Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/ni

by Adele Marion Fielde

ni

• 拿ni610646
• To take, to get; to bring or carry in the hand.

ni lâi khṳt úa;

bring it to me.

lóng-cóng ni khṳ̀;

take them all along.

màiⁿ thau ni thau nueh;

do not pilfer any of it.

khòi m̄ cêng ni lâi;

the deed has not been brought.

• 乳ni29857
• Milk.

ni-bó̤; a foster mother.

gû-ni;

cow's milk.

chī ni;

to rear on milk.

cí hûe ni cūn lâi;

the milk has just come in her breast.

lût gû-ni;

to milk a cow.

i seⁿ ni iong, tîeh ēng sĭm-mih îeh lâi ui?

She has a broken breast, what should be used as a remedy?

i kâi ni-cap khah cheng;

her milk is too thin.

i kâi ni-cap lông;

her milk is rich.

• 彌縫ní-phông589
• To set right; to patch up; to help along; to supplement the efforts of another.

thĕng úa lâi kio lṳ́ ní-phông kàu ŵn-chŵn;

wait until I take hold along with you and set it completely right.

cía sĭ cèng nâng kio i ní-phông kâi;

this was done in his behalf by all unitedly.

jw̆n ní-phông, ní-phông m bûa;

however much we try to reconcile the difficulty, there seems to be no way of compassing it.

tăi-ke phêng-íu hùe cài lâi kâi i ní-phông, bú-pit àiⁿ ní-phông kàu sêng;

let all his friends again take hold and help him, and they will surely bring it to pass this time.

sie-hŭ ní-phông;

help rectify the blunder.

• 染ní286755
• To dye; to color.

ní phò;

a dyer's shop.

àiⁿ ní cò̤ kang-cheⁿ kâi;

wish to have it dyed brown.

i tó̤ khui ní pâng;

he has a dyeing establishment.

ní kàu bŏi thò̤ sek;

dyed a fast color.

ní kang hó̤ căi, ní lío bŏi pìen sek;

the dyeing is well done and the colors will not change.

• 璽ní7909614
• The royal signet.

gêk-ní;

the great seal.

i tit tîeh thŵn kok kâi gêk-ní;

he received the state seal.

gêk-ní khṳt i pì cáu;

the great seal was carried off by him on his back.

• 泥nî630855
• Mud; soil; mire.

thô nî ;

clay, mud, soil.

i cò̤ sṳ̄ thoa nî thoa cúi;

he does a thing as if he were being dragged to it through mud and water.

nî-cúi chīeⁿ;

a mason.

• 脂nî551806
• Viscid juice or dried gum.

in-nî;

cosmetics.

buah in-nî;

use cosmetics.

chīu nî;

the juices of a tree.

chêng chīu nî;

the sap of the banyan.

in-nî hún;

white cosmetic.

nî lâu-lâu;

the juice flows.

• 呢nî630805
• Woolen cloth; broadcloth.

nî pò;

woolens.

lâm nî;

blue flannel.

o nî;

black broadcloth.

nî kah-kíaⁿ;

a sleeveless jacket of broadcloth.

nî bé-kùa;

a cloth riding jacket.

• 麼nî602805

cò̤-nî;

why, how, what.

i cò̤-nî tàⁿ?

What did he say?

tîeh cò̤-nî cò̤ cìaⁿ hó̤?

What is the best thing to be done?

lṳ́ cò̤-nî tàⁿ cía ūe?

Why do you speak thus?

• 尼nî630442

nî-ko;

a Buddhist nun.

nî-ko am;

a nunnery.

• 年nî634518
• A year, a revolution of the seasons; the years one has reached.

kim nî; kin nî;

this year.

kū nî;

last year.

mêⁿ nî;

next year.

ău nî;

year after next; in after years.

tōa ău nî;

the year after year-after-next.

côiⁿ nî;

year before last, or in former years, (according to the emphasis, whether placed or the first or the second syllable).

tōa côiⁿ nî;

the year before year-before-last.

kṳ̆n nî; hīn nî;

of late years.

kú nî;

many years ago.

soiⁿ nî;

in former years.

cīeⁿ nî;

in other years.

kó-cá nî;

in olden times.

ĕ nî;

in coming years.

lâng nî;

a few years.

kúi nî;

several years.

choiⁿ nî peh nî to m̄ lâi;

has not been here for ages.

i jîeh cōi nî-khí?

Of what age is he?

ŭ nî-hùe kâi nâng;

one advanced in years.

i kâi nî-hùe khin;

he is not advanced in years.

sìo nî nâng;

a young person.

cheⁿ nî chut sṳ̆, lău nî cìaⁿ cò̤ kuaⁿ;

if one takes degrees in youth, he fills office in old age.

i kim nî jîeh cōi hùe?

What is his age this year?

íen nî;

long years ago.

hn̆g nî kâi sṳ̄;

what occurred many years since.

thàng nî;

throughout the year.

pùaⁿ nî;

half a year.

ciu nî;

all the year round.

kuè nî;

to pass from one year to the next; the last day of the year.

sin nî;

the new year.

pài nî;

pay the compliments of the season; make New Year's calls.

ke nî;

older; added years.

cíe nî;

younger; fewer years.

ìuⁿ nî;

in youth.

nî-hùe cíⁿ-cíⁿ;

is very youthful.

nî-hùe sek;

of mature age.

sì nî, nî bō̤, saⁿ nî, tn̂g nî;

four years in dates makes three full years in time.

i khṳ̀ cêk kò̤ cū khṳ̀ kàu cêk nî kú!

To go anywhere takes him a year!

cêk nî kùe cêk nî;

year after year.

nî thâu;

early in the year.

nî búe;

the end of the year.

nî tói;

in the middle of the year.

nî lăi;

before the close of the year.

kàu nî piⁿ-piⁿ cìaⁿ kàu;

arrived just at the close of the year.

nî tn̂g gûeh kú kâi sṳ̄;

a matter requiring time.

nî-nî; pâi nî; múeⁿ nî;

every year.

cêk nî cêk nî;

year by year.

pha kùe nî;

after New Year.

làng nî làng nî;

in alternate years.

keh nî;

intervening years.

keh ke nŏ nî;

after an interval of two years.

kàu taⁿ bói ŭ jîeh cŏi nî kú?

How many years is it since you bought it?

nî-coih sàng lói-mûeh;

make presents during the holidays.

cêk jît tǹg cêk nî;

a day seems as long as a year.

tō jît jû nî;

the days are like years in passing.

thâu nî lâi;

the first year after I came.

kàu búe nî;

during the last year that I was there.

tâng nî kuaⁿ;

magistrates who have entered upon office in the same year.

tâng nî hiaⁿ tĭ;

men born in the same year.

thiⁿ nî hó̤;

a prosperous year.

thiⁿ nî cho-siap;

an unfortunate year.

nî-chéng hó̤, nî-chêng mó̤;

a good or bad year for business.

kàu tĭ nî cìaⁿ cò̤ tit hó̤?

When will prosperous times return?

hṳ́ nî sĭ sĭm-mih nî koi?

What year was that?

cì cêk nî úa bô̤ khṳ̀;

I have not been there for a year.

nî hó̤, nî mó̤;

a favorable or unfavorable year.

bw̄n nî;

forever, perpetual.

cò̤ nî;

perform the New Year rites.

ieh tŏ̤ tī cêk kâi nî-khî;

limit the time to a certain year.

nî-kha sî;

toward the end of the year.

ciaⁿ nî kú;

about a year.

m̄ khéng cêk nî;

not so short a period as a year.

nî gūa;

over a year.

m̄ cīeⁿ nî;

not a full year.

nî chun cē;

a little over a year.

nî khio;

little more than a year.

khui nî;

the opening year.

hīn-khek nî-cong sùe mŏ̤ⁿ lío;

it is the last evening of the present year.

kàu mńg nî cìaⁿ tit cú;

when in the evening of life, had a son.

i kâi nî-sìo kai-cong;

he has attained a good old age.

chia lío kâi cîⁿ ŭ nî bô̤ gûeh;

when he has once got a thing on credit he does not pay till the end of the year.

úang nî to sĭ cìeⁿ-seⁿ;

it has always been so in past years.

lêh nî, bô̤ ko̤i ieⁿ;

for successive years there has been no variation.

saⁿ nî kuaⁿ nŏ̤ nî múa;

an appointment for three years is often fulfilled in two.

soiⁿ bói cêk-ē nî-līo pàng-kò̤;

purchase and lay up beforehand the provisions required for a year.

cí sù nî bô̤ nâng lâi;

no one has come from there these many years.

ki-hng nî ;

years of dearth.

hong nî;

years of plenty.

jūn nî;

a year having thirteen months.

saⁿ nî cêk jūn, ngŏ nî cài jūn;

in every five years there are two years having thirteen mouths.

ho̤h cōi nî;

many years.

i khṳ̀ lío bô̤ nî bô̤ gûeh;

since he went nothing has been heard from him.

kim nî hwn-cṳ̂ m̄ pí kū nî ō;

the potatoes of the present year are not to be compared with the taro of last year.

nî siaⁿ; nî sìo; nî khî;

set times in the year.

nî sīu;

the ridge of the nose, from the point to the bridge, a portion of the face considered by fortune-tellers.

hêng nî hông coih ŭ tńg lâi a bô̤?

Does he return at the recurrence of the annual festivals?

bô̤ ŭa nî;

not many years.

cêk nî cêk hùe tîeh cai hâk-sîp;

each year one is a year older, and should have learned something more.

lîen nî;

through a series of years.

ku-ā nî sie lîen lóng-cóng ŏi;

for several years in succession this happened in each year.

peh nî hâi láu;

may you live harmoniously together a hundred years; I wish you a century of conjugal bliss.

tŏ̤ seⁿ lâng pó̤ peh hùe sīu;

it is difficult to secure a hundred years of life in this world.

sí ău lâng pó̤ peh nî phûn;

and difficult to ensure the preservation of one's grave for a hundred years after his death.

àiⁿ cîah àiⁿ chēng īu àiⁿ nî àiⁿ coih, kang-khó căi;

what with food and clothing and the annual festivals, it is very hard to make both ends meet.

nî chim, jît kú;

long years ago.

nî koi;

the year of the cycle.

khṳ̀ kàu saⁿ nî kú;

went there three years ago.

kàu taⁿ ŭ chit nî kú;

it is now seven years since.

cá nî;

in former times.

pât nî;

another year.

i lâi sàng nî lói;

he brings new year's presents.

lêk nî cìn-kòng;

annual tribute.

tī nî?

What year was it?

kah nî lâi, píaⁿ nî khṳ̀;

came in the first year of the cycle, and went in the third.

pâi-múaⁿ nî ŭ mē?

Is it so every year?

• 乳nĭ29857
• The breast; milk.

i tó̤ kio nâng chī nĭ;

she is a wet nurse.

a nôⁿ tó̤ cîah nĭ;

the baby is nursing.

cang sĭm mûeh lâi cîah khṳt i ŭ nĭ?

What can she eat to produce milk?

a-nôⁿ cêng keh nĭ a būe?

Is the child weaned yet?

gû-nĭ ;

cow's milk.

cuh nĭ;

suck at the breast.

līu nĭ;

to milk.

• 泥nĭ630855
• Bigoted; opinionated.

i cò̤ sū thì-thì nĭ-nĭ;

he is very set in his ways.

i kâi nâng thì-nĭ căi;

he is very obstinate.

nĭ huang-cúi kâi sṳ̄ tì-kàu būe cêng cǹg;

have held so tenaciously to geomantic rules, that they have not been able to bury the corpse.

sṳ̄ m̄-hó̤ khu, m̄-hó nĭ;

should not obstinately adhere to one idea concerning the matter.

màiⁿ nĭ tīaⁿ-tîeh cìeⁿ-seⁿ;

do not set your heart upon its being exactly so.

cía sṳ̄ m̄-hó̤ cip-nĭ;

do not be mulish about this.

nĭ-thì, m̄ thong;

set in his opinion so as to be unmoved by argument.