mong ka mong ciu - what do you think this mean

Soon after Lim Dai Kim’s 林大欽 wife finished teaching the children a nursery rhyme, Lim Dai Kim said:

a1di6 a1mue6mue6

阿弟阿妹妹

Girls and boys

Se5deng5 zoin5 lo2 mou6 houn2sai1

祠堂前裸舞虎獅

(there) is a lion dance in front of the ancestral hall

mou6 houⁿ2sai1 or some say as mong6 houⁿ2sai1 means to dance a lion dance 舞虎獅 The subtitles use the wrong mou6 茂 character and even native speakers write incorrectly.

You should know to dance is said as tiao3bhu2 跳舞

and this character 舞 is said as bhu2 when it is used as a noun and mou6 or mong6 when used as a verb.

There is another Teochew expression: mong6 ka1 mong6 ciu2 舞骹舞手 and before I could read Chinese, I used to think it was mong5 ka1 mong5 ciu2 摸骹摸手 i.e. a man getting fresh with a lady and touching her. Well, mong6 ka1 mong6 ciu2 舞骹舞手 means to move one’s hands and legs.

Nursery Rhyme

You can hear Lim Dai Kim’s 林大欽 wife teaching the children this nursery rhyme.

I think it is very strange to oi1 bhi2 because chicken eat cêg4 粟 or paddy or any grains [rice with its husk] and these do not need to be grinded.

oi1 ia7 oi1

挨呀挨

oi1 bhi2 lai5 ci7 goi1

挨米來飼雞｜挨米来饲鸡

ci7 goi1 gio3 gog4 gê1

飼雞叫嘓𠺢｜饲鸡叫啯𠺢

ci7 gao2 lai5 zio3 mên5

飼狗來照暝｜饲狗来照暝

ci7 a1di6di6 tag8ze1 zo3 sing1sên1

飼阿弟弟讀書做先生｜饲阿弟弟读书做先生

ci7 a1mue6mue6 oh8 zig8coi1

飼阿妹妹學織綕｜饲阿妹妹学织綕

pang2sê1 zig8coi1 siu3 ngia2 huê1

紡紗織綕綉雅花｜纺纱织綕绣雅花

 

pang2sê1	紡紗｜纺纱	to spin cotton
zig8coi1	織綕｜织綕	to weave cloth
siu3	綉｜绣	to embroider

 

debt

 In the video, A’Tui 阿濤 , the elder brother asks the younger brother A’Hang 阿杭 about his business situation. The word to learn is hu6zê3 which means debt.

hu6zê3	負債｜负债	to be in debt, to incur debts, financial liability
Liao2 huan1 oi6 hu6zê3 bhoi6	了還會負債𠁞｜了还会负债𠀾	Are (you) in debt?

 

What do you think of this Teochew sentence?

 Do just listen to this Teochew sentence:

siang1tuang5 i1 huang1zui2 hiang5hag8 hui1sion5 gao3lag8

相傳伊風水玄學非常夠力｜相传伊风水玄学非常够力

Legend has it that its philosophical school’s geomancy is very formidable.

Can you do a better translation into English?

One way how Teochew Romanised words are formed

 潮州十五聲母 - Teochew 15 initial consonants – Teochew Romanised word begins with one of these 15 initial consonants and ends with one of the 40 final syllables according to 鄭雪儂  He explains how our Teochew Romanised words are formed when you listen to this video.

潮州十五音 Teochew 15 initial consonants

柳	邊	球	去	地
Liu2	Biang1	Giu5	Ke3	Di7
頗	他	貞	入	時
Po2	Ta1	Zêng1	Rib8	Si5
英	文	語	出	喜
Êng1	Bhung5	Ghe2	Cug4	Hi2

 

潮州四十韻母 - Teochew 40 final syllables

君	堅｜坚	金	規｜规	佳
gung1	giang1	gim1	gui1	gia1
乾幹｜干	公	乖	經｜经	關｜关
gang1	gong1	guai1	gêng1	guang1
孤	驕｜骄	鷄｜鸡	恭	歌
gou1	giao1	goi1	giong1	go1
皆	斤	姜	甘	柯
gai1	geng1	Giang1	gam1	gua1
江	兼	交	家	瓜
gang1	giam1	gao1	gê1	guê1
膠｜胶	龜｜龟	緊｜紧	枝	鳩｜鸠
ga1	gu1	ging2	gi1	kiu1
官	車｜车	柑	經	京
guan1	ge1	gan1	gên1	gian1
蕉	薑｜姜	天	光	間｜间
zio1	gion1	tin1	guang1	goin1

Please remember our Teochew is  古 gou2 (ancient) not 土 tou2 (vernacular)