Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/kui

by Adele Marion Fielde

kui

• 規kui4821474
• To rule by law; to line out; to regulate; a regulation; a by-law; custom; usage; a fee; a rate for taking a farm.

ēng sĭm-mih kui-kṳ́?

What is the usage?

m̄ pat kui-kṳ́;

does not understand the rules of etiquette.

cí kâi nâng kui-kṳ́ căi;

this person is very well bred.

cò̤ mih sṳ̄ to sĭ kui-kui kṳ́-kṳ́;

he does everything in a very proper way.

ún cí-kò̤ ŭ cí kâi kui-lī;

we have this usage here.

i kâi hieⁿ kui sĭ cìeⁿ-seⁿ;

such are their village customs.

siu gûeh kui; siu múiⁿ gûeh kâi kui-kṳ́ cîⁿ;

receive the customary monthly stipend.

cía sĭ tīaⁿ kui kâi;

this is the fixed rate.

phêng-íu hùe cang chêng-lí kui-cìaⁿ i;

friends admonished him, setting forth correct principles of action.

cía sng sĭ lŏ kui;

these are illegal fees.

• 晷kui484728
• A dial; to use a dial.

jît kui;

a sun-dial.

khîeh kâi jît-kui lâi kui thóiⁿ sĭ sĭm-mih sî-hāu;

take a sun-dial and thereby find out what time of day it is.

• 歸kui4807714
• To return; to go or send back; to revert to the original place or state; to betake one's self to, as for help or shelter; to end; to terminate; a refuge; to divide by one figure.

hîeh lô̤h kui kṳn;

the leaves fall back to the roots.

i hùaⁿ nâng lâi kui hâng;

they have all returned to their allegiance.

cía m̄ hó̤ kui kĭu pàng i kò̤;

you must not lay the blame upon him.

i-kū kui hâiⁿ i;

he gave back to him what he got at first.

mûeh-kĭaⁿ kui kuaⁿ;

the things are confiscated.

kui tńg khṳ̀ pńg kok;

return to one's own country.

kak nâng kak nâng kui ke;

each has gone to his own house.

nâng sí cū tîeh méⁿ-méⁿ kui thó;

when men die they must quickly return to dust.

i kâi châng kui i kâi hiaⁿ-tĭ;

his land reverts to his brothers.

i pat kui tṳ̂ kâi huap;

he knows the rules of arithmetic.

nâng kâi sim lóng-cóng kui i;

the hearts of all turn toward him.

mûeh kui ngŵn cú;

the article reverts to tho original owner.

ēng cò̤ poih kui káu tṳ̂, a sĭ ēng cò̤ poih káu sêng?

Will you do it by division or by multiplication?

ău-lâi cò̤-nî kui kak?

What will be the upshot of the affair?

tang-kui;

spikenard.

kui kṳn;

eventually; in the end.

khì m̄ kui ngŵn;

could not catch his breath.

cîⁿ-bó̤ kui sin;

the capital returns to him.

• 胵kui631306
• The crop of a fowl.

koi kui;

a hen's crop.

kui pá-pá;

its crop is full.

thóiⁿ cí ciah koi ŭ kẁn kui kâi a bô̤;

see whether this fowl has had its crop stuffed with sand to make it weigh heavier.

koi-kui khṳ̀ pûn thit-thô̤;

blow up a fowl's crop to make a toy of.

kui io-io, bûe cêng cîah kâi īeⁿ;

its crop is flabby as if it had not eaten.

• 機kui3337512
• A loom; a machine with complicated parts.

cit pò kâi kui;

a loom.

hṳ́-kò̤ pàng cêk tieⁿ pò-kui tŏ̤ kò̤;

a loom had been placed there.

i tŏ̤ kui tèng keⁿ pò;

she was at the loom, weaving.

thīⁿ saⁿ kui;

a sewing machine.

• 閨kui4811696
• The door which separates the public rooms of a house from the private ones; the women's apartments; unmarried girls; feminine.

kui nńg;

a young lady.

kui pâng;

the private apartments.

m̄ pat tâh chut kui mn̂g;

has never stepped beyond the door of the ladies' apartments.

chim kui-tìeⁿ lăi;

within a lady's chamber.

• 窺kui48711611
• To peep through a crack or hole; to spy; to look furtively at.

kui-thàm;

to pry; to go about looking into.

kui-sĭ;

to peer at.

• 幾kúi333529
• An interrogation implying quantity; how much; little; nearly; several.

nín kúi nâng cò̤-pû khṳ̀ cū hó̤;

go all of you together.

khṳ̀ kàu hṳ́-kò̤ kúi lí lō;

it is a few miles travel.

kúi jît lâi cêk hûe;

comes once in every few days.

keh kúi nî m̄ cêng lâi;

has not come for several years past.

lṳ́ kúi hùe?

How old are you?

cí kâi a-noⁿ-kíaⁿ kúi kâi gûeh?

How many months old is this child?

lṳ́ khṳ̀ kúi tńg?

How many times did you go?

i ke kúi sî àiⁿ lâi;

he is coming after a while.

cí khí ŭ kúi īeⁿ?

How many varieties are there in this species?

hun cò̤ kúi téng;

divided into several species.

kúi kù ūe;

a few phrases.

chûn ŭ kúi kò̤;

have a few pieces left.

lṳ́ téng tîeh kúi kṳn?

How many catties were there when you weighed it?

kâi mng bô̤ kúi níe tăng;

one is but a few ounces in weight.

lṳ́ àiⁿ kúi chùn tn̂g?

How many inches long do you want it?

i àiⁿ hiah ke kúi mêⁿ;

he is going to stay a few nights longer.

lâi ŭ kúi ūi nâng-kheh;

several guests have arrived.

i hṳ́ lăi kúi kâi úaⁿ, kúi sang tṳ̄, i to cai;

he has a minute acquaintance with their domestic arrangements.

• 鬼kúi4821940
• The spirit of a dead man before it is enshrined in the hall; the manes; that which the soul turns to at death; a ghost, a goblin, an apparition, a specter, a devil, a horrid repulsive object, a sordid wretch.

i sĭ thóiⁿ-kìⁿ kúi ā;

he sees a ghost.

sío kúi;

a crazy man.

khṳt kúi mîⁿ tîeh;

possessed by a devil.

thiaⁿ-kìⁿ kúi tó̤ khàu;

heard demons wailing.

kúi sîn kâi sṳ̄ lâng cai;

the affairs of demons and angels are not to be known.

i sĭ tó̤ tàⁿ kúi ūe;

he is whispering false words.

ẁn kúi khîⁿ cêk tōa tu;

an unavenged spirit raises a great troop who come to take vengeance.

hàm i màiⁿ kúi tháu kúi náu;

tell him not to go about sticking his head in here and there.

kúi tĕⁿ tîeh;

a demon has grappled him.

kúi lîah tîeh;

an imp has seized him.

kúi húe;

a will-o-the-wisp.

sĭ ṳn kúi a sĭ ẁn kui?

Is it a satisfied or a dissatisfied spirit?

bô̤ hó̤ ke sîn thàu gūa kúi;

a bad family god gives information to outside demons.

mô̤ⁿ-kúi;

demons.

tŏ kìang kúi;

an echo.

tŏ kìang kúi tùi nâng tàⁿ;

the echo responds.

• 機kúi3337512
• A contrivance; the moving power.

îeh kúi;

the motive power, as in a machine.

i kâi mn̂g ŭ kâi îeh kúi;

his door has a spring-lock.

îeh kúi cē tin-tăng cū lí-kẃn kîaⁿ;

as soon as the spring is in motion it moves on.

tieⁿ kâi îeh-kúi;

invented a machine.

• 詭kúi4831496
• Deceitful; to cheat.

kang-kúi;

crafty; fraudulent; cunning.

i mih sṳ̄ to sĭ kang-kang kúi-kúi, chŵn bô̤ cin-sît;

he is very tricky about everything, and wholly untruthful.

• 宄kúi483402
• Schemers; villains.

i sĭ tó̤ cò̤ suaⁿ thó kúi;

he is a despoiler of graves.

• 桂kùi484756
• The tree which produces cinnamon and cassia, and similar trees.

nêk-kùi phûe;

cinnamon bark.

nêk-kùi îu;

cinnamon oil.

kùi hue;

the Olea fragrans.

• 癸kùi339395
• The last of the ten stems, which belongs to the north and to water.

jîm kùi sĭ sok cúi;

the ninth and tenth stems belong to water.

• 季kùi339395
• The close of a period or season.

kùi chun sĭ saⁿ gûeh;

the third month is the end of spring.

kùi hē;

the last month of summer.

• 貴kùi4841545
• Honorable, noble, exalted, illustrious, dignified, good, and hence in a direct address used as an appellative, you, your; dear, high priced, precious, valuable; honor; to give dignity to; to esteem, to value.

pù kùi;

rich and honored.

kùi cūaⁿ;

noble and base; patricians and plebeians; yours and mine.

cun-kùi kâi nâng;

honored men.

kùi hú tī-kò̤?

Where is your mansion?

cun kè kùi sèⁿ?

What is your surname, honored Sir?

kùi ngŏ̤;

your family residence.

nán kùi séⁿ ŭ cí cêk īeⁿ mûeh a bô̤?

Is this sort of article found in your native province?

tŏ̤ nín kùi kok lâi kàu ún cí-kò̤ jîeh hn̆g?

How far is it from your country here?

kùi kūiⁿ sĭ sôk tī cêk hú?

To which department does your district belong?

cía sĭ kùi-tŏng kâi mûeh-kĭaⁿ;

these are rare articles.

nâng khá m̄ sĭ kùi-tŏng kùe mûeh?

Are not human beings to be held in higher esteem than are things?

kàu cí-kò̤ ŭ sĭm-mih kùi kàng?

What business had you in coming here?

i kâi sìang-măuⁿ sĭ kùi sìang;

he has a physiognomy which promises future honor for him.

cí īeⁿ mûeh sĭm kùi;

this article is very dear.

cía ío phīⁿ, hía ío kùi;

this is cheaper, that is dearer.

cīeⁿ jît khṳt úa bói lâi khah kùi;

I paid too high a price for it the other day.

sin-seⁿ tàⁿ cía huang-cúi móng sî ŏi chut kùi;

the interpreter of the results of geomantic influences, says that these will at a certain time produce family agrandizement.

kùi thói sĭ cò̤-nî m̄ thîo-hûa?

What is the ailment which your Excellency has?

bó̤ íⁿ cṳ̄ kùi;

the mother is ennobled through her son.

sang seⁿ kùi cṳ́;

twin sons.

kùi khì kâi nâng;

a person of rare excellence.

cí cêk ūi sĭ nín kâi kùi chin;

this is a relative of yours.

cí īeⁿ mûeh ŭ jîeh kùi?

What is the value of this article?

kùi bói li kùi bōi;

what is bought for a high price must sell for a high price.

• 任kûi28994
• Able to bear; to allow to be done; to undergo.

kûi i khṳ̀;

let it go; never mind; let it pass.

kûi hùaⁿ nâng khṳ̀ jíang, i tǹg-kùe thiaⁿ m̄ kìⁿ;

underwent the hooting of the whole crowd, and acted as though he did not hear it at all.

i ka-kī cai m̄ tîeh, kûi i hîam;

he himself knew that he was in the wrong, and submitted to her reproof.

kûi i mēⁿ, m̄ káⁿ ìn;

took the scolding and said nothing.

cò̤-nî m̄ tok-ceh i, kûi i khṳ̀ lăng-tăng nē?

Why do you not reprimand him, instead of allowing him to be so heedless?

• 跪kŭi4841576
• To kneel; to bow down in reverence.

kŭi lô̤h khṳ̀;

to kneel down.

pài kŭi kâi lói-sìo, nín kùi kok ŭ cí kâi lói a bô̤?

In the honorable kingdom to which you belong, is the ceremony of kneeling in obeisance practiced?

ún kò̤ bô̤ pài kŭi kâi lói-sìo;

we do not practice this form of obeisance.

lîah i tó̤ kŭi thih-só̤;

made him kneel on chains (a form of punishment).

i kâi kha tîeh kŭi lô̤h khṳ̀ cìaⁿ hó̤ cò̤;

he must kneel and then he can do it.

cèng n̂ang lô̤h khṳ̀ kŭi-sàng;

all made their parting obeisance.

cía sĭ ēng cêk kŭi saⁿ khàu-thâu kâi lói, hía sĭ ēng nŏ̤ kŭi lâk khàu-thâu kâi lói;

for this the ceremony of once kneeling and three times touching the ground with the forehead is used; for that the ceremony of kneeling twice, and touching the forehead to the ground six times is customary.

tá-chiam sĭ kŭi cêk ciah kha;

to half kneel is to kneel on one knee.

i kâi bó lâi kàu pài-pài kŭi-kŭi, lí-kẃn khîu nâng;

his wife came and kept kneeling down and vehemently pleading.

kŭi lô̤h khṳ̀ cū peh m̄ cáu-khí;

having knelt down could not rise.

i íⁿ-keng khéng khṳ̀ kŭi-hûe i, i cò̤-nî hŵn-lío m̄ hàuⁿ hiah;

he has already been and acknowledged his sin and besought forgiveness, so why is he yet unwilling to forbear.

kìⁿ-tîeh, kŭi kàu tak-tak;

when he saw him, he knelt down so that his legs from the knee downward rested on the ground.

• 潰kŭi2658512
• A rout; a defeat; dispersed.

kŭi-pāi;

defeated.

kŭi-sùaⁿ;

completely routed.

kŭi-lw̆n;

put to flight.

• 蹶kŭi44615712
• To stumble, to slip.

phah-cek-kŭi;

to miss one's footing, to stumble and nearly fall.

cáu lío phah-cek-kŭi lô̤h khṳ̀;

ran and tumbled down.