Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/keng

by Adele Marion Fielde

keng

• 贔keng67515414
• To exert one's self; to put forth strength to the utmost.

lâi sie tàu keng, keng thóiⁿ tī-tîang îaⁿ;

let us pit ourselves against each other and see who ia the strongest.

híam-híam keng m̄ khṳ̀;

it came near being beyond my strength.

keng kàu ie ku-ku;

bent under the effort.

màiⁿ cîah pá, cū tó̤ keng lâk;

do not eat all you can hold, when testing your strength to the uttermost.

• 更keng321733
• To alter; to change; to rearrange.

lṳ́ àiⁿ cò̤-nî keng-kói?

What alterations are you going to make?

keng-êk cò̤ cìeⁿ-seⁿ kèng hó̤;

to change it and make it thus would be better.

keng i, ūaⁿ phâu;

change his attire.

• 經keng4041207
• To manage; to plan; what is regular, orderly, or standard; canons; manuals; to pass through, by, or across.

i mîaⁿ-ko keng-îong;

he is apt in the calculation of ways and means.

i tó̤ tng keng-sêng;

he is the head clerk in a district yamun.

keng-thiaⁿ;

chief secretary in a prefect's yamun.

úa m̄ cêng keng chíu;

it did not go through my hands.

sĭ úa keng chìu cò̤ kâi;

it went through my hands.

cí kĭaⁿ sṳ̄ bô̤ keng kùe úa kâi chíu, úa m̄ cai;

this affair did not come under my management and I do not know.

keng úa kâi mâk thóiⁿ-kìⁿ;

passed under my eye.

cía sṳ̄ lṳ́ pat keng kùe mē?

Have you looked this matter over?

līam keng;

to chant a liturgy.

thâk keng;

read the standard works.

cia sĭ thong keng lôk kâi îeh;

this medicine is one that goes through all the blood vessels.

i sĭ m̄ pat keng kùe sṳ̄ kâi nâng;

he is one who has had no experience in affairs.

cí thâng keng hùi hàm tī-tîang chut?

Who is to be called upon to meet the regular outlay this time?

cí kĭaⁿ sṳ̄ m̄ sĭ úa keng-kẃn kâi;

this matter is outside my jurisdiction.

sṳ̄ m̄ sĭ pat keng kùe, to m̄ cai kang-khó;

not having experienced this he does not know its hardship.

cí kâi nâng sĭ ŭ tăi keng cì;

this is a man of deep learning.

cí cêk pùe nâng mih sṳ̄ to keng kùe;

these people have passed through all sorts of experiences.

gûeh keng;

the menses.

tn̆g keng;

the change of life.

keng kùe hẃn-lw̆n, keng kùe cúi-cai, keng kùe tōa ki-hng;

passed through a civil war, through a flood, and through famine.

cía sĭ cìaⁿ-keng kâi sṳ̄;

this is what happens in the regular course of things.

tṳ̂ hía jûi cìaⁿ cṳ keng kâi gūa, pât īeⁿ cîⁿ i m̄ káⁿ àiⁿ;

he will not dare ask for any more than the regular allowance.

• 弓keng461570
• A bow; a bow-shot.

thâu hōⁿ kâi tăng keng jîeh cōi kṳn?

How many pounds weight is required to draw the largest of these cross-bows?

i mîaⁿ-ke khui ngĕ keng;

he is expert in the drawing of stiff bows; he can manage people.

keng kio cìⁿ kâi khin tăng tîeh phùe tit kùe cìaⁿ hó̤ ēng;

the weight of the arrow must correspond with that of the bow, then they are servicable.

cí ki keng kúi kâi lâk?

How much strength is required to draw this bow?

keng la kàn múaⁿ-múaⁿ;

draw a bow to its utmost stretch.

cí ki sĭ bé keng a sĭ pō keng?

Is this such a bow as is used by the cavalry, or by the infantry?

khui keng m̄ pàng cìⁿ;

stretch the bow without shooting the arrow; empty threats.

i tŏ̤ îaⁿ tèng cîah keng-cìⁿ hìang;

he is in camp, living on his pay as an archer.

lâi cĭang thóiⁿ cí-kò̤ jîeh cōi keng pō;

come and measure and see how many bow-shots it is.

ēng keng-cĭang lâi cĭang;

measure it by bow-shots.

keng cĭang; keng pō;

a wooden square for marking off land.

i tó̤ khui keng-ciⁿ phò;

he keeps a shop for the sale of bows and arrows.

keng tŏ̤;

a quiver.

keng hîⁿ;

a a bow-string.

tau cò̤ kâi keng;

bend and fasten it in the shape of a bow.

keng pù;

the curve of a bow.

cĭeⁿ keng hîⁿ;

to string a bow.

• 驚蟄keng-têk67
• The beginning of spring, from the 5th to the 20th of March.

keng-têk lûi;

spring thunder showers.

keng-têk būe kùe lûi soiⁿ híang;

you will always hear thunder before spring sets in.

• 宮keng462407
• A palace; a mansion; an ancestral temple.

ûang keng;

the palace.

keng tōiⁿ;

grand buildings; state edifices.

keng-bīe;

a temple.

cìaⁿ keng hûang-hŏ;

the Empress.

phah ló̤h né keng;

sent to the palace for discarded concubines.

keng hui;

imperial concubines.

keng ngô̤ múiⁿ ńng; keng ńng; keng jîn;

maids in the palace.

ô̤h keng;

a college.

• 景kéng405728
• A prospect; a fine view; a good site; aspecte; circumstances.

sèng-kéng;

picturesque.

múiⁿ kéng;

fine scenery.

kuang-kéng;

the prospect.

lṳ́ cìeⁿ-sî kâi kuang-kéng jîeh hó̤?

What are your prospects at present?

úa cìeⁿ-sî bô̤ mih hó̤ kuang-kéng;

my prospects are not now very good.

hṳ́ kò̤ kéng tī ngía căi;

the scenery there is very fine.

cía hó̤ lâi pái kéng;

this should be displayed to view.

cĭam jîp kia kéng;

gradually came to easy circumstances.

hṳ́-kò̤ ŭ sĭm-mih kuang-kéng hó̤ thit-thô̤ mē?

Are there any sights there for one to go and see?

îaⁿ kéng;

a display of tableaux in a procession.

lîang-sîn múiⁿ-kéng;

fine weather and beautiful scenery.

hó̤ mêⁿ-kéng;

a fine night.

poih kéng;

the remarkable objects in a place.

• 警kéng40514913
• To warn; to caution.

kéng sì kâi ūe;

language tending to reform the age.

kèng-kài ĕ chṳ̀ m̄ káⁿ;

warn not to do the same another time.

cía sĭ tó̤ kéng-chéⁿ nâng kâi ūe;

these are words of warning to the people.

suah cêk, kéng peh;

executing one deters a hundred.

• 境kéng4053211
• A boundary; a limit; a region.

kéng-kài;

the frontier.

jīo kàu kùe kéng khṳ̀;

pursued him beyond the border.

siu-sîp kàu cū sĭ sien-kéng;

have made it like fairy-land.

i kâi kéng-ngŏ̤ hó̤;

his condition in life is comfortable.

lîn kéng kâi tī-hng ŭ mē?

Are there any in the adjacent places?

hâh kéng phêng-ang;

the whole neighborhood is at peace.

• 弓kéng461570
• Crescent; bowed; arched.

wn-kéng;

like a bow; curved.

i kâi kha wn-kéng wn-kéng nē;

he is bow-legged.

i sang chíu wn-kéng wn-kéng;

his arms are very much curved.

• 竟kéng4061176
• Finally; to go through a matter to the end.

kìu-kéng sĭ cò̤-nî?

Sifted to the bottom, what does it amount to? After all, what is it?

• 敬kèng406669
• To honor; to venerate; to show respect to.

hàuⁿ-kèng pĕ-bó̤;

reverence one's parents.

kèng sîn sĭ cêk kâi sim;

veneration for the gods is of the heart.

kèng cíu;

to respectfully offer a glass of wine.

cía khah sit kèng;

this is too disrespectful.

kèng sieh jī cúa;

respect written paper; when added to handbills, it means, "do not deface nor tear this down."

sìn thâu to̤-to̤ sĭ sía kèng khí cía;

letters generally have some respectful terms written at the beginning.

kèng-tŏng;

treat respectfully.

to bô̤ mûeh hó̤ lâi kèng lṳ́;

have nothing to offer you as an expression of my respect for you.

chîo-thêng hŵn-lío sĭ kèng láu, cun hîen;

even the high officers of government show respect to the aged, and veneration for the wise.

kèng pât nâng cū sĭ kèng ka-kī;

to respect others is to respect one's self.

lṳ́ li kèng nâng, nâng li kèng lṳ́;

treat others respectfully, and others will treat you respectfully.

• 更kèng321733
• More; still more.

cí kâi kèng tōa;

this is still larger.

cía sui sĭ hó̤, hía kèng hó̤;

although this is good, that is still better.

jú-kèng kú;

still longer.

jú-kèng hn̆g;

still farther.

cía úa kèng àiⁿ;

this I desire yet more.

• 竟kèng4061176
• To go through a matter to the end; finally.

i kèng bô̤ cêk kù ūe;

he never said a word.

i kèng-jîen m̄ hío;

after all he did not comprehend it.

• 窮kêng42011610
• Impoverished; the poor.

i sĭ khio-kêng kâi nâng;

they are very poor people.

kêng ke nâng;

poverty stricken people.

i cí ău kêng lío;

he has become very poor lately.