̤ cuaⁿ bô̤ ná, kang-khó căi;

it is very hard since there is nothing to get hold on.

hṳ́-kò̤ ŭ thang hó̤ cuaⁿ cîah;

a living may be gotten there.

pat cuaⁿ kùe ìn-pé mē?

Has he taken over the official authority yet?

cuaⁿ cò̤ cêk pé;

take up in one handfull.

cuaⁿ chiam;

take a rod from among the divining rods.

cuaⁿ tîeh;

grabbed it.

cuaⁿ m̄ tîeh;

could not clutch it.

cuaⁿ tîeh cêk ki hó̤ chiam;

drew a lucky number.

lṳ́ cuaⁿ tîeh tī-kò̤ kâi chiam?

To what place does the lot which you drew assign you?

cêk nâng cuaⁿ tîeh kńg-tang, cêk nâng cuaⁿ tîeh hok-kìen;

one drew the lot which assigned him to Canton and the other the lot for Foochow.

• 盞cúaⁿ121088
• A shallow cup.

teng cúaⁿ;

the oil cup of a lamp.

mâk-ciu tōa kùe siah cúaⁿ;

eyes bigger than saucers.

tâng teng-cúaⁿ, po̤-lî cúaⁿ;

brass or glass oil-cups.

• 些cùaⁿ79675
• These; several in a body; a sign of the plural.

cí cùaⁿ nâng;

all these persons.

cí cùaⁿ kâi sṳ̄ sĭ síe-khó̤ kâi sṳ̄;

all these are very trifling affairs.

cí cùaⁿ kâi mûeh li pun lṳ́, hṳ́ hùaⁿ kâi mûeh li àiⁿ pun i;

these things are given to you and those are to be given to him.

• 泉cûaⁿ1013855
• A fountain; a spring.

céⁿ cûaⁿ;

a well spring.

cúi cûaⁿ;

a spring of water.

cûaⁿ-cúiⁿ hó̤;

spring water is best.

cang cúi-cûaⁿ kek cò̤ hue-bâk;

make a fountain take the form of a shrub.

• 賤cūaⁿ9791548
• Low; base; ignoble.

hĭa-cūaⁿ;

of mean birth.

ka-kī cṳ̆ cò̤ cūaⁿ;

debase one's self.

cūaⁿ-kut-thâu;

a low fellow.

khin-cūaⁿ;

to depreciate.

phîn cūaⁿ;

poor and mean.