Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/kue

by Adele Marion Fielde

kue

• 瓜kue466970
• A generic term for cucurbitaceous plants, such as the cucumber, melon and squash.

tìo kue;

cucumbers.

si kue;

water-melons.

tang kue;

squashes.

bâk kue;

the papaya.

hún kue;

a small yellow squash.

khó kue;

the bitter gourd.

seⁿ lâi tang-kue-mīn tang-kue-mīn nē;

has a long oval face.

kim kue;

a gilded wooden bludgeon, with a head like a melon.

kùa sang bâk-kue-līam kâi hĭⁿ-kau;

wore a pair of ear-rings, with conical drops and long hooks.

khòi-kue cí;

sweet melon seeds.

tang-kue jîn;

squash seeds.

tang-kue cheh;

preserved squash.

lṳ́ kio i ŭ sĭm-mih kue-kuah?

What is your relationship to him?

hê kue;

a small hairy cucumber.

tek-kue hó̤ cò̤ cìeⁿ-kue;

young cucumbers are made into pickles.

• 粿kúe4901198
• Steamed cakes, made from rice flour.

cí kâi coih nín ceng ŭ jîeh cōi kúe?

How many cakes did you make for this festival?

ún cò̤ nŏ̤ saⁿ táu bí kúe;

we made two or three pecks of rice into cakes.

hîaⁿ kúe;

heat up the cakes.

ìn kúe;

mould the cakes.

chue tîam kúe;

to steam sweet cakes.

nâk kúe tîeh nâk câu-câu;

in mixing the cakes with the hands, you must mix them thoroughly.

ĭoⁿ khí lêng-sn̂g cū sĭ kúe;

lift up the steamer and there is the cake.

cò̤ cho̤h kúe-cap lâi tíam-sim;

make some porridge from a piece of cake, to lunch upon.

cêk sn̂g kúe;

one whole steamed cake; one steamerful of the cake.

nâng lâi hĕ cêk kîe kúe, hó̤ khṳ̀ côih cò̤ cêk hue cêk hue lío lâi luah;

some one has brought and presented us an oblong section of cake, cut it into slices transversely and fry them brown.

kúe āⁿ;

the stuffing in a steamed cake.

kàⁿ kúe thô̤;

round raised cakes.

• 餜kúe4901848
• Cakes made from wheaten flour; biscuits.

tê kúe;

tea biscuits.

thn̂g kúe;

sweet cakes.

• 果kúe489754
• The fruit of trees; seeds with a covering and pulp; results; effects.

i hn̂g lăi peh īeⁿ kúe-cí to ŭ;

there was every sort of fruit tree in the garden.

kúe-cí tng sêk kâi sî-hāu;

when the fruit is ripe.

ău-lâi kui-sêng cìaⁿ kúe;

afterward the fruit comes to perfection.

cheⁿ kúe;

fresh fruit.

cheⁿ kúe phò;

a fruit shop.

cí īeⁿ chīu ŏi kit kúe-cí a bŏi?

Does this sort of tree bear fruit?

kúe-cí kit m̄ sêng;

the fruit does not come to perfection.

ău-lâi sĭm-mih kak-kúe;

what will be the consequences hereafter?

seⁿ kúe-cí;

bear fruit.

cêk hù ngŏ kúe tîh;

a set of fruit dishes.

kin nî kak chù kâi kúe-cí seⁿ lâi kâu;

fruit is plenty everywhere this year.

i sĭm siang-sìn in kúe kâi sṳ̄;

she is one who believes very firmly in the doctrine that conduct in a previous life produces results in this.

• 藉kúe97314014
• To bolster up; to use as a cushion.

khîeh kò̤ mûeh lâi kúe;

get something and put under it to raise it.

bô̤ kò̤ tĭen lâi kúe, cŏ̤ tîeh ngân-ngân;

have no cushion to put under me, and it is very cold to sit upon.

pun ĕ-jît kíaⁿ-sun-hùe hó̤ kúe kha chíu;

for his descendants to avail themselves of hereafter as a help to attain a higher position.

cang ńng-ńng kâi mûeh lâi kúe;

get something very soft and put under it.

• 過kùe4901629
• To pass by; to go beyond or up to; to exceed; to overpass; to spend, as time; to transgress; to violate propriety; an error, a fault; a sign of past time, or of the perfect tense; an adverb of comparison; then, more; too, rather, excessive; to approach; to send to.

khn̂g-kòi i tîeh cai kói kùe;

exhort him to reform.

i íⁿ-keng kùe sì lío;

he has already departed this life.

tâng tiang-sî kùe sin?

When did he die?

i kùe-khṳ̀ kú lío;

he passed away long since.

i kùe khṳ̀ a būe?

Has he passed by yet?

ŭ tùi cí-kò̤ kùe a bô̤?

Did they pass by here?

mih nâng to tùi cí-kò̤ keng kùe;

every body goes by here.

úa kîaⁿ tùi nín phò kha kùe;

I walked past your shop.

hṳ́ kò̤ ēng kùe kîe a mín?

Need we cross a bridge there?

tîeh kùe cêk têng kîe, kah nŏ̤ têng tō, lío pûaⁿ kùe suaⁿ cū tŏ̤ kò̤;

you must cross one bridge and two ferries, then traverse the mountain and you will be there.

put kùe;

nothing more than.

put kùe nŏ̤ saⁿ kâi tīaⁿ-tīaⁿ;

only two or three.

i thiaⁿ tîeh kùe m̄ khṳ̀;

he could not endure hearing it.

kùe-sit;

a peccadillo; a fault.

cêk kĭaⁿ tōa kùe-sit;

a great blunder.

cêk tu tōa kùe suaⁿ;

a heap bigger than a mountain.

kâi khang chim kùe hái;

a hole deeper than the sea.

seⁿ lâi ngía kùe kúi;

is handsomer than an imp.

i kâi ŏi kùe kúi;

his abilities are surpassing.

cìeⁿ-seⁿ khah kùe cíe, hìeⁿ-seⁿ khah kùe cōi;

this is too little, and that is over much.

i ŏi cai kùe-khṳ̀, būe-lâi kâi sṳ̄;

he can discover what has passed and what has not yet happened.

kùe hūn;

officious; to exceed one's functions.

lṳ́ m̄ hó̤ kùe hūn;

do not meddle in what does not pertain to your office.

ûeh kùe hûn;

set a mark beyond the crease.

īa bô̤ khṳt nâng ûeh kùe, īa bô̤ ûeh kùe nâng kâi;

neither give nor take more than is due.

hṳ́-kò̤ úa pat khṳ̀ kùe lâi;

I have been there.

úa pat thóiⁿ kùe ku-ā chṳ̀;

I have seen it several times.

cía cṳ úa thâk kùe kâi;

this book is one that I have read.

thiaⁿ kùe m̄ jû thóiⁿ kùe, thóiⁿ kùe m̄ jû cò̤ kùe;

to have heard about a thing is not so good as to have seen it, and to have seen it is not so good as to have made it.

i li thài kùe, i li khah put kîp;

the one is excessive, and the other is impracticable.

cí kâi kîeⁿ kùe hṳ́ kâi;

this is superior to that.

úa cêng tâu kùe i tōa nâng;

I have informed his superior.

cí kâi tōa kùe hṳ́ kâi;

this is larger than that.

kûiⁿ kùe i;

taller than he.

i sieh lṳ́ cōi kùe lṳ́ sieh i;

he loves you more than you love him.

to̤ kùe cúi bô̤ hûn;

a knife drawn across water leaves no mark.

i sĭ cáu kùe sì úang kâi nâng;

he is one who has been everywhere.

àiⁿ lâu i nā cí kò̤ kùe mêⁿ, i m̆;

wanted him to stay here all night but he would not.

kùe ke nŏ̤ jît cū sĭ kùe nî;

after two days more, we pass from one year to the next.

mn̄g i àiⁿ tńg khṳ̀ chù kùe coih mē;

ask him if he is going home to spend the holidays.

ŭ kùe;

is at fault.

bô̤ kùe;

has not erred.

cía sĭ i kâi cŭe-kùe;

this is his fault.

bô̤ cŭe bô̤ kùe;

blameless.

úa sĭ chì kùe kâi;

I have tried it.

lâng kùe i cìeⁿ-seⁿ;

it is difficult to get over his acting thus.

cí kĭaⁿ sṳ̄ kùe ì căi;

this far surpasses my expectations.

íⁿ-keng kùe khî lío;

passing strange.

sìaⁿ kùe ku;

infallible as fate.

• 熄kùe8048610
• To extinguish; to quench.

ìm kùe húe;

put out the fire by raking the ashes over it.

pûn kùe teng;

blow out the lamp.

cek pun huang chue kùe khṳ̀;

the candle has been blown out by the wind.

cí ki cúa-âng-teng, tōa ki, còng pun huang chue kùe, hŵn-lío hut ŏi tô̤h;

this paper torch is a large one, and although it should be blown out by the wind, it may still be set blazing by blowing it.

lṳ́ m̄ hó̤ tiaⁿ kùe teng;

do not put out the lamp by touching it.

húe-pé hó̤ phah kùe;

put out the torch by knocking it.

kìu húe kìu kàu taⁿ cìaⁿ kùe;

they have been striving to extinguish the fire, and have only just now succeeded.

kìu khṳ̀ kùe a būe?

Have they yet got the fire extinguished?

cang cúi lâm kùe;

dash on water to quench the fire.

• 髻kùe3381907
• A false coiffure, made of cloth and metal, worn by women of middle age.

phah cêk kâi kim kùe;

make a gilded coiffure.

i tì cêk kâi ngṳ̂n kùe līu kàu tak-tak-chiah;

she wears a silver coiffure, washed with gold till it gleams.

i kâi kùe pak lío, khǹg lô̤h kùe âp;

having taken off her coiffure she put it in its box.

thâu-mô̤ⁿ siu hó̤ tì kâi kùe lô̤h khṳ̀;

having combed her hair, she put on her head-dress.

• 遍kùe6891629
• To make a circuit; to go around; the whole.

úa íⁿ-keng thâk cêk kùe;

I have already read it through once.

kîaⁿ kùe saⁿ sì kùe;

have been over the whole ground three or four times.

thâk bô̤ kúi kùe cū pat;

by reading it through only a few times he knows it.

• 葵kûe4871409
• Large leaved plants.

kûe-hîeh;

palm leaves.

kûe-sìⁿ;

palm leaf fans.

• 絆kûe6521205
• To be in the way; to be an impediment; to stumble upon.

kha kûe tîeh cū pûah lô̤h khṳ̀;

if one stumbles against it, he will fall down.

màiⁿ pàng kò̤ kûe kha, kûe chíu;

do not leave it there to be in the way.

khṳt i kûe-cŭ tŏ̤-kò̤;

has been stopped by stumbling upon it.

kûe lô̤h khṳ̀, tó̤ kàu lī-lī;

stumbled and fell flat.

khṳt tŏ̤-lí kûe kín, bŏi tit khṳ̀;

cannot go because the rules of etiquette stand in the way.

màiⁿ kûe tîeh lō;

don't block up the way.