Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/seng

by Adele Marion Fielde

seng

• 升seng771242
• A Chinese quart, dry or liquid; to complete or bring about; the 46th diagram denoting advancement; to advance; to rise, as in office.

nŏ̤ tâng sĭ cêk seng, câp seng cū cò̤ cêk táu, câp táu cò̤ cêk cîeh;

two pints make a quart, ten quarts make a pock, and ten pecks make a chaldron.

cêk seng bí;

a quart of rice.

nŏ̤ seng cíu;

two quarts of wine.

kuaⁿ chut lâi seng tn̂g;

the magistrate has come out and opened court.

cí-hûe híang seng-tn̂g-phàu;

the cannon announcing the opening of the court has just been fired.

to̤h jît seng êⁿ;

choose a lucky day for raising the roof beams.

seng kî;

raise a flag.

seng pín;

promotion in rank.

seng-cĭeⁿ;

to ascend.

jît seng khí lâi, gûeh tîm lô̤h khṳ̀;

as the sun rises the moon sets.

cìeⁿ-seⁿ thóiⁿ tîeh ío ŭ seng kàng;

thus there appears to be more ups and downs.

àiⁿ seng phû kúi chieh?

How many feet should it be raised?

seng kûiⁿ saⁿ chieh cū hó̤;

to raise it three feet more will be sufficient.

• 甥seng7421007
• Relatives of other surnames; the sons of a sister.

gūa seng sun sài;

a sister's son's daughter's husband.

• 陞seng7711707
• To rise, as in office.

seng kuaⁿ;

promoted to office.

seng kuaⁿ, kàng gê-mn̂g;

promotion in rank with diminution of power.

cí jît kau seng;

may you soon be promoted.

seng jīm;

obtain a post.

• 笙seng7421185
• An instrument of the organ kind, a Pandean pipe, composed of thirteen dissimilar reeds inserted in a gourd-bulb, with a bent blow-pipe; the music is made by inhaling the air through the reeds.

kuh seng;

to play the Pandean pipe.

• 生seng7421000
• Life; the living; means of living.

hâk-seng;

students.

mn̂g-seng;

disciple, pupil.

mńg-seng;

an adherent.

cṳ seng;

a scholar.

ui-seng;

a physician.

thien-bûn-seng;

an astrologer.

seng tòaⁿ;

actors, taking male and female parts.

bú-seng; bú-seng-ŵn;

military men.

cìaⁿ seng;

princes.

lău seng;

an old man.

seng-lí;

trade, commercial transactions.

cò̤ seng-lí nâng;

those engaged in trade.

hó̤ seng-lí;

a profitable business.

• 猩seng809949
• An ape, described as having yellow hair, sharp ears, and a human face. Strange stories are told of its ability to speak, wear shoes, drink wine, and go in companies.

nâng tàⁿ seng ŏi tàⁿ ūe, sĭ mē?

People say the yellow ape can talk, is it so?

• 旌seng993707
• A banner.

chíaⁿ seng pío;

request that a worthy person may be honored with a scroll.

seng pío cak hàu;

a testimonial to filial piety.

• 桑seng724756
• The mulberry tree.

seng-sûi châ;

mulberry wood.

seng-sûi cí;

mulberries.

• 勝sèng7711910
• To conquer; to get the victory; to excel.

i kâi nâng hàuⁿ sèng;

he loves to be first.

sèng kùe pât nâng;

surpasses other people.

phah sèng cĭang;

win a battle.

tit sèng tńg lâi;

returned victorious.

i nŏ̤ nâng cìen khṳ̀ m̄ hun sèng-hŭ;

neither of the two got the advantage of the other in the fight.

cìen sèng;

to overcome in battle.

cō̤ sèng sì;

on the winning side.

hûa-kî, âng sèng;

the red wins (in the game of chess).

• 誠sêng781497
• Guileless; sinceire; real; unalloyed; really; verily; in fact.

sêng-sim;

honest.

sêng-kèng;

pure-minded reverence.

tâu sêng;

return to allegiance.

sêng-sît;

sincere.

ci sêng cū ŏi kám-tŏng sîn-mêng;

entire sincerity will move the gods.

• 榕sêng11477510
• The bastard banyan.

sêng chīu;

the banyan tree.

ciaⁿ gûeh cèng tek, jî gûeh cèng sêng;

in the first month plant bamboos, in the second month banyans.

• 承sêng78644
• To succeed to; to take over; to undertake; to receive and hold.

sĭ kio i sêng pûe kâi;

is what ho has taken off her hands; has superseded him in the possession or occupancy of it.

cí kâi sĭ kio nâng sêng kâi;

this is something taken over from another.

cía sêng-sĭu m̄ khí;

I am not adequate to this.

hŏng-sêng;

adulation; flattery.

sêng-ciap i kâi ĕ chíu;

take hold when he lets go.

sêng tng m̄ tit;

cannot bear up under so much; cannot answer for it.

i tó̤ tng sêng-hwt-pâng cóng-su;

he is the officer in the Board who receives and forwards dispatches.

sêng cīeⁿ kâi mĕng;

to receive orders from a superior in office.

cang i a-tĭ kâi kíaⁿ lâi sêng i kâi hieⁿ-teng;

adopted his younger brother's son, as a successor who should in his stead worship the manes.

• 丞sêng7815
• To aid, to second; a deputy, a coadjutor, an assistant.

sêng-sìeⁿ;

a prime minister (an ancient term).

kūiⁿ-sêng;

a district magistrate's deputy.

jī ke sĭ sêng;

they are coadjutors each to the other.

îah-sêng;

a road-master superintending a station on a post-road.

• 乘sêng77249
• In arithmetic, to multiply.

sǹg-sìo put kùe sĭ ēng kui in sêng tṳ̂ kâi huap;

calculation is merely the use of the rules for division, addition, multiplication and subtraction.

• 成sêng77622
• To bring to pass.

sêng cĭu;

accomplished.

cò̤ tit sêng;

can compass it.

cò̤ m̄ sêng;

could not bring it about.

cò̤ sêng a būe?

Is it yet completed?

m̄ sêng khì;

not fitted for the position.

sêng jîn khì;

fitted for actual life.

tì sêng pēⁿ;

to become sick.

cò̤ sêng lío;

already effected.

lṳ́ thóiⁿ cí kĭaⁿ sṳ̄ cò̤ tit sêng;

see whether this can be effected.

sêng teng;

an adult.

būe sêng teng;

a minor.

i kâi chin íⁿ-keng cò̤ sêng lío;

his marriage is already consummated.

tô̤h jît sêng chin;

choose the day for the wedding.

m̄ sen̂g phìen tn̄g;

not amounting to a wholesale packet.

kong sêng, mîaⁿ cĭu;

honors attained and fame secured.

lău-sêng căi;

trustworthy.

• 松sêng830754
• The pine tree.

sêng-peh;

pine.

sêng-hieⁿ;

resin, pitch.

sêng thùaⁿ;

charcoal made from pine.

sêng-peh lûi;

pine cones.

sêng-peh chiu;

pine needles.

lô̤-hàng-sêng;

the yew.

• 乘sĕng77249
• To seize the opportunity; to take advantage of; to avail one's self of; in arithmetic, to multiply.

sĕng ŭ khang-khiah cū jîp khṳ̀;

get in through a crack.

sĕng ki-hŭe;

seize the chance.

sĕng i bô̤ ṳ̆-pĭ;

catch him unprepared.

sĕng huang, pàng húe;

when the wind is right, set it on fire.

sĕng cí kâi sì ío kōi cò̤;

take advantage of the drift in that direction, and it will be more easily done.

kui in sĕng tṳ̂ kâi sǹg huap;

the rules for division, addition, multiplication and subtraction.

sĕng ki cak-lw̆n;

take the opportunity to revolt.

sĕng pĭen kìa lâi;

send it when there is a convenient opportunity.

• 盛sĕng7721087
• Plenteous; abundant; flourishing; exuberant; in perfect conditio.

jú buah jú sĕng;

the more I annoint it, the more it spreads.

mŏng-sĕng;

luxuriant; affluent; thrifty.

sĕng sue;

to thrive or to decline; growing vigorous, or failing in health.

cí hûe cìaⁿ tó̤ sĕng kâi sî-hāu;

this is a prosperous time with it.

thô̤ hue sĕng khui kâi sî-hāu;

when the peaches are in bloom.

i kâi húe tó̤ sĕng;

the fever is increasing.

húe tó̤ sĕng, phah m̄ kùe;

the fire is burning more hotly, and cannot be extinguished.

châk-sì sĕng;

the rebels gather strength.

cía sĭ i cêk tn̄g sĕng ì;

this is his idea about it.