Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/kha

by Adele Marion Fielde

kha

• 脚kha4101307
• The foot; the leg; the shank; the base; the pedestal.

kha mâk;

the ankle bone.

kha câh;

stocks, for the feet.

thĕng-cŭ kha;

to rest from walking.

kha tn̂g-tó;

the calf of the leg.

kha pûaⁿ;

the instep.

kha tói;

the sole of the foot.

kha cńg thâu;

the toes.

kha ău teⁿ;

the heel.

kha to̤;

the sole, in a line from the little toe to the heel.

kha lîam;

the shin.

kha thâu u;

the knee.

tâh i kâi kha ciah;

tread in his footsteps.

kha thúi;

the thigh; kha wt; the knee joint.

kha thúi ngán; kha thúi thâu;

the hip joint.

kha piⁿ;

the groin.

kha kut chut khŭ; kha thúi ngán kâi kut chut khŭ;

dislocation of the hip joint.

kha-thâu-u kâi kut chut khŭ;

dislocation of the bones of the knee.

i pûah kàu kha kut chut thn̆g;

he fell and dislocated the bones of his leg.

tǹg i bô̤ tîo kha mô̤ⁿ;

in comparison with him I am as a hair from his leg.

i kâi kha lâk tōa;

he is influential.

tōa kha tōa chíu kâi nâng;

a man of influence and ability.

i hó̤ kha chíu;

he is clever at his trade.

pak-chiah-kha;

bare footed.

tîⁿ kha;

to bind the feet.

ŭ kha kîaⁿ bô̤ lō;

have no recourse.

kúai kha;

lame.

khûe kha;

weak in the knees.

kha khûe chíu khûe;

weak in the limbs.

i kâi kha kîaⁿ lō kúai-a-kúai;

he limps in walking.

i kâi kha kîaⁿ lō hìen-a-hìen;

he walks as if he had St. Vitus's dance.

kha ŵn-kèng ŵn-kèng;

he is bandy-legged.

tn̂g tó̤ kha;

one leg shorter than the other.

ah tói kha;

splay footed.

cang kha-to̤ lâi kîaⁿ;

walk on the sides of the feet.

sì ciah kha kâi mûeh;

quadrupeds.

saⁿ kha íⁿ;

a three legged stool.

tôk ciah kha;

having but one leg.

phŵn khí kha tó̤ cŏ̤;

sitting cross legged.

phŵn thúi cŏ̤ sĭ no̤ ciah kha lóng-cóng phŵn khí lâi tŏ̤ kha thúi tèng, chin-chĭeⁿ hût tó̤ cŏ̤;

to sit Turk fashion, is to double both feet upon the thighs, in the way in which Buddha sits.

ût pàng kò̤ khìo khí kha;

lie down and then raise the legs higher than the head.

khek kha;

bend the knee.

ēng cêk ciah kha kŭi a ēng nŏ ciah kha kŭi?

Are we to kneel on one knee or on both?

thí kha bé;

having sprawling legs.

kha sì khĭa tit hó̤, cáu méⁿ phah îaⁿ koi;

with the feet firmly set, one may run fast enough to catch a fowl; with a firm stand point, one may conquer.

tōa kha pâng;

a much swollen leg.

kio bô̤ kha kúi cêk īeⁿ, huh-cē-kìe cū lâi;

came suddenly like a ghost with no sound of footsteps.

côiⁿ kha;

fore legs.

ău kha;

hind legs.

khṳt máng kha nek tîeh;

was tread upon by a mosquito.

chn̂g kha;

the legs of a table.

thĭo kha;

the pedestal of a pillar.

mn̂g-kha-khŭ;

the socket in which a door is set.

pàng chù-kha kò̤;

put it down beside the house.

tī-kha thūn hó̤ a būe?

Is the foundation filled in yet?

cía, thong tī kha ĕ to ŭ;

this is to be found everywhere.

i kâi kha tau tōa căi;

he has many protectors.

pàng hṳ́ chîeⁿ kha;

put it there by the wall.

chīu kha ĕ lā lîang;

under a tree enjoying the coolness.

kha sng chíu nńg;

tired as with very hard work.

tì kâi nńg kha pēⁿ;

has paralysis of the legs.

thiu kha kṳn;

a cramp in the leg.

kha thìaⁿ bŏi kîaⁿ;

has a sore leg and cannot walk.

kîaⁿ kàu kha phok phă;

walked till my feet blistered.

kha tâh liu;

slipped after stepping.

sit kha;

lost his footing.

thak tîeh kha;

stubbed his toe.

úai tîeh kha;

wrenched his foot.

peⁿ kha;

drag by the feet.

úai tîeh kha kut;

sprained his ankle.

mau kha;

to bind the feet loosely in bandages.

nih kha kîaⁿ;

walk with a stealthy gliding step.

nih kha nih kha;

a stealthy, tortuous motion.

taⁿ kha;

set foot on another's shoulder.

kha-tâh;

a foot-stool.

• 巧khá374482
• Dextrous; adroit; apt; skillful; subtle; wily; shrewd; equal to an emergency; genius.

khî-khá;

ingenious.

i kuai-khá căi;

he is very adroit.

kuai-kuai khá-khá;

very clever.

i to sĭ hue-ngân khá-gṳ́, bô̤ kù sît;

his talk is altogether specious, and without a word of truth in it.

cía sĭ chiah khá-kang lâi cò̤ kâi;

this was made by clever workmen called from abroad.

īeⁿ cò̤ lâi khá;

of curious workmanship.

i kâi sim-sṳ khá căi;

he is very shrewd.

cí kâi sim-khìo jú-kèng lêng-khá;

this one is still more astute.

lâi kàu tú-tú chò khá;

came just in the nick of time.

khá-khá nē, bô̤ sĭm-mih tōa;

intricate in its workmanship, and not very large.

i kâi nâng seⁿ lâi sòi-khá sòi-khá;

she is small and shapely.

i sĭ tàⁿ khá ūe ki-chío nâng;

he is uttering witicisms, in ridicule.

ciu-jît bô̤ sṳ̂, cîah pá to sĭ tó̤ kek-khá;

has nothing to do all day, and when he has eaten all he wants he goes to devising mischief.

lăng khá, hẃn cwt;

tries to be a genius and turns out a simpleton.

kòi-mông siet lâi khá;

the scheme is a subtle one.

khá chi sîeⁿ phŭaⁿ cwt hu mîn;

a clever woman usually gets a fool for her husband.

khṳt khá coih, sĭ chit gûeh chiu chit mêⁿ;

the festival at which women pray for skill in their handiwork is the night of the seventh day of the seventh month.

• 豈khá3461513
• How? What? How can? Can it be?

khá sĭ mē?

Can it be?

úa khá m̄ pat i?

Can it be that I do not know him?

khá hó̤ cìeⁿ-seⁿ?

How can that be desirable?

i khá sĭ gâu kùe lṳ́?

How can it be that he is wiser than you?

khá ŭ chṳ́ lí?

Whence such a rule?

lṳ́ thóiⁿ khá m̄ sĭ sie tâng;

you consider whether they can be otherwise than identical.

i khá káⁿ m̄ lâi?

How could he dare do otherwise than come?

khá jîak cìeⁿ-seⁿ kèng hó̤?

How can that be the better way?

hìeⁿ-seⁿ hó̤ khá chin-chĭeⁿ cìeⁿ-seⁿ hó̤?

If that way is good, why should not this be still better?

• 擊khà3956418
• To strike; to beat upon; to rap hard.

lûi khà sí ciah gû;

a cow was struck by lightning and killed.

khîeh ki tek-ko̤ khà i kâi thâu;

took a bamboo pole and struck him on the head.

khà kó kîⁿ;

beat the rim of a drum.

tṳ li khà m̄ tîeh, khà phùa cêk kâi koi cô̤;

struck at and did not hit the pig, but broke the fowls' trongh instead.

• 扣khà332643
• To rap on; to knock against; to discount; to reckon on the abacus.

khà mn̂g;

to knock at a door.

khà i kín;

drive it tight.

khà phùaⁿ;

break by hitting.

úaⁿ khṳt i khà phùaⁿ khṳ̀;

the bowl was broken by his knocking it against something.

khà phùa koi-n̆ng;

break an egg by hitting it upon something when holding it in the hand.

cêk ciah chíu khà sǹg-pûaⁿ, cêk ciah chíu sía jī;

reckoning on the abacus with one hand, and writing with the other.

tṳ̂ tīo jîeh cōi khà thâu?

How much is to be deducted for discount?

khà-tṳ̂;

strike off; cancel; reckon off.

khà tīo ngṳ̂n cúi;

deduct the amount allowed for dollars above standard weight.

i tó̤ ô̤h khà-sǹg;

he is learning to reckon on the abacus.

cí kò̤ sìo lṳ́ khà thóiⁿ tùi mē;

you reckon over this account (on the abacus) and see if it is correct.

• 及khà394292
• Used only with a negative and denotes that the action referred to was impracticable; had not time for.

i bô̤ khà cîah cū khṳ̀;

he went off without stopping to eat.

méⁿ kàu m̄ khà cîah tê;

in such a hurry that he could not wait to take tea.

i m̄ khà thăi i, cò̤ i khṳ̀;

he could not wait for her, and went off without her.

cò̤-nî bô̤ khà táng i cò̤-pû lâi?

Why could you not wait for her to come along with you?

cē hiong-huh, bô̤ khà khîa hŏ-cia cū khṳ̀;

was in such a flurry that he went off without stopping to get his umbrella.

bô̤ khà siu thâu ūaⁿ kha;

had not time to comb her hair and dress her feet.

lṳ́ àiⁿ méⁿ, úa bô̤ khà siu-sîp cū lâi;

if you are in a hurry I will come without stopping to put things in order.