Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/khwn

by Adele Marion Fielde

khwn

• 寬khwn4774012
• Ample; clement; to forgive; to bear with; to indulge; lax.

i kâi nâng khwn-hông tăi-lĭang;

he is a very easy tempered and liberal minded man.

chíaⁿ khwn-îong i;

I beg you to bear with him.

tī-hng khwn-khuah căi;

the space is ample for the purpose.

chíaⁿ khwn i cêk chṳ̀;

please let him off this once.

chù lăi khwn-khwn khuah-khuah, sûi lṳ́ khĭa khí;

the house is roomy, abide wherever you please in it.

khwn-ĭu i kâi cŭe;

overlook his fault.

i kâi ce kui khah khwn;

the discipline of the school is too lax.

i kâi sèⁿ-chêng sĭm sĭ khwn-hûa;

his disposition is very forgiving.

i kâi kui-kṳ́ cū hó̤, īu bŏi kùe ngîam, īu bŏi kùe khwn;

their rules are just right, being neither too strict nor too lenient.

cang khwn-sù lâi thăi nâng;

treat people with clemency.

i ā-sĭ mó̤, úa cū bô̤ khwn-îong i;

if he is bad, I shall not be lenient toward him.

khwn-ôiⁿ;

leisurely.

khwn hăng ke câp jit;

allow ten days beyond the time alloted.

• 圈khwn451818
• An enclosure; a large circle.

kîaⁿ cêk tōa khwn;

walked a long distance around.

cìeⁿ-seⁿ cū lô̤h i kâi khwn-thàu;

thus fell into his snare.

tīa kîⁿ cêk khwn lóng-cóng àiⁿ kit cò̤ cîeh kâi;

the enclosure is to be built wholly of stones.

ûi cêk tōa khwn nâng, tó̤ thói;

a great circle of spectators stood around.

• 頃khẃn4221812
• The largest of Chinese land measures, equal to a hundred Chinese acres.

châng īa bw̄n khẃn;

a vast extent of arrable land.

i kâi châng-bn̂g bw̄n khẃn;

he owns an immeasurable stretch of land.

• 欵khẃn477767
• Kind, sort; a style or fashion; inscriptions, such as are on jars, showing the date of manufacture; a proof stamp.

àiⁿ tī cêk khẃn kâi?

Which sort do you want?

úa àiⁿ cí khẃn, hṳ́ khẃn úa màiⁿ;

I want this sort, not that.

cìeⁿ cōi khẃn sûi lṳ́ thóiⁿ;

of these many sorts, whichever you see fit.

tī cêk khẃn ío hâh sî?

Which sort is the more suitable for the occasion?

kak khẃn m̄ sie tâng;

each kind is different from all the others.

mih sṳ̄ to ŭ kâi khẃn sek;

there is a fixed style for doing everything.

lṳ́ cìeⁿ-seⁿ cò̤ bô̤ khẃn bô̤ sek, khṳt nâng chìe;

in doing it thus, not in accordance with any established fashion, you will be laughed at.

bô̤ khẃn căi;

not after any known pattern.

sît-căi kah khẃn to bô̤;

really of no style at all.

chŵn bô̤ kâi nâng khẃn cìeⁿ-seⁿ;

no one ever does it in that way.

i kâi khẃn sĭ m̄-hó̤ căi;

his way of doing things is very bad.

hó̤ kâi khẃn lṳ́ to bŏi ô̤h, àu kâi khẃn lṳ́ cū kĭaⁿ-kĭaⁿ ô̤h;

what is good you never can learn, what is bad you learn all about in every instance.

cía khẃn tŏ̤ tī-kò̤ ô̤h lâi lâi?

Where did you learn this manner of doing it?

sía hó̤, būe cêng lô̤h khẃn;

have written it but have not yet added the inscription.

i tó̤ tìeⁿ khẃn;

he is very pompous.

sĭ lô̤h toaⁿ khẃn a lô̤h sang khẃn?

Has it the autograph of the sender only, or both his name and that of the one for whom it is written?

cí tùi tùi-lîn li lô̤h toaⁿ khẃn, cí pak ūe li lô̤h sang khẃn;

this pair of matched scrolls has only the autograph of the donor on them, the written scroll has the name of the donor upon it, and also the name of the one for whom it was written.

àiⁿ cang tī cêk khẃn ciⁿ lâi ēng?

Which sort of coin do you want to use?

kak kak khîeh lâi kui khẃn;

sort them all out.

khẃn-tong hue;

dried flowers of the loquat.

• 權khŵn4527518
• The weight or balance on a steelyard; direction; authority; power; to balance; to equalize.

hṳ́ lăi sĭ tī-tîang ŭ khŵn?

Who among them has authority?

sĭ hṳ́ kâi ío ŭ khŵn, pât nâng lóng-cóng bô̤ khŵn;

that is the one who is the most influential, the others are all powerless.

khŵn kui cek nâng;

the authority is relegated to one individual.

cū sĭ i tó̤ pèⁿ khŵn;

it is he who exercises control.

i kâi nâng sèⁿ lâi ŭ khŵn khì;

he has naturally an authoritative manner.

khŵn chíaⁿ nā kò̤;

the exigency requires that we stay.

cìeⁿ-seⁿ sĭ chông khŵn kâi;

it is thus by force of circumstances.

cí kâi sĭ khŵn chîn;

this is a powerful officer.

i kâi khŵn-sì tōa căi;

his power is great.

piaⁿ khŵn lóng-cóng tŏ̤ i chíu;

the military power is altogether in his hands.

khŵn-pèⁿ;

power, influence, authority.

khŵn-lâk;

force.

khŵn-lêng;

potency.

tîeh ēng khŵn cìaⁿ cai khin tăng;

by use of weights we learn the weight.

sṳ̀ i hó̤ khŵn-ngî kîaⁿ sṳ̆;

allow him to act as may be expedient.

mih sṳ tîeh ŏi thong khŵn tâk pìen cìaⁿ hó̤ⁿ;

in all matters one must act as the occasion requires.

cí kâi húe-kì tŏ̤ phò lăi ŭ kua-khŵn a bô̤?

Has this partner authority to act in the affairs of the firm?

ŭ a, phò lăi cū sĭ i cêk nâng tó̤ cíang khŵn;

yes, indeed, it is he who has the management of everything.

i nŏ̤ nâng tó̤ ceⁿ khŵn;

the two are wrangling as to which shall rule.

hṳ́ kâi ío ŭ ui-khŵn chūa nâng ùi;

that one has a more authoritative manner, making people afraid of him.

chîo-thêng sĭ i tó̤ lám khŵn;

he it is that holds the balance of power in the government.

cêk cio khŵn tŏ̤ chíu cū jŵn cò̤;

as soon has he has a little temporary power in his bands, he acts without regard to other people's rights.

cí ciah ngio ío ū khŵn, i cĕ kìu-kìe cĕ níoⁿ-chṳ́ cū m̄ káⁿ lâi;

this cat is quite influential in her sphere, if she but mews the rats dare not come about.

tăi hŭam kẁn-kut tōa kâi nâng to̤-to̤ ŭ khŵn;

most people who have high cheek bones are influential in their spheres.

keng khŵn sieⁿ pìen īa-sĭ ŏi cai, cò̤ sṳ̄ cū bŏi tăⁿ;

if we understand what is regular and necessary in morals we shall not make mistakes.

• 繚khŵn52912012
• To coil around; to wind in a closed spiral; a coil.

khŵn khí piⁿ;

to wind the queue around the head.

lṳ́ kâi piⁿ khŵn tŏ̤ kò̤, tîeh cai pàng lô̤h lâi;

your queue is wound around your head, you must remember and let it down.

khŵn cò̤ cêk khuang;

coiled it in one large coil.

cûa khŵn iⁿ-iⁿ;

a snake coiled upon itself in circles.

cí cho̤h so̤h khŵn khí;

coil up these ropes.

khŵn thâu pò;

a head cloth, used by men.

khŵn ku-ā khŵn;

coiled in several coils.