Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/kiam

by Adele Marion Fielde

kiam

• 兼kiam382128
• Along with; together with in addition to; equally.

keng kiam thiⁿ-sî jûah;

besides all that, the weather is very hot.

kiam ŭ pât īeⁿ sṳ̄ cò̤;

and besides I have something else to do.

sie kiam kài kâi tī-hng;

adjacent ground.

tī-hng sie kiam kài;

the two lots have the same boundary.

châi mâuⁿ kiam chŵn;

the toute ensemble; the mind, manners, and person.

kiam niap tîe-ciu hú sṳ̄;

manages the Tie Ciu Department in addition.

kiam lí îeⁿ bŭ;

manages foreign affairs besides.

i kiam ŏi cò̤ cí īeⁿ sṳ̄;

he can also add this to the other things which he does.

kiam ke cêk hâng khang-khùe;

attends to the work of another warehouse also.

nŏ nâng kiam ēng;

the two both use it.

i khí kó̤ lío, ŭ kiam sía a bô̤?

After he had made the rough draft, did he write out a fair copy besides?

• 檢kíam3857513
• To assort; to examine.

m̄ cai kíam-tiám khṳ̀;

did not think to look them over carefully and mark

them.

lṳ́ tîeh sòi sim kíam-tíam;

you must label them carefully.

phìa cêk ūi tăi-chîu tó̤ kàm-tok sio-kíam;

depute a nobleman to oversee the search of the persons of the candidates for admission to the examinations.

chê-kíam;

to examine.

• 減kíam383159
• To diminish; to lessen; to abbreviate; to make less do; to take away a part.

kè-cíⁿ bô̤ kíam;

no abatement in the price.

kíam kè thŵn mîaⁿ;

sell at a reduced price in order to render it popular.

i àiⁿ kíam i kâi sìo búe, i li m̄ hàuⁿ;

he wants him to throw off the balance of the account, but he will not.

ngĕ-ngĕ kíam i kâi;

forcibly insisted on an abatement.

thó̤ kíam i kâi sĭu ngŵn;

ask him to let him have it for less than it cost.

u kíam a bô̤?

Did he take off anything from the price?

cài kíam cē;

take off a little more.

bò̤ ke bô̤ kíam;

neither more nor less.

cìeⁿ-se ŭ ke bô̤ kíam;

there may be increase but not diminution.

hó̤ kíam mē?

Can you not sell it a little cheaper?

lṳ́ sǹg kíam cē, úa cò̤ cē kio lṳ́ bói;

let me have it a little cheaper, then I will buy it from you at once.

m̄-hó̤ kíam;

cannot sell it for less.

kíam cêk téng ngí cŭe;

abate somewhat from the legal punishment.

i m̄ khéng kíam;

he would abate nothing.

cí kheng ío ke, cí kheng ío kíam;

this basket has more, and that one has less.

kíam cêk ûe ciⁿ khṳt lṳ́;

let you have it at half the price.

khṳt i kíam tīo ho̤h cōi ngṳ̤̂n;

had a rather large sum of money taken off by him.

cìeⁿ-soⁿ ŏi khah kíam a bŏi?

Have I retrenched too much ?

mn̂g-khí cìah ío kíam, cí hûe cū tó khùn;

ate less than usual this morning, and am now hungry.

meⁿ kíam cho̤h;

take some off with the hand.

tàⁿ kíam tōa-bó̤-mûeh ūe;

contracted his speech very much.

kîaⁿ tùi cí kò̤, kîaⁿ kíam cêk phò lō;

by going this way, will diminish the length of the journey by a league.

cìeⁿ-seⁿ kiam-kíam to m̄ kíam;

pinching and scrimping thus does not diminish it a particle.

lṳ́ kíam i kúi hùe?

How much younger are you than he?

khah kíam;

inadequate.

kíam cò̤ kúi sîaⁿ;

reduced to a small proportion.

kíam kàu lâi cò̤ cē bô̤ khṳ̀;

kept taking a little off till it was all gone.

tṳ̂-kíam;

to subtract.

ēng kíam jìeh cōi nâng?

How many less men are employed?

taⁿ ēng ío kíam nâng;

fewer men are now employed.

nín kâi nâng-sìo ŏi kíam a bŏi?

Do you lack any from the full complement of men?

cía sĭ kíam-càu kâi kòi-cheh;

this is a ruse for making the enemy believe him to be weak.

m̄ sĭ thó̤ kíam cū hâiⁿ i kíam, thó̤ ke cū hâiⁿ ke, cìe kó;

we do not sell for a low price to those who offer a low price, and sell for a higher price to those who offer more, but we sell for the price marked on the goods.

lṳ́ tîeh kio úa sẃn hó̤ kâi, kè-cíⁿ, úa li m̄ kíam lṳ́ kâi;

you choose a good one for me, and I shall not ask you to take a lower price for it.

• 劍kìam3881813
• A rapier; a sword; a claymore.

chíu tèng khîa ki kìam;

held a sword in his hand.

cí kâi kìam-khak ēng kú huang-hāi khṳ̀;

this scabbard is worn out by long use.

kìam nêk;

the sword blade.

úa ŭ cèk ki pó̤ kìam;

I have a trusty blade.

chieⁿ, to̤, kìam; kek, nĕ chīam-chīam;

spears, daggers, swords, and bill-hooks, in regular array.

mŏng kìam;

to brandish a sword.

kìam-sût;

the art of fencing.

pâng lăi kùa ki cṳ-kìam;

wore a student's rapier when in his room.

kìam sien;

a fairy stiletto, which would kill when ordered to do so.

úa ŭ tùi wn-ieⁿ kâi sang kìam;

I have a double sword, two blades in one sheath.

cí ki kìam lāi căi;

this sword is very sharp.

līen kìam;

a tried weapon.

cù kìam;

a well-tempered blade.

úa àiⁿ cò̤ cò̤ kìam-thâu kâi īeⁿ;

I want it made in the shape of a sword handle.

phah cò̤ ki kìam;

make it into a sword.

tŏ̤ suaⁿ tāng tèng tit-tîeh piaⁿ-cṳ, pó̤ kìam;

when among the caves got a book on military tactics, and a trusty blade.

• 鹹kîam1981979
• Saltish, like sea-water; one of the five tastes.

màiⁿ lô̤h khah kîam;

do not make it too salt.

lŏ kîam;

make salt by pickling.

kîam hṳ̂;

salt fish.

kîam chài;

pickled cabbage.

kîam n̆ng;

pickled eggs.

kîam hu n̆ng;

pickled eggs wrapped in clay.

kîam cúi;

sea water; brine.

cía cúi cíaⁿ a kîam?

Is this water fresh or salt?

îam lô̤h khṳ̀ bô̤ hìeⁿ kîam, ùi àiⁿ ien;

if there is not enough salt put in to make it very

salt, I fear it will putrefy.

i ío tōa cîah kîam;

he likes things very salt.

kîam sng tîam;

salt, sour, and sweet; mixed flavors.

jît-tàu bô̤ kîam;

there are no condiments for the dinner.

bô̤ kîam bô̤ cíaⁿ, cò̤-nî cîah?

There is neither salt nor fresh food, so what are we to eat?

thiⁿ-sî jûah, tîeh ŭ nŏ̤ īeⁿ hó̤ kâi kîam-sng cìaⁿ cîah tit lô̤h;

the weather is hot, and one must have two good relishes in order to eat anything.

hìeⁿ-seⁿ kîam tak-tak, cîah căi tit lò̤h?

How can one eat it when it is so very salt?

lô̤h khah kîam khṳ̀

úa cîah tîeh kîam kàu khó;

it is salted too much: to me it tastes so salt as to be bitter.

cêk sin kîam căi: méⁿ-méⁿ lâi hîaⁿ cúi sói-êk;

I am drenched with perspiration: heat some water as quickly as possible for me to bathe in.

saⁿ-khò cē kîam tîeh cai ūaⁿ, màiⁿ chēng kàu o kîam jūn;

when your clothes are soiled change them, and do not wear them till they are stiff with dirt.

ūaⁿ ŭ kîam saⁿ-khò tŏ̤ kò̤ a bô̤?

Are there any soiled clothes about?

thâu-mô̤ⁿ kîam căi: hàm i ṳ̆-pĭ lâi sói thâu;

his hair is dirty: tell him to get ready to have his head washed.

táng i cîah kîam-kîam, khṳ̀ khà phùa nâng kâi cúi kng;

wait till he has stuffed himself with salt food, and then gone and broken someone's water jar; you will some day wish you had restrained him in time to prevent mischief.

kîam kaⁿ phûe;

preserved orange peel.

lău kîam sūaiⁿ;

preserved mangoes.

koih nŏ̤ lîap kîam bûe, lâi phùe cúi;

nip up two salt plums and take them as an accompaniment to the water you drink.

• 儉kîam387913
• Frugal; sparing; economical.

i cìeⁿ-seⁿ khah kîam;

he is over frugal.

i sĭ kîam căi kâi nâng;

she is very parsimonious.

kîam-siap;

stingy, close-fisted.

• 夢kîam6103611
• To dream.

i kìⁿ-kîam tîeh i lâi;

she dreamed that he came.

úa cá mêⁿ kîam-kìⁿ io lṳ́ cò̤-pû khṳ̀ thit-thô̤;

I dreamed last night that I went out for recreation with you.