Page:A Manual of the Foochow Dialect in Twenty Lessons.pdf/37

36 the gender of birds and animals: 雞角 giĕ-gaé̤k cock, 雞牳 giĕ-mō̤ hen. Gē̤ng and gáe̤k are frequently interchanged, but where gaé̤k may be used for male of both birds and quadrupeds, gē̤ng is a term restricted to quadrupeds.

11. The word “cold” is translated in different ways, according to its different uses. 清 Chéng is used in speaking of wind and weather, and the whole of the human body. The wind is very cold today, 今旦風盡清 Gĭng-dăng hŭng cêng chéng. Are you cold? 汝⿰亻鞋清賣 Nṳ̄ â̤ chéng mâ̤? 凍 Dáe̤ng is used of water, and parts of the body. This water is too cold, 者水恰凍 Ciā cūi kák dáe̤ng. His feet are cold, 伊其㬵凍 i gì kă dáe̤ng.

12. There are several words meaning “to cut” which have to be used with discrimination as to their exact meaning. 割 Gák is used for severing with a knife, as 割胄 gák dêu, to cut growing rice. 削 Sióh means to carve, to slice, to chop small; carve one slice, 削一片 sióh sióh piéng. Gă and 剪 cēng are used for cutting with scissors or shears; 剪花樣 cēng huă-iông, to cut flower patterns.

(1) 湯 Tŏng is used for hot water. 滾 Gūng expresses the rolling action of water in ebullition, hence gūng-tŏng means boiling water. (2) “To take cold” is not translated by either of the words for “cold” given in the vocabulary. A special term 風寒 hŭng-hāng is used for this meaning. He has caught cold, 伊務風寒 ĭ ô hŭng-hàng. 

 EXERCISE VII.


 * 糖 tòng: sugar
 * 鹽 sièng: salt (noun)
 * 通知 tŭng-dĭ: to notify
 * 索 só̤h: rope