Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/tiam

by Adele Marion Fielde

— tiam —

• 砧tiam161125
• A block or anvil; a chopping-board; a meat-block.

cí kò̤ tiam hó̤, côih lío bŏi mih seⁿ tiam-sut;

this meat-block is a good one, and after you chop things on it, it has not chips of the wood on it.

tiam tîeh kueh cheng-khih;

you must scrape the meat-board clean.

seⁿ tiam;

an anvil.

i kâi mīn poiⁿ kàu kio níu-tiam hìeⁿ-seⁿ;

his face is pitted like a board on which buttons are made.

tu tiam;

a butcher's block.

• 玷tiam895965
• To disgrace, to injure; a flaw or defect.

tiam jôk;

to disgrace; to debauch.

tiam u;

to defile; to deflower.

màiⁿ tiam tîeh; tiam tîeh cū kōi phùⁿ;

do not chip it, if chipped it will break easily.

tiam khih khṳ̀;

chipped as to break a piece out.

• 沾tiam43855
• To be a recipient; to participate in.

i côiⁿ tiang-sî pat tiam kùe i kâi ṳn;

he had formerly experienced his kindness.

bò̤ khṳ̀ tiam-jíam i kâi sṳ̄;

did not get mixed up in his affairs.

kâi kâi to pat tiam tîeh i kâi hŭi;

each had been a recipient of his favor.

• 樁tiam1137511
• The upright post to which the oar of a Chinese boat is attached.

tàu cíeⁿ-tiam lâi kò̤;

put the post into its socket and row.

• 點tíam8952035
• A black spot, a speck, a dot, a little, a mite; a comma; the stroke of a clock; in mechanics a point; the spot where the weight or ower acts or touches; a particle; speckled, starred, dotted; to mark for correction; to prick off; to soil or spot; to light, as a lamp; to nod in assent.

cêk tíam, cêk phuah;

a dot slanting toward the right, and a stroke slanting toward the left.

lṳ́ ci-tíam i thóiⁿ;

you point it out for him to look at.

i taⁿ tíam khṳ̀ cò̤ kuaⁿ;

he is now designated for office.

cí hûe kúi tíam ceng?

What time is it now by the clock?

câp-it tiám lío;

it is already eleven o'clock.

tiám-sim;

luncheon.

àiⁿ hiah cîah tiám-sim;

will stop and take lunch.

khim-tíam hâng-lîm;

designated as a member of the National Academy.

cêk tíam to bŏi chò̤;

there is not the least mistake in it.

úa thóiⁿ i kâi cṳ tíam tāⁿ khṳ̀;

I think there is an error in the punctuation.

cìeⁿ-seⁿ i tíam thâm cìaⁿ lôh;

so his gorge is settled.

ēng ke ŭ tíam cîⁿ;

used a little more money.

i pùaⁿ tíam bŏi lô̤h lāu;

it does not leak a bit.

chûn tíam-kíaⁿ tīaⁿ;

have but a little bit left.

cí pak ūe tíam-jíam lâi hó̤ thóiⁿ;

this scroll is tinted beautifully.

i kâi mīn tèng kúi tíam poiⁿ;

she has several small-pox marks on her face.

lîm-cîⁿ cúi tíam-tíam tih, bô̤ cha chî;

the drops fall one by one from the eaves, but do not fall outside the gutter below.

àiⁿ tíam tī-tîang khṳ̀?

Whom will you designate as the one to go?

tíam mîaⁿ;

to call the roll of names.

ĕ-kùa àiⁿ tíam íong-càng;

in the afternoon the roll of braves will be called.

sĭ àiⁿ tíam khṳ̀ sie thâi, a sĭ àiⁿ tíam khṳ̀ síu ìo-kháu;

are those whose names are marked to be sent off to fight, or to guard the passes?

hŏ tíam;

rain drops.

cêk tíam hŏ;

a drop of rain.

tíam teng;

light the lamp.

kio úa tíam húe;

light my light for me.

cêk tíam cêk ûeh;

a dot and a dash.

mâk-îeh tíam lô̤h khṳ̀ lîang-lîang;

when the eye-water is dropped in it makes my eye feel very cool.

ēng mâk-îeh tíam mâk;

take eyewater and drop it in the eye.

tíam cêk tíam îu;

drop a drop of oil on it.

cheng-khih căi bô̤ tíam nah-sap;

very clean, with no speck of dirt upon it.

bûe-hue-tíam; hue-tíam hue-tíam;

flowered; speckled.

poiⁿ tíam;

spotted.

hi-tíam hi-tíam;

slightly flecked.

buah hún, tíam in-nî;

pat on powder and rouge.

khîeh khṳ̀ phah-siah-phò tíam i màiⁿ lāu;

take it to the shop where pewter ware is made, and get a drop of pewter dropped on it, to stop the leak.

• 店tìam895535
• A shop, stand, inn, or tavern.

nín kâi pó̤ tìam tŏ̤ tī-kò̤?

Where is your stand?

cí koiⁿ sĭ kheh-tìam, hṳ́ koiⁿ sĭ mêⁿ-tìam;

this is an eating-house, and that a lodging-house.

hṳ́-kò̤ khui koiⁿ cíu-tìam;

a restaurant has been opened there.

jît àm cū khṳ̀ chūe hiah-tìam;

went at dusk to seek a lodging.

tìam-ke būe cêng gût;

the inn-keeper had not yet gone to bed.

tìam-cú;

the tavern-keeper.

ŭ cêk kâi tìam-phûa chu lâi ciu-ciap nâng-khek;

an old dame belonging to the inn came out to receive the travellers.

• 匿tìam635239
• To hide; to keep out of sigh; to elude search; to abscond.

tìam miⁿ-miⁿ;

closely hidden.

tìam tŏ̤ i chù lăi;

concealed in his house.

tìam bô̤ nâng thóiⁿ-kìⁿ;

secreted so as not to be seen.

ka-kī li tìam-bûa, chíaⁿ pât nâng chut lâi tàⁿ ūe;

kept out of sight himself, and got some one else to come out and negotiate.

m̄ cai i tìam tŏ̤ tī kò̤;

do not know in what place he is concealed.

• 甜tîam399996
• Sweet or pleasant to the taste.

lṳ́ cîah tîeh ŭ jîeh tîam?

How sweet do you find it?

màiⁿ lô̤h khah tîam;

do not sweeten it too much.

cí īeⁿ tîam lâi kàng, hṳ́ īeⁿ tîam lâi cheng;

this sort has a strong sweet taste, and that has a mild sweet taste.

i kâi chùi tîam câi;

he speaks flatteringly.

tîam kùe bît;

sweeter than honey.

cí cho̤h hṳ̂ cíaⁿ-tîam căi;

this fish is very fresh and sweet.

cîah tîeh ŏi tîam a bŏi?

Does it taste sweet?

i to sĭ cang tîam ngân khá gṳ́ tó̤ kuang nâng;

he makes use of honeyed words and flattering speech to beguile people.

i hàuⁿ cîah tîam;

she is fond of sweets.

tîam līo phò;

confectioner's shop.

chue tîam kúe;

steamed sweet cake.

tîam āⁿ;

sweet fillings in dumplings.

cí nŏ̤ lîap thô̤ sng tîam căi;

these two peaches are of a delicious acidulated sweetness.

kîam sng tîam;

salt, acid, and sweet.

tîam bûe pó;

plums dried in sugar.

cúi cîah tîeh ŏi kam-tîam;

the water tastes very delicious.

i kâi nâng tham tîam;

she longs for sweet things.

i mîaⁿ-ke cò̤ seng-lí, kìⁿ tîeh nâng chùi tîam cîh kût;

he is a skilled salesman, and whenever he meets anyone he is very affable.

khah tîam lío, thn̂g màiⁿ cài lô̤h;

it is already too sweet, do not put in any more sugar.

• 恬tīam899616
• Peaceful; tranquil; quiet.

tīam-cĕⁿ;

undisturbed; calm.

éng tīam-cĕⁿ;

the waves have gone down.

tīam-cĕⁿ, bŏi lô̤-cŏ̤;

placid, not agitated.

huang tīam, éng cĕⁿ;

the wind ceased, and the waves went down.

cí kâi tī-hng ío tīam-cĕⁿ;

this is a more quiet spot.

• 默tīam6052034
• Still, silent, undisturbed.

lṳ́ tīam-tīam, m̄-hó̤ tàⁿ;

you keep quiet and do not speak.

lṳ́ tīam-tīam, bŏi tàⁿ;

you are silent, and cannot tell.

ût lô̤h tīam-tīam sĭeⁿ tŏ̤-lí;

laid down and quietly thought of the doctrine.

chùi tīam-tīam kio é kâi cêk īeⁿ;

mouth as silent as a dumb person's.

hĭⁿ tīam-tīam thiaⁿ, sim tīam-tīam sĭeⁿ;

let the ear quietly listen and the mind quietly consider.

thàng jît tīam-tīam, chŵn thiaⁿ-m̄-kìⁿŭ siaⁿ;

the whole day has been still and not a sound has been heard.

tīam-tīam cŏ̤ tŏ̤ pâng lăi thóiⁿ cṳ;

sat undisturbed in the room, reading a book.

tīam-cĕⁿ;

silent.

tīam-cĕⁿ kâi ūi-chṳ̀;

a quiet spot.

tīam-tīam cîah, m̄-hó̤ tàⁿ ūe;

eat quietly and do not talk.

àm-cĕⁿ tīam-tīam khàu, bô̤ nâng thiaⁿ-kìⁿ;

secretly and steadily cried, and no one heard him.

tīam-tīam cĕⁿ-cĕⁿ;

noiseless.