Adele Marion Fielde

“ Why do you come so late? i kîan cìen mén, úa jīo i m̄ tîeh; he walks so fast that I cannot overtake him. lṳ́ cìen sò̤i cò̤-nî ŏi cìen m̄ hó̤? sĭ tī-tîang kà lṳ́ cìen-sen? Since you are so small, how is it that you are so bad? Who was it that taught you to be so? tîeh àng cìen tōa kâi úa cìan àin; if there were one as large as this, I should want it. cìen pôin, hìen pôin; this side and the other side. lṳ́ cìen-sen, úa hìen-sen; you do one thing, and I will do the other. lṳ́ cò̤ cìen ŏ̤i? How is it that you are so competent? lṳ́ cò̤ cìen hó̤? How is it that you are so well? lṳ́ cò̤ ŏi cìen-sen? ”

“ Every Chinese word has a tone inseparable from its pronunciation. In the Chau-chau-fu vernacular there are eight distinct tones, which can be acquired only from a living teacher. Many Chinese teachers know no names for the tones, and different teachers place them in different orders. ”

“ I have seen through it; the trick of it has been found out by me. thóin m̄ chit; cannot perceive it. thóin tîeh m̄ pat tò̤ jīn; do not recognize it. i chen-mên, mâk-ciu thóin m̄ kìn; he is blind, and does not see. híen khui lâi thóin; turn over the leaves and see. thóin cṳ; to read silently. thóin sìen kâi nâng; a physiognomist. i jī ke tó̤ sie thóin; the two are looking at each other. i cē thóin tŏ̤ i mâk cū tŏ̤ i chíu; as soon as he takes a fancy to a thing he has it. i cē thóin tŏ̤ i mâk cū tŏ̤ i tó; as soon as it comes within the range of his eye, he takes it into his mind. thóin khin ”

“ Each village and hamlet has modes of speech peculiar to itself, and many words that are in common use among the people of one locality, are unknown to those in another. The pronunciation given in this Dictionary is that of Chau-chau-fu, the Departmental City.
The figures under the syllable refer to the page on which the same Chinese character may be found in Williams' Syllabic Dictionary, which has been largely used in the preparation of this one, and from which the definitions here given are mainly derived. ”

“ Which is best for sailing, a wind that comes directly astern, or one that comes at right angles to the course? huang thîo hŏ sŭn; just enough of wind and rain. khṳt huang phah ka-lâuh lô̤h lâi; blown down by the wind. huang bō̤; a hood. pŭ huang chok ían; chase the wind and catch shadows; it is mere idle rumor. chīu-sin khĭa tit cìan, m̄ phàn chīu-búe huang îo-tŏng; the erect tree does not fear having its top shaken by the wind. ”

“ In the honorable kingdom to which you belong, is the ceremony of kneeling in obeisance practiced? ún kò̤ bô̤ pài kŭi kâi lói-sìo; we do not practice this form of obeisance. lîah i tó̤ kŭi thih-só̤; made him kneel on chains (a form of punishment) . i kâi kha tîeh kŭi lô̤h khṳ̀ cìan hó̤ cò̤; he must kneel and then he can do it. cèng n̂ang lô̤h khṳ̀ kŭi-sàng; all made their parting obeisance. cía sĭ ēng cêk kŭi san khàu-thâu kâi lói, hía sĭ ēng nŏ̤ kŭi lâk khàu-thâu kâi lói; for this the ceremony of once kneeling and three times touching the ground with the forehead is used ”

“ Is the road dry yet? lō wn-khek; the road is crooked. lō khek lâi khek khṳ̀; the road winds hither and thither. ngŏ̤ tîeh, cū wn lō cáu; if he meets him he turns off into another path and gets away from him. bé lō; a road for horses. chia lō; a carriage road. cûn lō; passage for boats. suan lō; mountain road. pên-pên lō; a level road. lō khi-khu; the road is rough. bô̤ mn̂g lō; nothing to do; out of work; lacking opportunity for action or advancement. bói lō cîn; spirit-money scattered along the road by which a corpse is carried. câh lō; to barricade a road. ”

“ The sun is already down, why is it that supper is not yet cooked? úa mng sĭ m̄ cai, úa ā-sĭ cai cū bô̤ cìen-sen; I knew nothing about it, if I had known, it would not have been so. i mng tó̤ cŏ̤, lṳ́ sĭ thóin-m̄-kìn hén? He was sitting there, did you not see him? lṳ́ hìen ùan lâi: i mng ín-keng khṳ̀ lío; how late you are in coming: he has already gone. lṳ́ tàn i mùan-cá àin lâi, i tan mng lâi lío; you said he was coming to-morrow, and he has already arrived. i mng khṳ̀ nín kò̤ lío, lṳ́ cò̤-nî tin-tò̤ lâi cí kò̤? ”

“ What are you afraid of? kian-ùi i cē m̄ tŏ̤ cū bô̤ hó̤ hiah; am apprehensive lest he be away from home, and so we have no place in which to pass the night. kian sí nâng; scare people to death. cí cho̤h n̆ng khîeh khṳ̀ kio móng nâng ak kian; take these eggs and go and present them to a certain person to remove disquietude. i hó̤-hó̤ sĭ-sĭ cū kian huang; when he is just as well as usual he starts suddenly. sĭ kip-kian-huang a sĭ māng-kian-huang? Is it fits that he has, or convulsions? kip-kian sĭ kian chù nâng, māng-kian sĭ kian sin-sen ”

“ What capitalist is his backer? có suan; wild land inherited from ancestors. suan phîn; a glen having vertical sides. suan cú; the owner of the hill. kuan suan; wild land belonging to the government. nîe suan; tax-paying land on the hills. kong suan; hills owned in common. suan kang; those who work on the hills. suan phiah; nooks among the hills. cĭen suan, lô̤h suan; ascend and descend a hill. pûan suan kùe nía; cross the mountains. kùe suan kīe; a palanquin or mountain chair. chwn suan lêng; a howitzer. suan châk; banditti. suan cē; a stronghold among the mountains. ”

“ How could you know it would be so? kak nâng kak nêng kâi sek-kìen; each person has his own experience. cí khí nâng bô̤ bŭn bô̤ kìen; these people have learned nothing by experience. cîah kàu hìen lău hŵn-lío bô̤ kìen bô̤ sek, thèng cò̤; so old and yet so inexperienced, doing things at random. ka-kī m̄ hío, m̄ tîeh khṳ̀ mn̄g ŭ kìen-sek hùe? If you do not yourself know what ought to be done, why do you not go and ask those who have experience? put kìen khî hó̤, īa put kìen khî m̄-hó̤; have not discovered him to be either particularly good or particularly bad. ”

“ Are you a vegetarian or do you eat all sorts of food? phīn tîeh chàu cho̤; smelled a strong savour. cía pían sĭ ce kâi a cho̤ kâi? Have these cakes any animal fat in them? i cîah ce, màin mak tîeh cho̤; he is a vegetarian, so do not put in what he cannot partake of. ”

“ Which is best for lighting the road, a torch or a lamp? líam ki cúa-ang-teng lâi chīen thóin; light a paper taper to see it by. khîa ki teng khṳ̀ chīen thóin; take a lamp and go and see. chīen-teng chīen-teng thóin tîeh ho̤h ngía; by lamplight it looks very pretty. tò̤ chīen, màin pûah lô̤h khṳ̀; the light dazzles one, do not fall. líam teng khṳ̀ chīen cìan chūe tit tîeh; light a lamp and look for it then you will find it. khîa ki húe-pé khṳ̀ chīen thóin ŭ ka-lâuh tó̤ lō tàng a bô̤; take a torch and see whether it has been dropped on the road. húe sòi, chīen m̄ hn̆g ”

“ Do you fear death or not? i kâi sèn-mīan tŏ̤ úa chíu; his life is in my hand. bô̤ sin ke, īa ŭ sèn-mīan; those who have nothing else, have hfe. sieh kùe mīan-mêh; loves it more than life. t ̆n̄g kùe mīan-ùan; it is a case of life and death. mīan-mn̂g; the gate of life, the medical term for the right kiduey, or a supposed passage between the rectum and bladder. sîen mīan; make reparation for life taken. phah sí nâng, mín sîen mīan; if you kill a man, you cannot avoid paying for his life. ”

“ Are you going to comply with my wishes or not? jĭm chông lṳ́; do as you like. khut chông; comply by constraint. ngw̆n chông; willing compliance. sam chông sì-tek tŏ̤ ke chong pĕ, chut kè chông hu, hu sí chông cṳ́: hŭ-jîn sì tek, îong-mău, kang-hu, tàn-ūe, pin-hĕng; the three feminine duties are to obey one's father before marriage, to obey one's husband after marriage, and to obey one's son in widowhood: the four feminine virtues, are neatness in dress, diligence in work, carefulness in speech, and propriety in conduct. ”

“ I myself have some. lṳ́ ka-kī khṳ̀ khîeh; go yourself and get it. i ka-kī kio úa tàn; he told me so himself. ka-kī o̤-ló̤ ka-kī; praises himself. ka-kī so̤h cò̤ hó̤; he himself mistakenly supposed it was well. ēng lṳ́ ka-kī kâi hó̤; use your own. i ka-kī m̄ cai sío-lí; he is not ashamed of himself. i sĭ ka-kī hāi ka-kī; he injures himself. ”

“ Why have you let it get into a tangle? sùan jṳ̂-jṳ̂; the thread is all in a tangle. i kâi ke lăi jṳ̂-jṳ̂ châh-châh; her house is all in confusion. pûan-úan pái kàu jṳ̂-jṳ̂; the dishes are laid in a disorderly manner. bô̤ thâu bô̤ sú, jṳ̂-jṳ̂; no clue to it in the midst of the tangle. 膩jṳ̆63113012 Fat; rich. pŭi-jṳ̆; nutritious. būe hó̤ cîah pûi-jṳ̆; should not yet eat rich food. ēng khīen pûi-jṳ̆ a míen? Is it necessary to abstain from rich food? bô̤ pûi bô̤ jṳ̆ cîah cò̤-nî ŭ nĭ hó̤ chī a-nôn? With nothing nutritious to eat how can I have milk wherewith to nourish the baby? ”

“ I will lay out a problem in chess for you to solve. tān cêk pō, kî tīan-tīan cū su; if you make but one false move you will lose the game. i âi kî ío tōin, lṳ́ kâi kî teh i m̄ kùe; he is a better player than you, and you cannot win the game against him. lṳ́ ŭ kî-pûan li bô̤ kî-cí, úa ŭ kî-cí li bô̤ kî-pûan; you have a chess-board, but no men: I have chess-men, but no board. tan cí cêk tieh kî cū cûah tōa-bó-mûeh; this set of chess-men now lacks ever so many of being complete. lṳ́ kâi kî hó̤ nĭe i ŭ cêk lîap cí; in the game played you should give him a man. ”

“ Do you want the letters on this pair of screens written with pulverized gold, or will it do to make them by laying on gold-leaf? khí tîo kim sùan; make a gilded molding. thian lṳ́ kâi hó̤ kim ngân; listen to your instructive words. cok kim; câp cok kâi kim; pure gold. cí kâi kim ío kĕ; this gold is adulterated more. phah tîo kim līen; make a gold chain. lṳ́ sî-pie-līen sî kim kâi, a sĭ ngṳ̂n khṳ̀ līu kim kâi? Is your watch-chain of gold, or is it silver washed with gold? i chah ki kim jû-ì, kah kùa sang kim hĭn-kau; she wore a gold ornament in her hair, and a pair of gold ear-rings. ”

“ Do you tell the exact truth, or not? i kâi chùi tàn ūe bô̤ kù sît; he does not speak one word of truth. màin thèng chap chùi; do not rashly interrupt. chìe chùi; smiling. kin tîeh nâng phīn chìe, chùi chìe; he laughs all over his face as soon as he sees any one. i kâi chùi cē tàn cĭu tàn m̄ hàun hiah; when he once begins to talk he talks as if he were never going to stop. i só̤ tàn kâi ūe cn̂g kâi m̄ sĭ chùi cîh; there is no truth in anything he says. lṳ́ sĭ àin khṳ̀ nĭon-hón chùi tèng khṳt nêk; you are going to a tiger's mouth to beg for meat. ”

“ Do you think his house is likely to tumble down? cîah li ŏi, thàng li bŏi; is good at disposing of food but not at earning it. phīn li phīn, bô̤ mih hó̤; as to cheapness, it is cheap enough, but it is not good for much. ”

“ You yawn because you are sleepy do you not? i cŏ̤ lío huah-hì huah-hăi: sĭ nâng khùn-kw̆n mâk-siap, a sĭ hun-ngìen? Having sat down he keeps yawning: is it from the sleepiness produced by fatigue, or is it because the time for him to take his opium has come? thâu huah-hì, thâu chun-lûn; yawning and stretching at the same time. i tó̤ huah-hì chun-lûn, hía īen sĭ phî kâi īen; he is yawning and stretching, as if he were tired and sleepy. mn̂g-khí-cá huah-hì lío, ĕ-hâi ka-lâuh khṳ̀ ”

“ How much is the annual loss from rats? hò̤ châi; squanderd wealth. sĭ hṳ-hò̤ kâi; it is a useless outlay. hò̤-sùan ngŵn-khì; hò̤ tīo sîn-khì; waste one's energies. tăi hò̤, sío hò̤; great and small outlays. ”