Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/seⁿ

by Adele Marion Fielde

seⁿ

• 牲seⁿ742985
• Sacrificial animals, of which there are six; victims.

saⁿ seⁿ;

poultry, pork and fish.

seⁿ kháu;

carcasses prepared as offerings.

phōiⁿ cêk hù ngŏ-seⁿ khṳ̀ pài sîn;

prepare a full complement of victims and lay them before the gods.

ceng-seⁿ;

draught animals or cattle.

chī ceng-seⁿ;

rear domestic animals.

• 生seⁿ7421000
• To bear; to produce; to arise, as an event; to grow; to beget; to bring about the birth of; to excite; to live; to come forth; life, vitality; the living; manner of living; raw; unpolished.

seⁿ kíaⁿ;

to bear a child.

bŏi seⁿ;

sterile.

chin seⁿ kíaⁿ;

own child.

seⁿ pēⁿ;

become ill.

sin-seⁿ;

a teacher.

phêng seⁿ;

the whole life.

seⁿ phêng bô̤ ak sṳ̄;

has done no evil in all his life.

ŭ seⁿ ì;

looks as if it were growing.

hṳ̂-seⁿ;

a preparation of raw fish.

boí khṳ̀ pàng seⁿ;

buy living creatures in order to set them free, an act considered to be meritorious.

seⁿ-seⁿ put íⁿ;

age after age in unceasing succession.

seⁿ lâi ngía;

is handsome.

cṳ̆ seⁿ cìeⁿ-seⁿ;

is naturally thus.

seⁿ cîn kâi; seⁿ-sêng kâi;

is natural.

chau seⁿ suah cṳ khŵn;

holds the power of life and death.

seⁿ chut sì;

to be born into the world.

seⁿ jît;

birthday.

chông i seⁿ chut lâi kâi;

arises out of that.

thâu tho̤ seⁿ kâi kíaⁿ;

the first born son.

tho̤ seⁿ;

viviparous.

n̆ng seⁿ;

oviparous.

sip seⁿ;

produced by moisture.

hùe seⁿ;

transformed.

tho̤h seⁿ;

the doctrine of rewards and punishments by a second life.

thau seⁿ kíaⁿ;

bear a child by stealth.

khin seⁿ;

set light by one's life.

seⁿ khì;

get angry.

ciap tîeh i kâi seⁿ-khì;

prolong his life.

seⁿ kòi;

have the itch.

seⁿ ko;

become mouldy.

bw̄n-bw̄n seⁿ-lêng;

all living creatures.

seⁿ n̆ng;

lay eggs.

lṳ́ thóiⁿ hṳ́ lîap mûeh kâi sĭ seⁿ sĭm-mûeh?

What do you think that little sore is that is coming out upon him?

nín kâi hieⁿ-lí seⁿ tŏ̤ tī kò̤?

Where is your village located?

úang i pĕ-bó̤ seⁿ i kàu cìaⁿ tōa!

It is a pity that his parents reared him!

i lîen seⁿ sin cṳ pún to m̄ kù, cò̤ ŭ kù pât nâng?

Since he does not regard his own progenitors, how can he show consideration for other people?

i seⁿ khṳ̀ ko̤h īeⁿ căi;

he is very much deformed.

i kâi thâu-khak seⁿ lâm-sap;

lie has sores on his head, arising from neglect.

seⁿ jûah-pauh;

has a cold-sore.

seⁿ thûe;

has boils.

seⁿ cîⁿ;

borrow money on interest.

i côiⁿ seⁿ côiⁿ sì sĭ cò̤ cek ak;

his sins in a former life were numerous.

hău-seⁿ;

young; in the vigor of youth.

àiⁿ cai côiⁿ-seⁿ sṳ̄, kim-seⁿ sĭu-cía sĭ;

would you know what were the events in your former state of existence, you have but to consider what your present state of existence has been made.

tek seⁿ;

brutes.

seⁿ súaⁿ;

parturition.

hûeⁿ seⁿ;

a cross presentation at childbirth.

tò̤ seⁿ;

presentation of the feet first in childbirth.

chui seⁿ hû;

a charm to produce easy parturition.

chui seⁿ lô̤;

a spiral shell, supposed to hasten parturition.

kin-nî kâi tāu seⁿ cōi căi, kū-nî cn̂g kâi bŏⁿ seⁿ;

the peas are very productive this year, last year they did not bear at all.

seⁿ thâng;

have worms on them.

seⁿ tŏa;

have grubs in them.

màiⁿ seⁿ kîeⁿ kùe seⁿ;

it would have been better not to have begotten you.

màiⁿ seⁿ kîeⁿ pak îeh;

prevention is better than cure.

seⁿ tâk mûeh;

have a malignant ulcer.

i m̄ hio seⁿ sí mn̂g;

he does not know in which way safety lies.

ŭ-cîⁿ-cía seⁿ, bô̤-cîⁿ-cía sí;

the moneyed ones live, the moneyless die.

kìaⁿ-seⁿ;

a parasite; lichens.

seⁿ sek;

the income from money lent.

seⁿ-îok;

lust.

to̤ seⁿ, cíe íang;

bear many and rear few.

seⁿ tau-kíaⁿ;

bear a son.

seⁿ cáu-kíaⁿ;

bear a daughter.

seⁿ sṳ̄;

lead to a disturbance.

seⁿ ūe;

give rise to an altercation.

ngw̆n seⁿ ngw̆n sí;

willing to stake his life on it.

tham seⁿ phàⁿ sí;

long for life and dread death.

sí seⁿ ŭ mīaⁿ;

life and death are as fate decrees; no man can die till his time comes.

i seⁿ gūa sṳ̄;

he indulges in pleasures which are not domestic.

cṳ̆ íu seⁿ íⁿ-lâi m̄ pat thóiⁿ-kìⁿ;

I never saw such a thing in all my life.

thiⁿ seⁿ cṳ̄-jîen;

a natural production.

tâu seⁿ, bô̤ tâu sí;

one gives himself up that he may live, not that he may die.

seⁿ tâk;

to become poisonous.

bô̤ kò̤ hó̤ îong-seⁿ;

no means of getting a living.

seⁿ khùn tó kâi kíaⁿ;

have a son that is of no use.

cêk seⁿ nâng;

all my life.

seⁿ i tit phû;

can surpass her in bearing children.

tîeh i ka-kī tó lâi ŏi seⁿ pìen;

he must be able to think it out for himself.

cía sĭ i tó̤ seⁿ ko peh-lêh kâi;

this is prevarication on his part.

• 樣seⁿ10737511
• Manner; method; style; way.

cìeⁿ-seⁿ hó̤, a hìeⁿ-seⁿ hó̤?

Is this or is that the better way?

căi-seⁿ? căi-seⁿ-ieⁿ?

What sort of thing is it?

cū sĭ cìeⁿ-seⁿ;

that is the way it is; nothing more need be said about it.

• 鉎seⁿ8091675
• Cast iron.

sĭ thih kâi a sĭ seⁿ kâi?

Is it of wrought iron or of cast iron?

seⁿ ue;

a cast iron pot.

lâm seⁿ;

pour out melted iron.

• 腥seⁿ8091309
• Raw, minced flesh.

hṳ̂ seⁿ;

boned fish.

hṳ̂ seⁿ chò;

the vinegar for boned fish.

• 省séⁿ7431094
• A province of the empire; to save, to spare, to diminish; to examine, to inspect; watchful; to awaken.

séⁿ cîⁿ;

lessen the expense.

séⁿ sṳ̄;

makes less trouble.

séⁿ kíam;

to reduce the outlay.

séⁿ-seⁿ nē;

very sparing.

câp-poih séⁿ;

the eighteen provinces.

séⁿ sîaⁿ; séⁿ hŭe;

the provincial capital.

hun-hwt séⁿ-hun;

sent him to a post in the provinces.

séⁿ so̤-hùi;

save expense.

hùi-ēng lîah séⁿ cē cū kàu;

if the outlays are frugally made, there will be enough.

séⁿ-chak mêng-pêh;

investigate thoroughly.

ău-lâi cìaⁿ séⁿ-ngŏ̤;

was afterward roused to a sense of his danger.

hûe ke séⁿ chin;

return home and look after his own affairs.

cía sĭ séⁿ-úi kâi, m̄ sĭ kiaⁿ-pàng;

this one is a deputy sent from the provincial capital, not a commissioner sent from Peking.

lô̤h séⁿ; cìn séⁿ, jîp séⁿ; kàu séⁿ;

to go to the provincial city.

chut séⁿ;

leave the province.

kòi séⁿ;

convoy a criminal to Canton.

keh séⁿ;

the adjacent province.

pńg séⁿ;

our own province.

• 性sèⁿ809615
• Natural disposition; temper, spirit; a quality; a property; faculty; naturally, unconstrainedly.

sèⁿ-mīaⁿ;

the life; one's existence.

i ngĕ sèⁿ căi;

she is very set in her way.

sèⁿ ngĕ căi;

obstinate, mulish.

sèⁿ màiⁿ khah kip;

do not be too impatient.

i kâi sèⁿ sĭang kín, cí kâi sèⁿ cū māng;

his is an impetuous nature, the other is more moderate.

sèⁿ-chêng khwn-hûa;

an easy temper.

ŭ hueh sèⁿ kâi nâng;

a person who is quick to feel, and earnest in doing.

i ío hío îeh sèⁿ;

he better understands the nature of the remedies.

cí īeⁿ îeh kâi sèⁿ hâng-lîang;

this is a cooling medicine.

i kâi sèⁿ-chêng căi-seⁿ-īeⁿ?

What sort of a disposition has she?

sèⁿ tîeh khuaⁿ-khuaⁿ íang;

the right spirit must gradually be developed.

i kâi sèⁿ tōa căi;

she has a high temper.

húe sèⁿ;

fiery; hot tempered.

húe-sèⁿ phû;

his temper was roused.

sèⁿ chàu-pău;

has a violent temper.

pău sèⁿ căi;

very cruel.

sèⁿ un-jîu;

has a gentle disposition.

bô̤ sèⁿ;

mild, amiable.

thò̤ sèⁿ;

become less testy.

i hó̤ sim sèⁿ;

she is good tempered.

màiⁿ jía kàu i kâi sèⁿ phû;

do not provoke him to anger.

i kâi sèⁿ-thâu m̄-hó̤ căi, sèⁿ cē lâi mih mûeh m̄ kẃn;

ho has a very bad temper, and whenever it is roused lie pays no heed to anything.

sèⁿ-lí kâi cṳ;

mental philosophy, or metaphysics.

pek-sèⁿ;

impetuous.

khǹg-kòi i sèⁿ màiⁿ pek;

exhort him not to be hasty.

phiah-sèⁿ;

prejudiced.

ngău-sèⁿ;

arrogant.

jím sèⁿ;

patient.

jĭm sèⁿ;

acts as he feels; not self-restrained.

sai-sèⁿ;

selfish.

sèⁿ kuai-phiah;

cross-grained.

• 姓sèⁿ810385
• The surname of a family or clan; a clan; one of a clan.

kùi sèⁿ? kau sèⁿ?

What is your clan name?

i nŏ̤ nâng tâng sèⁿ;

they both belong to the same clan.

mâiⁿ-mîaⁿ, mût sèⁿ;

to conceal one's name.

i kâi sĭm-mih sèⁿ-sĭ?

What is his surname?

peh-sèⁿ;

the people; the masses.

sèⁿ sĭm mûeh?

Of what clan?

ko̤h sèⁿ;

an odd name.

pât sèⁿ;

another clan.

kó sèⁿ;

old family names.

tōa sèⁿ; tōa jī sèⁿ;

a great clan.

síe sèⁿ; mûiⁿ sèⁿ; pĭ sèⁿ;

an humble name.

bói ûi sèⁿ; teh ûi sèⁿ; phah ûi sèⁿ;

to bet on the names of the successful candidates.

ṳ́n-nêk mîaⁿ-sèⁿ;

to conceal one's name.

hok sèⁿ;

a double surname, a surname with more than one letter in it.

cîah sang sèⁿ;

belong to two clans.

câp sèⁿ;

of various clans.

cí kâi hieⁿ-lí câp sèⁿ;

the residents in this village are of many different surnames.

khĭa sèⁿ;

the largest clans in a village of mixed clans.

cêk sèⁿ chío, cêk sèⁿ phûh;

one clan is powerful, and the other is weak.