Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/meⁿ

by Adele Marion Fielde

• 揸meⁿ3649
• To clutch in the hand, with the palm downward.

meⁿ cho̤h îam;

take a handful of salt.

meⁿ ke pé mīⁿ-hún lô̤h khṳ̀;

put in another handful of flour.

màiⁿ meⁿ sua-îa;

do not scatter it around in taking it up.

• 速méⁿ8231627
• Hasty; hurried; fleet; quick; speedily; urgent; soon.

méⁿ-méⁿ cū tîeh lâi;

must come with the utmost speed.

cò̤ méⁿ cē;

do it more quickly.

màiⁿ khah méⁿ;

do not be in too great haste.

bŏi kîaⁿ méⁿ;

cannot walk any faster.

àiⁿ méⁿ pìⁿ cò̤ māng;

the more haste the less speed.

méⁿ khṳ̀, méⁿ lâi;

the sooner you go, the sooner you will get back.

àiⁿ jîeh méⁿ?

How soon do you want it?

ío méⁿ;

speedier.

• 猛méⁿ610948
• Fierce; violent; determined; inhuman; severe; hot, as fire; biting, as wind; excessive in any way.

hîong piaⁿ, méⁿ cìang;

valorous soldiers and a daring leader.

suaⁿ tèng kâi méⁿ sìn cōi;

there are many savage beasts among the mountains.

méⁿ hóⁿ lô̤h suaⁿ;

a ferocious tiger descended from the mountains.

húe méⁿ;

the fire is burning fiercely.

húe phuah i méⁿ cē;

fan the fire and make it hotter.

méⁿ huang, méⁿ hŏ

violent wind and heavy rain.

khuang huang, méⁿ hŏ;

high wind and driving rain.

• 蜢méⁿ5801428

cháu-méⁿ;

a grasshopper.

cháu-méⁿ kha-thúi;

spindle shanks.

• 盲mêⁿ6091093
• Blindness ; sightless.

cheⁿ-méⁿ;

blind.

i sĭ cheⁿ-mêⁿ kâi nâng;

he is a blind man.

cheⁿ-mêⁿ-kíaⁿ;

a blind fellow.

cheⁿ-mêⁿ sin-seⁿ;

a blind fortune-teller.

cheⁿ-mêⁿ ŭ mâk-ciu-kng hùe khang;

the blind have those who can see to lead them.

i sĭ tâng chut sì cheⁿ-mêⁿ, a sĭ cí ău cheⁿ-mêⁿ?

Was he blind from birth, or has he lately become blind?

i cí kúi jît cioh-mêⁿ;

he has been night-blind for these last few days.

koi-cioh-mêⁿ;

night-blindness.

cheⁿ-mêⁿ koi to̤h tîeh sí nío-chṳ́;

a blind fowl happened to peck into a dead rat; hit upon a good thing by mere chance.

kâi sĭ cheⁿ-mêⁿ!

Your eyes are of no use to you!

khṳt i ui cheⁿ-mêⁿ khṳ̀;

was made blind by taking his medicine.

a-mêⁿ;

that blind fellow.

• 夜mêⁿ1080365
• Night; darkness; after daylight.

mêⁿ-kùa;

in the night.

mêⁿ tn̂g căi;

the nights are very long.

mêⁿ tŏ̤ cí cĭam-cĭam tó̤;

the nights from this time on gradually become shorter.

cò̤ mêⁿ kang;

do night work.

cîah mêⁿ mûeⁿ;

take a night draught of congee.

cîah mêⁿ-hng pn̄g;

eat supper.

mêⁿ cĕⁿ kâi sî-hāu;

in the stillness of night.

hṳ́ cêk mêⁿ úa cin-kìⁿ lṳ́;

I dreamed of you that night.

kim mêⁿ;

to-night.

cò̤ mêⁿ hì;

have night performances in a theatre.

cá mêⁿ bŏi ût;

I could not sleep last night.

côiⁿ jît mêⁿ;

night before last.

tōa côiⁿ jît mêⁿ;

the night before night before last.

mùaⁿ mêⁿ;

to-morrow night.

ău-jît mêⁿ;

day after to-morrow night.

mêⁿ-mêⁿ; pái mêⁿ; múiⁿ mêⁿ;

every night.

pùaⁿ mêⁿ;

midnight.

cêk mêⁿ; cong mêⁿ;

all night.

thàng mêⁿ;

throughout the night.

jît thòa mêⁿ;

all day and night.

làng mêⁿ, làng mêⁿ;

on alternate nights.

pê mêⁿ;

night watchmen outside a camp.

chê mêⁿ; sûn mêⁿ;

patrol at night.

hûang mêⁿ-tău;

beware of night thieves.

tíam mêⁿ teng;

night-lamps.

saⁿ keⁿ, pùaⁿ mêⁿ;

late at night.

mêⁿ-hng, cá-khí;

early and late.

keh mêⁿ;

to spend the night.

m̄ hó̤ keh mêⁿ;

it cannot be kept over night.

lâu i keh kâi mêⁿ;

keep overnight.

cíeⁿ mêⁿ;

night watch.

hó̤ mêⁿ chêng;

comfortable nights for sleeping.

ciu mêⁿ khà khok;

sounds the rattle throughout the night.

thâk mêⁿ cṳ;

study at night.

i hiah tŏ̤ mêⁿ-tìam;

he stopped at a lodging house.

hiah kúi mêⁿ;

stayed several nights.

cí nŏ̤ mêⁿ gûeh kng căi;

the moon has been very bright these last two nights.

• 明mêⁿ599724
• The dawn.

mêⁿ-nî;

next year.

i mêⁿ-nî àiⁿ tńg lâi;

he is coming back next year.

• 芒mêⁿ5781403
• A sharp point; rays of light; a keen edge; a gleam.

cí ki to̤ ío ŭ mêⁿ;

this knife has a sharper edge.

ēng kàu bô̤ mêⁿ, tîeh khîeh khṳ̀ bûa;

when you have used it till the edge is worn off, you should go and grind it.

bûa kàu ŭ sîam-mêⁿ cìaⁿ lāi;

grind it till it takes a keen edge, then it is sharp.

húe-mêⁿ;

sparks of fire.

húe-mêⁿ ko;

a fire-fly or glow-worm.

• 罵mēⁿ57212210
• To rail at; to scold; to abuse with vile language.

káng cho, lŏ̤ chò̤, mēⁿ nâng;

reviles people, using obscene words.

sie mēⁿ;

to berate each other.

i cò̤-nî m̄-ùi tōa nâng mēⁿ?

How is it that she does not fear the scolding she will get from the elders in her family?

jw̆n mēⁿ;

scold without just provocation.

thèng mēⁿ nâng;

abuse people without cause.

mēⁿ kàu bô̤ kò̤ hó̤;

rail at mercilessly.

ki chùi kau-kau mēⁿ;

her jaw never ceases.

cìu-mēⁿ;

to curse.

nīo i mēⁿ;

let him scold.