Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/ka

by Adele Marion Fielde

ka

• 剪ka978189
• To cut with shears.

ka pò;

cut cloth.

ka saⁿ-khò;

to cut out clothing,

cêk ki ka-to̤;

a pair of shears.

ka-to̤ kíaⁿ;

scissors.

ka sin ang-kíaⁿ;

cut out a paper doll.

ka hue;

to cut out flowers.

ka cío;

cut out figures of birds.

ka côi-côi;

cut them evenly.

i bô̤ mih ŏi sái ka-to̤;

she is not very handy with the shears.

• 膠ka36813011
• Glue; glutinous jelly; viscid; cohering.

gû phûe ka;

glue made from cowhide.

hṳ̂ ka;

glue made from fish.

kim-lêng ka;

glue made from the sea-bass.

a-ka;

a medical glue, made by boiling ass-skin seven days in the water of the glue well of Shantung.

ku ka, tek ka;

medical glues, made from tortoise shells and from deer's horns.

n̂g-mêng ka;

clarified glue.

ka-mī;

a cement used in joiner's work.

ún ka;

fasten with glue.

ka ún m̄ tùe;

the glue does not stick.

cía tîeh ēng sĭm-mih ka cìaⁿ hó̤ ún?

What sort of glue must be used in order to make this adhere?

îeⁿ ka;

to melt glue.

khô̤h ka;

prepare glue.

ka-liam;

sticky.

cn̂g kâi bô̤ ka-lîam;

wholly destitute of tenacity.

jû ka, sṳ̆ chak;

like glue and varnish; very adhesive.

pû kàu nĕ ka-ka;

cook it to a jelly.

ka chak siang tâu;

sticking like glue and varnish.

cí kâi ka hẃn chun cū lut khṳ̀;

this glue will not hold through a change of seasons.

• 背ka6691305

ka-ciah;

the back.

tùe i kâi ka-ciah ău;

followed on behind him.

ka-ciah kut;

the back bone.

tng mīn kāng i tàⁿ, màiⁿ phiah ka-ciah ău tàⁿ;

tell it to him to his face, and not tell it of him behind his back.

• 咳ka429306

ka-sàu;

to cough.

ka-sàu pēⁿ;

a cough.

ŏi ka-sàu;

coughs.

tī ka-sàu kâi îeh;

cough medicine.

ka-sàu khṳ̀ thíam căi;

coughs violently.

cá mêⁿ ka-sàu cêk mêⁿ;

coughed all last night.

ka-sàu khṳ̀ ŭ thâm a bô̤?

Do you raise phlegm when you cough?

• 屁股ka-chng681
• The rump.

phah ka-chng;

to spank.

• 鉸鉞ka-sut372
• A clamp; a staple.

ka-sut khak sòi, m̄-hó̤ só̤;

the staple is too small and it cannot be locked.

• 自已ka-kī1031
• Self.

úa ka-kī ŭ;

I myself have some.

lṳ́ ka-kī khṳ̀ khîeh;

go yourself and get it.

i ka-kī kio úa tàⁿ;

he told me so himself.

ka-kī o̤-ló̤ ka-kī;

praises himself.

ka-kī so̤h cò̤ hó̤;

he himself mistakenly supposed it was well.

ēng lṳ́ ka-kī kâi hó̤;

use your own.

i ka-kī m̄ cai sío-lí;

he is not ashamed of himself.

i sĭ ka-kī hāi ka-kī;

he injures himself.

• 狡蚤ka-cáu953
• A flea.

ka-cáu thìo cáu khṳ̀;

the flea jumped away.

hṳ́ tói ŭ kâi ka-cáu tŏ̤ kă kâi īeⁿ;

it seems as if there were a flea biting me.

ka-cáu bô̤ nŭaⁿ lîah m̄ tîeh;

without spittle fleas cannot be caught.

• 噴嚔ka-thì880
• A sneeze.

phah ka-thì;

to sneeze.

cêk lîen phah ku-ā kâi ka-thì;

sneezed several times in succession.

• 囫圇ka-n̂ng267
• The whole, entire, round, said of fruits and roundish objects.

ka-n̂ng kâi;

a whole one.

ka-n̂ng thun lô̤h khṳ̀, mín pō;

swallow it whole, and do not chew it.

khṳt i ún chò cū ka-n̂ng thun lô̤h khṳ̀;

he dipped it in vinegar and then swallowed it whole.

ka-n̂ng kò̤ khṳt i pû, màiⁿ côih;

boil it whole, do not slice it up.

ka-n̂ng kâi lâi kă cìaⁿ ŭ bī;

bite into a whole one and then it will show its flavour.

ka-n̂ng lîap lô̤h khṳ̀, màiⁿ peh chùi;

put it in whole, do not break it in pieces.

• 絞ká3691206
• To twist with a windlass; to turn, as by a windlass; to twist; to wrench.

ká i kín;

twist it tight.

cē ká khah tōa lâk cū tn̆g;

if you wrench it too forcibly, it will break.

i kâi so̤h ká lâi ío hó̤;

his ropes are well made.

saⁿ tîo ká cò̤ cêk tîo;

twist the three strands into one.

ká cìa; ká thn̂g;

to press the juice out of sugar cane.

chíu tùi i kâi piⁿ ká kín-kín;

took hold of his queue and wrenched it tight.

ká hŭam;

a criminal who is to be strangled.

ká cŭe;

an offense which merits strangling as a punishment.

• 找ká34644
• To look for; to seek.

múaⁿ-tī-kò̤ ká-chūe i;

sought him everywhere.

ká kàu ĕ-kùa cìaⁿ chūe tîeh;

looked for it until afternoon, and then found it.

ká thàng-jît, ká m̄ tîeh i kâi nâng;

searched for him throughout the day, but could not find him.

• 攪ká3716420
• To stir around with an implement.

hó̤ ká kàu câu-câu;

stir it till the ingredients are evenly mixed.

tîeh cang sĭm-mûeh lâi ká?

What shall I take to stir it with?

thn̂g tîeh ká i îeⁿ;

stir the sugar till it melts.

ká lông-lông cū chueh lô̤h khṳ̀;

stir it up so that the ingredients are evenly mixed, and then sup it down.

cang ki tṳ̄ ká thíam-thíam;

take a chopstick and stir it very hard.

• 校kà373756
• To revise; to try the accuracy of.

kháu-kà;

to adjust.

kòi-kà;

to revise.

kà cìaⁿ kùe kâi;

what has already been corrected.

khṳt nâng tit-cŏ̤ tîeh m̄ kio i kòi-kà;

when wronged he did not seek redress.

kà-ùe;

an officer of the city gates.

• 較kà3721596
• To measure strength; to compare; to try the worth of.

kà cún;

test the accuracy.

pí-kà;

to argue the point.

cí nŏ̤ nâng lâi pí-kà, sĭ cí kâi nâng jú kèng ŏi;

comparing the two persons, this one is the more able.

kà thóiⁿ cún a m̄ cún;

compare and see whether it agrees with the measure.

• 𬈯kà3728510
• A creek, canal, or small channel, servicable at high tides.

cía cûn ŏi jîp kà a bŏi?

Can this boat go into the creek?

kà tèng kâi cúi chíen, tîeh po̤h sòi cûn cìaⁿ ŏi tit jîp;

the water in the creek is shallow, and we must transfer our cargo to a small boat so that we can go in.

• 教kà372667
• To teach; to show how; tenets; a sect; a part.

kà-hùe;

to instruct.

kà-hùn;

to indoctrinate.

kà sī;

to enlighten; to show how.

kà ūe;

to instruct in a language.

kà cṳ;

to teach school.

kà sía jī;

to teach penmanship.

kà ūe mûeh;

teach drawing.

kà bú;

teach military tactics.

kà keng-cìⁿ;

teach archery.

kà khûn;

teachboxing.

kà ke-húe;

teach fencing.

kà lô̤ kó;

teach drumming.

kà khek;

teach the singing of ballads.

kà hîⁿ kŭ;

teach how to play on stringed instruments.

kà hì;

teach how to perform in a theatre.

i kâi kà lâi m̄ sĭen huap;

this is not taught in the best way.

kà tŏ̤-lí;

instruct in doctrine.

cang pn̄g chī tōa, cang chûe kà gâu;

make him grow by feeding him with rice, and make him wise by using the ferule on him.

lṳ́ kaî tōa mîaⁿ úa būe cêng chíaⁿ kà;

I have not yet asked your name.

ôiⁿ sî lâi cí kà cē;

when you have leisure comehere and discourse.

i kà nâng tăi-khài sĭ kà nâng cò̤-nî?

In a general way, what is it that he teaches people to believe in?

hût kà; sek kà;

Buddhism.

tău kà;

Taouism.

hûe-hûe kà;

Mohammedanism.

jû kà

Confucianism.

thien-cú kà;

Roman Catholicism.

īa-so kà;

Protestant Christianity.

thŵn kà kâi sin-seⁿ;

teacher who promulgates doctrines.

cía sĭ kà-íu hùe;

this is one of their disciples.

cía cêk ūi sĭ kà-sṳ;

this is a learned teacher in that religion.

hṳ́ cêk ūi sĭ gūa kok kâi kà-sṳ̆;

that is a foreign missionary.

kà cṳ kâi cṳ-ce;

a schoolroom.

tôk chut kà gūa;

to expel from a sect or party.

cí kâi sĭ sin lâi jîp kà kâi;

this is one who has lately entered the sect.

kà-hŭe ŭ jîeh cōi kâi?

How many separate organizations are there of that sect?

kà-tn̂g;

a chapel.

kà lăi ŭ jîeh cōi nâng?

How many members are there in the sect?

cía sĭ cìaⁿ kà m̄ sĭ sîa kà;

this is moral, not immoral teaching.

to sĭ aìⁿ kà nâng hó̤, bô̤ kà nàng m̄-hó̤;

its aim is to teach people to do well, not to teach them to do evil.

i kà cêk kùe cū pat, chong-men̂g căi;

if he is once shown how he knows, he is very intelligent.

cí kâi jw̆n kà, kà m̄ pat, sĭm sĭ lú-tŭn;

this one, however much you teach him, does not learn, he is exceedingly stupid.

úa sĭ kà lṳ́, m̄ sĭ mēⁿ lṳ́, lṳ́ màiⁿ khì;

I am teaching you, not scolding you, so do not be displeased.

ŭ jîeh cōi kà-mn̂g?

How many adherents have they?

tī-tîang tó̤ cú cí kâi kà?

Who is the head man of this sect?

chíaⁿ i lâi kà cṳ-īⁿ;

invite him to come and teach in the college.

cí kâi sai-kíaⁿ kà chut lâi ciang-lâi ŭ mîaⁿ-sek;

this apprentice will make a reputation for himself when he shall have been through his course of instruction.

• 咬kă1077806
• To bite; to gnaw.

kă cêk chùi;

bite off a mouthful.

cí cîah káu ŏi kă nâng a bŏi?

Is this dog apt to bite?

màiⁿ khṳt i kă tiêh;

don't let him bite you.

khak tōiⁿ, kă m̄ lô̤h;

it is so hard I can't bite into it.

khah jūu, kă m̄tn̆g;

it is so tough that I cannot bite it in two.

kă cò̤ nŏ̤ kò̤;

bite it apart.

i kâi khí kă kín-kín, tîeh kĭo khui;

his teeth are clenched, and we must pry them apart.

kă-gê chiet-chí;

gnash the teeth.

tng kuaⁿ mīn côiⁿ khṳ̀ kă i;

right there before the face of the magistrate, wrongly involved him in the crime.