Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/lau

by Adele Marion Fielde

láu

• 老láu5081250
• Aged; venerable; a term of respect, resembling Sire; old; out of date; inert.

láu sṳ;

honored Sir.

láu ìuⁿ cn̂g kâi lâi;

old and young all came.

láu-jîak;

feeble from age.

kèng láu, cun hîen;

revere the aged, and honor the learned.

láu-sît;

harmless; witless; simple; gullible; gentle; tractable.

cò̤ sṳ̄ láu-līen;

versed in affairs.

sìo nì láu sêng;

an old head on young shoulders.

láu-kun; láu-cṳ́;

names of the founder of the sect of Rationalists, or Tauists.

hût láu nŏ̤ kà;

the two sects, Buddhists and Tauists.

• 佬láu52996
• A person; a fellow; one of a class; a demeaning term not infrequently added to the name of a calling.

hiang-pa láu;

a boor, a clod-hopper.

cuang cò̤ gūa-káng láu;

pretended to be a fellow from some distant place.

kî-ĕ láu;

a Tartar.

• 簍láu51411811
• A basket woven of withes and made water tight.

cêk kha îu-láu;

an oil hamper.

• 騙láu6911879
• To swindle; to take advantage of.

i tó̤ kuang-láu nâng;

he swindles people.

láu-kíaⁿ;

a swindler.

• 荖láu5081406
• The siri used with betel.

láu-hîeh;

siri leaf.

phah kháu láu-hîeh;

roll up a mouthful of siri leaf.

• 帶làu846508
• To girdle with; to wear

làu thih-só̤;

to wear fetters.

làu cháu-so̤h;

be led by a straw rope, as are women who are rejected and sent back to their father's house from a husband's home.

i chíu tèng làu cêk pak hieⁿ-cu;

he wore a string of scented beads on his wrist.

làu chíu-so̤h;

wear chain bracelets.

• 瀉làu7978514
• To purge; to flow off.

làu-sái;

diarrhea.

i sĭ cn̂g kâi làu sái-cúi, m̄ sêng pùn;

he has none but watery stools.

làu hùaⁿ kâi o-lô̤ hueh chut lâi;

passed dark murky blood several times.

• 遛lâu54816210
• To linger; to delay; to saunter.

cêk lō cí-kò̤ tau-lâu kúi jît, hṳ́-kó̤ tau-lâu kúi jît, cn̂g kâi m̄ cìn-côiⁿ;

on the way lingered here a few days and there a few days, and made no progress at all.

• 勞lâu5071910
• To toil, to labor, to fag at; to exert one's self for another; to trouble one, as with a commission; to distress; careworn, burdened; services to the state; meritorious deeds.

lâu-tŏng lṳ́;

I am putting you to trouble on my account.

lâu-tŏng kùi-kè;

I wish to engage your valuable help.

m̄ hó̤ khah lâu sīn;

do not take too much anxious thought about it.

lâu sim thài kùe;

overburdened with care.

i cò̤ sṳ̄ khṳ̂n-lâu căi;

he does things in a very painstaking way.

i cêk seⁿ lâu-khó;

hers is a life of toil.

lâu-lâu lôk-lôk kùe cêk sì;

toil and moil through life.

cai i kâi kong-lâu;

know his merit.

lâu kè;

excuse my troubling you.

cía khah ŭ lâu;

this is making you too much trouble.

cìeⁿ-seⁿ sĭ thû lâu bô̤ iah;

this is laboring in vain.

lân lâk kâi nâng;

a toiler.

tîeh lĭam pĕ-bó̤ kū lâu kâi ṳn;

must recollect the gracious kindness of our parents in their former labors for us.

lâu kim jîeh cōi?

What was the amount given as a reward for his services?

cang cí kâi lâi chîu i kâi lâu;

take this and present it to him in recognition of services kindly rendered.

m̄ hó̤ khah kùe bûa-lâu;

do not drudge too incessantly.

kùe iu-lâu cū àiⁿ seⁿ pēⁿ;

moiling too much will bring on illness.

i cí kâi pēⁿ sĭ hṳ-lâu kâi pēⁿ;

this sickness is the result of overwork.

• 潮lâu378512
• The tide.

lâu tĭⁿ a khó̤?

Is the tide rising or falling?

lâu-cúi ŏi kàu cí a bŏi?

Does the tide reach to this point or not?

lâu pêⁿ;

the tide is motionless.

lâu khó̤ kàu tah-tah;

the tide is at its lowest ebb.

kúaⁿ lâu;

follow the tide.

ngêk lâu;

go against the tide.

• 流lâu549857
• The flowing of water; to circulate; to diffuse itself; to shed; to flow out; fluid.

lâu cúi méⁿ;

the current is swift.

sŭn lâu;

to go with the tide.

ngêk lâu; théⁿ lâu;

to go against the current.

cí kò̤ kâi cûn sĭ kîaⁿ lâu cúi kâi;

the boats hereabouts are made to go with the current.

hó̤ huang m̄ phàⁿ lâu;

with a fair wind there is no fear of the tide.

cí kò̤ sĭ lâu sim;

the centre of the current is here.

hueh lâu, hueh tih;

the blood runs.

lâu mâk-cap;

to shed tears.

tn̂g lâu khoi cúi;

an ever flowing stream.

cúi lâu bô̤ kò̤ khṳ̀;

the water has no outlet.

thek sî-kang-kíaⁿ lâu;

to float on the tide.

cí tîo kau lâu lô̤h khoi, khoi cū lâu lô̤h hái;

this drain flows into the river, and the river flows into the sea.

thn̄g thong khṳt i lâu;

poke it open and let it flow along.

sak kín bŏi lâu;

tightly obstructed so that it cannot flow.

lâu phīⁿ-cúi;

mucous running from the nose.

lâu hĭⁿ lâng kôi;

pus running from the ear.

• 樓lâu5137511
• A loft; a staging; a tower; the upper floor or storey of a house; a chamber; a large fine shop; a porch or raised portal; storied.

lâu téng, lâu ĕ;

up stairs and down stairs.

nŏ̤ câng lâu;

two storied.

cĭeⁿ kau-lâu;

go to an eating room.

jī în lâu;

the second storey.

lâu cīeⁿ kè lâu;

storey above storey.

cheⁿ-lâu;

a brothel.

sîaⁿ lâu téng;

a tower above the city gate.

ceng lâu;

a belfry.

kó lâu;

a drum tower.

keⁿ lâu;

a watchman's loft.

cáu-bé-lâu;

a verandah; a corridor.

mō̤ⁿ lâu;

an observatory; a balcony; a lookout.

lâu thâi;

a staging for performances.

lâu céⁿ;

a skylight.

lâu thui;

a stairway.

lâu pang;

the floor of a chamber.

lâu êⁿ;

floor beams.

cí koiⁿ chu ngŏ în lâu;

this house has five stories.

• 留lâu5471025
• To detain; to stop a guest; to keep back; to delay.

khṳt i lâu-cŭ tŏ̤ kò̤;

has been retained by him.

jw̆n lâu, i m̄ khéng nā kò̤;

however much I exerted myself to keep her, she would not stay.

cí kĭaⁿ mûeh lâu-pàng-kò̤ cò̤ cèng-kŭ;

keep this to use as a proof of it.

lâu pàng mùa-cá cîah;

set it aside to eat to-morrow.

lâu i tó̤ sie phŭaⁿ;

kept her to be company for me.

hŵn-lío lâu ṳ̂ tī;

there is still some empty space left.

bô̤ lâu i;

did not urge her to stay.

tau-lâu i nā kò̤;

forcibly detain him.

tau-lâu i kâi mûeh-kĭaⁿ, màiⁿ i khṳ̀;

forcibly detained her things to keep her from going.

mih sṳ̄ bó̤ lâu chêng;

is not accommodating in anything.

khṳt i lâu tó̤ cîah;

kept him to dinner.

lâu jīm;

press to remain in office.

cèng nâng khṳ̀ lâu jīm;

all went to protest against his removal from office.

• 癆lâu50910412
• Wasting away from toil or atrophy of the viscera; consumption of the bowels; marasmus.

hṳ-lâu kâi pēⁿ;

a wasting disease; a pining away.

lâu pēⁿ;

phthisis; emaciated and consumptive.

lâu sieⁿ, hṳ sun;

injured so as to produce a chronic atrophy, as by immoderate lifting.

• 老lău5081250
• Aged; venerable; a term of respect.

lău nâng; lău nâng ke;

venerable sir; an old person.

lău nâng hok-sek;

garments suitable for the aged.

lău ûang;

the old king.

lău sin-seⁿ;

the venerable teacher.

lău tăi-jîn;

Your Excellency.

lău îa;

Your Worship; a god.

hṳ́ kâi sĭ i kâi lău kong-phûa;

those are his grandparents.

• 姦夫lău-ĭen381
• An adulterer.

hṳ́ kâi àiⁿ cò̤ lău-ĭen kâi, sĭm-mih kháu-keng?

What did the one who was tried for adultery say in his own defense?

• 漏lāu5148511
• To drip; to leak; to ooze out; to lose, to disclose, to blab, to let slip; to lose sight of; to let in, as light; a clepsydra.

pó lāu;

to mend a leak.

chù-téng ŏi lāu a bŏi?

Does the roof leak?

hŏ cē tōa lāu kàu lok-lok;

whenever it rains hard it leaks so that everything is dripping wet.

i kâi cûn tiam lāu khṳ̀;

his boat was made to leak by hitting upon a stone.

iap-lāu

to ooze out.

cáu lāu;

run out.

tâng-hû tih-lāu;

a clepsydra.

ŏi jŭi-lāu mûeh-kĭaⁿ a bŏi?

Did he leave any property?

cĭ kâi lâi chō̤ cúi bŏi lāu;

this will not leak if water is put in it.

khîeh khṳ̀ kek, thóiⁿ ŏi lāu a bŏi;

take it and go and press it down on the water and see whether it leaks or not.

khṳt i lāu măng khṳ̀;

let him slip out of the net.

cûn làu kang tang pó lāu chî;

it is rather late to stop the leak when the boat is in mid channel.

cí kâi kha-thâng lāu;

this wash-tub leaks.

i kâi ciah sĭ tih tîeh hŏ lāu kâi;

the marks have been made by the rain dripping on it.

thăi lāu;

wait for an opening.

cí kĭaⁿ sṳ̄ m̄ hó̤ lāu-huang;

do not breathe a word concerning this matter.

• 鬧lāu6171915
• Hum; bustle; tumult.

lāu-jîet;

much commotion; many going to and fro.

hṳ́ kò̤ khah lāu-jîet;

there is too much bustle there.

múaⁿ-tī-kò̤ lāu-lāu jîet-jîet;

a great stir everywhere.

• 瘺lāu51410411
• A purient tumor.

thĭ-lāu;

bleeding piles.