Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/kang

by Adele Marion Fielde

kang

• 艱kang38213811
• Toilsome; difficult; hard ship.

kang-khó;

distressing.

ǒi kang-khó a bǒi?

Is it difficult to do?

bǒi kang bǒi khó;

not toilsome.

sǐm sĭ kang-lâng;

is very wearisome.

cìeⁿ-seⁿ kang-kang khó-khó, hìeⁿ-seⁿ cìaⁿ kōi;

that is a very troublesome way of doing it, the other way would be easier.

kang-siap;

bitter; wretched.

tîeh ǒi kang-lâng khak-khó cìaⁿ ǒi tit hó̤;

if you can persevere against difficulties all will be well.

kang-khó co̤h, khùaⁿ-ûah cîah;

work hard and eat in comfort.

cía kang-khó tàⁿ;

this is hard to say.

i sĭ teng kang tńg khṳ̀ chù;

he went home on account of domestic sorrow.

i sĭ teng pě-kang a sĭ teng bó̤-kang?

Is he in mourning for his father or his mother?

• 綱kang3191208
• The large rope which binds a net; a restraining bond; a great principle.

kang-mâk;

a general outline.

kang-kàm;

annals.

kang nía;

the leading points.

sam kang, ngŏ sîang;

the three duties and the five relationships.

cò̤ mih sṳ̂ tîeh ŭ kang sîang;

in whatever one does the obligations of morality must be remembered.

• 工kang460480
• Work; labor; workmen; the day's work.

kang-jîn;

workmen.

bâk kang;

carpentery.

cîeh kang;

stone-cutting.

tōa kang;

the work of a master hand.

sòi kang;

the work of untrained laborers.

ēng nâng tò̤ tok kang;

some one must superintend the work.

i sĭ siu kang-thâu;

he is the one who bosses the job, or makes the contracts for the work.

siu kang-hu lâi cò̤;

take in work to do.

i tó̤ cò̤ kang-hu;

he is at work.

cò̤ kang-hu kang-hu;

do it in a workmanlike manner.

kang pŏ;

Board of Works.

kang pâng;

department of works, in a yamun.

hue-kang;

mason work.

kang-chīeⁿ;

an artizan.

cêng tŏng kang a būe? Is the work begun yet?

tiang-sî heng kang? When is the work to begin?

kim jît cìaⁿ khui kang;

they have just begun the work to-day.

ke kâi gûeh cū cùn kang;

in another month the work will be finished.

chìaⁿ sai-pĕ cîah ŵn kang cíu;

invite the master-workmen to drink wine on the completion of the work.

khí kang tiang-sî īa chíaⁿ i;

at the commencement of the work they also receive an invitation to supper.

cí kĭaⁿ sṳ̄ sĭm sĭ hùi kang;

this has been a piece of work costing a deal of labor.

i sĭ phah kang kâi nâng;

he is a laboring man.

cêk kâi kang jîeh cōi cîⁿ? What are the wages for a day's work?

tîeh ŭ kúi kâi kang; it is a work of several days.

kang cîⁿ;

wages.

cò̤ mêⁿ kang;

do night work.

sĭ lŭn kang a sĭ lŭn gûeh?

Is the work done by the day or by the month?

kang kò;

hired help.

kò kang lâi co̤h;

hire workmen to come and do it.

khá kang;

skilled labor.

cò̤ kang-hu nâng;

a working man.

kang jī chut thâu, bûa cîaⁿ lău kâu;

when a working man makes himself conspicuous, he gets ground down into the semblance of an old ape.

bô̤ sĭm-mih kang-hu;

it is not very well put together.

i kâi kang-hu ío hó̤;

his work is well put together.

cía kang-hu bô̤ ēng;

this sort of work is of no use.

sĭ àiⁿ cò̤ tn̂g kang a sĭ àiⁿ cò̤ tó̤ căm?

Is the situation to be a permanent or a temporary one?

nî kang;

an engagement by the year.

kang-hu cò̤ lâi cho;

this work is done in a slovenly fashion.

cam kang;

needlework.

ēng sĭm-mih kang thîaⁿ?

How much work is it?

tîeh lâi cò̤ cá kang;

must come to work early.

i àiⁿ cò̤ sĭang kang;

he will do the best sort of work.

• 間kang3811694
• While; during; in the midst of.

siap-sî-kang;

a little while.

siap-sî-kang cū lâi;

in a little while he came.

hut-jîen-kang cū thóiⁿ-kìⁿ;

just then saw it.

cìaⁿ tò̤ tàⁿ cṳ kang, i cū lâi;

just as we were talking about it, he came.

i cêng tŏ̤ khî-kang a m̄ cen̂g?

Was he there or not?

chíaⁿ i lâi cò̤ tong-kang nâng;

invite him to act as go-between.

thiⁿ tī kang kâi mûeh cōi căi;

there are numerous things in heaven and earth.

jît-kang li lí sṳ̄, mêⁿ-kùa li bô̤ ût, khah bûa tîeh;

attending to business during the day, then going without sleep at night, is too grinding.

cêk ni-kang, lâi nŏ̤ hûe;

comes twice a year.

tŏ̤ lṳ́ úa cṳ kang to bô̤ ìo-kín;

between you and me that is no great matter.

• 干kang309510
• The ten celestial cyclic characters; to draw on one; to offend against; resulting.

thien-kang phùe tī-ciⁿ;

the cycle of ten accompanies the cycle of twelve.

câp kang cū sĭ kah, it, píaⁿ, teng, bō, kí, keⁿ, sin, jîm, kùi: kah it sĭ sôk bâk, píaⁿ teng sĭ sôk húe, bō kí sĭ sôk thó, keⁿ siu sĭ sôk kim, jîm kùi sĭ sôk cúi;

these are the names of the periods in the cycle of ten: the first and second belong to wood, the third and fourth to fire, the fifth and sixth to earth, the seventh and eight to metals, and the ninth and tenth to water.

kah, píaⁿ, bō, keⁿ, jîm, sĭ sôk îang, it, teng, kí, sin, kúi, sĭ sôk im;

the first, third, fifth, seventh, and ninth, belong to the male principle in nature, and the others to the female.

câp kang kio câp-jī tī-ciⁿ phùe-hâh cū sêng cò̤ lâk-câp kah-cṳ́;

six revolutions of the cycle of ten and five of the cycle of twelve, make the great cycle of sixty.

tŏng-khí kang-kho̤;

to go to war.

cía ciang-lâi tîeh tŏng kang-kho̤;

this will in the future lead to war.

m̄ siang kang;

of no moment to either of us.

bô̤ siang-kang;

of no consequence.

i thiaⁿ tîeh bô̤ siang bô̤ kang;

he did not think it of any importance.

cía kio úa sĭm-mih siang kang?

What is this to me?

ṳ́ úa bô̤ kang;

it does not concern me.

i sí to m̄ kang-hiuⁿ;

he will die sooner than cease.

i cong-kú m̄ khéng kang-hiuⁿ;

he will never stop.

hui kang kí sṳ̄ môk lâu sim;

it was not my doing and does not affect me.

cêk kang nâng lóng-cóng lâi;

the whole lot of them came.

cía kio úa bô kang-sîap;

this does not concern me.

lṳ́ àiⁿ jìak kang?

How much do you want?

cí kâi sĭ cò̤ kang-cèng kâi nâng;

this is the witness.

cía kio úa bô̤ kang hĭⁿ;

this does not affect me.

úa bô̤ kang ṳ̆ cí kĭaⁿ sṳ̄;

I have nothing to do with this matter.

lâng-kang;

banisters.

ûi lâng-kang;

surround with a balustrade.

• 剛kang318188
• Unyielding; inflexible; firm; now; in music, a sharp tone.

i kâi sèⁿ khah kang;

his disposition is too unyielding.

i kâi sèⁿ-chêng sĭm sĭ kang-cìaⁿ;

his disposition is very resolutely upright.

i kài ūe ŭ kang ŭ jîu;

what he says is both firm and gentle.

cí kâi ŏi kang ŏi jîu;

this is sometimes hard and sometimes flexible.

kang-ngĕ;

inflexible.

cêk nâng khah kang-ngĕ, cêk nâng khah jîu-jîak;

the one is too unyielding, and the other is too yielding.

kang-khîang;

resolute, determined.

úa kang-kang cìaⁿ kàu;

I just now came.

i tó̤ hong kim kang keng;

he is reciting Buddhist chants in a high key.

• 乾kang311510
• Exhausted; dry; all gone; cured by drying; adopted by a sworn contract.

sàu kàu kang-kang cĕng-cĕng;

swept out clean so that none remains.

bōi kang-cĕng ló;

all sold out.

phâk kang;

dried in the sun.

khîeh khṳ̀ jît-tèng sài-kang;

put it to dry in the sun.

sàng kang lói;

make a present of dried fruits.

khah kang-chàu;

too much dried up.

i pài i cò̤ kang pĕ;

he treats him as his adopted father.

lō tèng cîah kang nîe;

dry provisions eaten when travelling.

kîaⁿ hn̆g lō tîeh cai tòa kang nîe;

in making long journeys one must take dried provisions.

• 姦kang381386
• Illicit intercourse, as adultery, rape, and incest.

m̄ hó̤ kang-îm;

thou shalt not commit adultery.

i cêng kang nâng kâi hŭ-ńng;

he has debauched women.

sĭ khîang kang a sĭ hûa kang?

Was it rape or seduction?

i sĭ kio nâng thong kang;

she has held criminal intercourse with some one.

kíaⁿ-jît sím cêk kĭaⁿ kang-chêng kâi ùaⁿ, kâi kang-hu phah lío kê chut lâi;

to-day a case of adultery was tried, and the criminal was beaten and put in the cangue.

iu kang;

to seduce.

kang-kúai nâng kâi cṳ-nîe;

commit rape.

• 功kang460198
• Hard work; diligence; efficacy; virtue.

i tó̤ ēng kang;

he is industrious.

i kâi kang-hu sûn căi;

his labors are unintermitting.

ēng kang àiⁿ ŭ huang huap cìaⁿ bŏi sieⁿ;

in exerting one's self there must be method and then no harm will be done.

ŭ kâi khùe thîaⁿ sûn-sûn lâi ēng kang, cū tīaⁿ-tîeh ŭ kong-hāu;

if when there is a job of work on hand, there be unceasing diligence, there will certainly be achievement.

kang tîeh cìeⁿ-seⁿ ēng cìaⁿ sĭ en huap;

expend your strengh thus and that will be according to the right method.

kak nâng ēng kak nâng kâi kang;

let each use his own strength.

cí īeⁿ sṳ̄ kâi kang-lîak tōa;

the efficacy of this is great.

cìeⁿ-sî khùn căi, bô̤ ēng kang;

is very much exhausted and does not exert himself.

• 江kang362858
• A river.

chîang kang, tăi hó̤;

a long and great river; the Yangtse.

tâng cûn kùe kang;

crossed the river in the same boat.

sĭ pńg-tī nâng a sĭ gūa-kang nâng?

Are they natives or foreigners?

cò̤ gūa kang hì;

performing plays, using the dialect of another province.

aìⁿ cìeⁿ-seⁿ tàⁿ le hûang-tì kâi kang suaⁿ, mng bw̄n-bw̄n nî ló;

if it be as you say, then the empire is everlasting.

i sĭ cáu kang ô kâi nâng;

he is a great traveller; a trader going to all parts.

cía sĭ lau-kang-ô;

this is an old traveller; one who knows a ruse.

• 奸kang381388
• Crafty; plotting; clandestine.

kang chîn;

a treacherous vassal.

láu-kang;

artful.

phŏiⁿ kang táng;

bring to trial a traitorous cabal.

tong i kâi kang kòi;

fell into his snare.

ngîam lîah hàng kang;

strictly put under arrest all those who are disaffected.

cí kâi nâng kang káu;

this is a designing person.

kang châk;

a villain.

kang-khá;

crafty.

kang-kût;

wily.

lîah tîeh cêk kâi kang-sòi;

caught an eaves-dropper.

• 罡kang3191225
• A large star, or the god who lives in it; the Buddhists reckon thirty-six large stars, including those which form the bowl of the dipper.

saⁿ-câp-lâk thien-kang;

the thirty-six large stars.

i tŏ̤ hue-hn̂g-tèng pō kang, tâh táu;

he is in the garden practising necromancy in order to influence the stars.

• 㵎káng3878512
• A rivulet in a gorge.

sang póiⁿ sĭ suaⁿ, tìn-tang kôih cêk tîo cúi, kìe-cò̤ káng;

a stream that is shut in between two hills is called a runnel.

• 講káng36314910
• To converse; to speak; to narrate; to discourse; explanation; talk.

sĭ káng cṳ lí a sĭ káng mûeh lí?

Is he discoursing of literature or of practical affairs?

káng sĭm-mih tŏ̤-lí?

What doctrine does he preach?

cí kâi sin-seⁿ bô̤ mih káng-kìu;

this teacher does not explain much.

i toaⁿ pat káng-kìu cîah, káng-kìu chēng tīaⁿ-tīaⁿ, cìaⁿ-keng kâi tŏ̤-lí i chŵn bŏi káng-kìu pùaⁿ lî;

he can discuss only what pertains to food and clothing, correct principles he cannot discourse upon at all.

i sĭ tó̤ káng kó a;

lie is narrating old stories; is talking about old times.

lṳ́ màiⁿ tó̤ káng kó;

do not talk irrelevantly.

màiⁿ tó̤ káng kó cṳ;

do not talk about what is remote from the subject; do not beat about the bush.

i kâi nâng káng lí, īa-sĭ m̄ káng lí, nâng cū m̄ su-hôk;

he gives his reasons for it, if he did not people would not acquiesce in his ruling them.

jī ke chíaⁿ nâng káng hûa;

the two invite some one to arbitrate between them.

káng hûa;

treat of peace; propose a settlement.

káng-kói;

to expouud.

cía chíaⁿ màiⁿ káng;

do not let us talk about this.

i chut chùi cū káng cho;

he talks in a coarse fashion.

m̄-hó̤ káng cho, lō̤-chò̤ mēⁿ nâng;

do not use obscene words when scolding people.

màiⁿ thiaⁿ i káng tang, káng sai;

do not heed his carping at this and at that.

i káng lâi sĭm sĭ thong-thiet;

his speech is to the point.

• 簡káng38411812
• Terse, brief, concise; to condense.

i kâi ēng-tō ío káng-séⁿ;

his expenditures are less.

i kúi kù ūe tàⁿ khṳ̀ káng;

his sentences were tersely put.

īa m̄-hó̤ khah káng;

neither it is well to be too laconic.

cía khah káng bw̆n;

this is too blunt and discourteous; I fear you will deem me rude.

cìa sĭ káng khueh, a sĭ hŵn khueh?

Does this require prolonged labor or not?

tàⁿ káng cē;

be concise.

• 成káng77623
• Entire; complete.

cē khṳ̀ cū káng nî kú;

if he goes he will be gone a whole year.

cò̤ káng kò̤ gûeh, hŵn-lío būe hó̤;

has been at it a whole month and it is not yet finished.

cē cŏ̤ cū cŏ̤ káng jît;

if he sits down he will sit all day.

kâi gûeh thàng káng choiⁿ ngṳ̂n;

earned as much as a thousand dollars in a month.

cêk câi ŭ káng bw̄n tàⁿ;

there were fully ten thousand piculs in the load.

i lăi ēng káng peh nâng;

they employ at least a hundred men.

• 鐧káng38716912
• A triangular truncheon, or heavy rapier.

i chut cìen to sĭ ēng sang káng;

when they go forth to battle, they always use a pair of truncheons.

i kâi káng mŏng lâi hó̤ căi;

he brandishes his truncheons with fine effect.

• 港káng364859
• Streams; canals; channels in a stream.

káng mn̂g;

the entrance to a channel.

káng kháu;

the point where one stream empties into another.

chut káng;

emerge from the canal.

jîp káng;

enter the canal, or harbour.

pńg káng cûn;

a native boat.

gūa káng lâi kâi cûn;

a foreign boat.

kak káng kâi hùe-mûeh;

goods from every port.

cía sĭ tī cêk káng mâng kâi?

From what port is this brought?

ngŏ̤ tîeh huang, méⁿ-méⁿ sia jîp káng;

met with wind and hastily ran into a harbour.

• 柬káng384755
• Slips of paper; visiting cards.

cṳ káng ìn;

a seal for stamping letters.

cêk nâng tó̤ lí cṳ-káng;

one of them is attending to the sending of letters.

• 𪉿káng38519712
• Soap.

hwn-káng;

foreign soap.

bói kò̤ hwn-káng lâi sói saⁿ;

buy a piece of soap to wash clothes with.

• 幹kàng3135110
• Affairs; to attend to business; capable.

ŭ sĭm-mih kong kàng?

Is there any public business?

lṳ́ kâi kè kàu cí-kò̤ lâi ŭ sĭm-mih kùi kàng?

On what business does Your Excellency come?

úa lâi kàng cêk kĭaⁿ sṳ̄ lío;

I have attended to one matter of business already.

úa thóiⁿ i kàng m̄ khṳ̀;

I do not think he can manage it.

bô̤ cêk kĭaⁿ sṳ̄ i kàng tit lâi li;

there is no sort of thing that he can do.

i mih sṳ̄ jw̆n kàng;

he is very careless in the transaction of business.

cí kâi nâng lṳ́ng-kàng;

this person has fine executive ability.

cí kâi nâng lêng-kàng;

there must be some capable person for this, then it may be done.

i bô̤ châi bô̤ kàng;

he has no executive ability.

àiⁿ chūe kâi cò̤ sṳ̄, bŏi thèng kàng kâi cíe;

as for finding some one who is not careless in the transaction of business, there are few such.

i chŵn bô̤ thèng kàng;

he never manages things in a loose way.

kàng-che sĭ lêng-kàng kâi che-hîah;

a clever constable is one who has much executive ability.

kàng-ŵn sĭ lêng-kàng kâi kuaⁿ-ŵn;

a capable officer is one who has much executive ability.

tōa lêng-kàng;

great capacity for affairs.

• 戰kàng456212
• To join battle; hostilities; an affray.

kàng i tit kùe a kàng m̄ kùe?

Did he get the better of him in the fray or not?

cía lâi kio i kàng kàu têng tó̤ khṳ̀;

will fight with him till the tower falls; will continue the quarrel to the bitter end and never give in.

kim-kng sie phah, tōa kàng;

a racket like that the gods of the city would make were they fighting.

kio i tăi kàng cêk tîeⁿ;

had a tremendous battle with them.

• 諫kàng3861499
• To point out the right of a thing; to remonstrate; to protest; to advise.

kàng kuaⁿ; kàng chîn;

counselors of state.

ŭ phêng-íu hùe kui-kàng i;

had friends who advised him.

i tng mīn cū tît kàng;

he remonstrated with him to his face.

ŭ nâng kàng-cí i;

some one stopped him by remonstrance.

i khó-khó káng-có̤;

he put a stop to it by giving unpalatable advice.

cang pât sṳ̄ lái kòng kàng;

give reproof by innuendo.

cía cū sĭ i cìaⁿ káⁿ kàng;

this is something that he dare straightly protest against.

cía tîeh m̄ kù sin ke cìaⁿ káⁿ kàng;

in order to protest against this one must be regardless of his personal interests.

jĭm kàng m̄ thiaⁿ;

heedless of remonstrances.

côiⁿ íⁿ-keng thâi kùe kúi kâi kàng-chîn;

formerly slaughtered several of the censors.

• 降kàng3641706
• To descend from a high level; to come from the sky; to degrade.

kàng lô̤h khṳ̀;

descended.

kàng seⁿ;

to be born, (said of a superior being).

kàng sì;

descend into the world.

kàng lô̤h thó-tī;

descended to earth.

kàng khip lâu jīm;

to degrade in rank but retain in office,

ŭ sêng ŭ kàng;

some were promoted and some degraded.

• 絳kàng3641206
• Deep red.

âng lâi kâi sek ío kàng;

the red was deeper.

• 共kāng464124
• Collectively; in all; to sum up;

to hold in common; the same.

kāng cóng ŭ jîeh cōi?

How many are there altogether?

hâh kāng khìam ngṳ̂n cêk peh ngŵn;

altogether we own a hundred dollars.

kāng kòi ŭ jîeh cōi kang;

reckoning the whole how many days' work are there?

cí kâi chîu sĭ put kāng tài thien;

this enemy cannot remain under the same heaven with me.

nŏ̤ nâng sie kāng kâi;

held in common by the two.

a-pĕ sĭ sie kāng kâi;

they have the same father.

lṳ́ kio i sĭ sie kāng cêk kâi a-bó̤ a sĭ kak nâng kak nâng kâi?

Have you and he the same, or different mothers?

sie kāng cŏ̤;

sit together.

lṳ́ cò̤-nî bô̤ kio i sie kāng?

Why do you not share it with him?

sie kāng cîah;

to mess together.

• 同kāng933303
• And, with, in common, together.

i kāng úa cò̤-pû lâi;

he and I came together.

maiⁿ kāng i khṳ̀;

do not go with him.

cía ūe lṳ́ ŭ kāng i tàⁿ a bô?

Did you tell him this or not?

kāng i cò̤-pû cîah cū bô̤ kèng;

in eating with him there is no good fellowship.