Professor Lim uses our Teochew words and expressions I

Updated 30th April 2022

Professor Lim [Lim ga3siu6 林教授] uses our Teochew words and expressions talking with a Singaporean and Malaysian Teochew nang. 

Professor Lim speaks very fast and he assumes we know basic Teochew. I have therefore typed out what he has said so it is easier for you to follow what he is teaching. 

Somewhere in the video, he regrets that so many of our people today use Mandarin expressions, words and phrases, while speaking Teochew. 

Perhaps we should play a game in translating Mandarin Teochew into proper Teochew. 

Do remember, that our Teochew language is from Middle Chinese and it is more than a thousand years old and some of the words are from the Han Dynasty. 

It is really worth preserving [said as bo2 liu5 保留 in Teochew] our ancient language. 

Suan1tao5 [Swatow] huang1ngang5 si6 Dong1gog4 zuê3 gou2lao2 zuê3 dêg8su5 gai7 zêg8zêng3 huang1ngang5.

汕頭方言是中國最古老最特殊個一種方言。

汕头方言是中国最古老最特殊个一种方言。

Swatow’s topolect is one type of China’s most ancient, most extraordinary topolect.

gou2 Hang3ghe2 古漢語｜古汉语	ancient Chinese language	古漢語｜古汉语
Sui6diang2 瑞典	Sweden	瑞典
Hang3hag8gê1 漢學家｜汉学家	an expert on Chinese language: sinologist	漢學家｜汉学家
huang1ngang5 方言	topolect	方言
zuê3 最	most	最
siang6 上	most	最
gou2lao2 古老	ancient	古老
dêg8su5 特殊	special, particular, extraordinary, unusual	特殊
zêg8zêng3 一種｜一种	one type	一種｜一种
gou2uê7 古話｜古话	ancient words	古話｜古话

 

gian5 lou7 行路	to walk	走路
zao2mên2 走猛	to run fast	跑快
ki2cu3 起厝	to build a house	蓋房子｜盖房子
ziah8 食	to eat	吃東西｜吃东西
ruah8dioh4 悅著｜悦着 二人男女之間赴相好｜二人男女之间赴相好	two people falling in love with one another	lian4'ai4 戀愛｜恋爱
Ua2 ruah8dioh4 le2 我悅著汝｜我悦着汝	I have fallen in love with you.	我愛上你｜我爱上你
Kog4 nang7 ruah8dioh4 捁儂悅著｜捁侬悦着	Love by someone else	給別人愛上｜给别人爱上
siang1ho2 相好	to be intimate with someone	相好
kiao5co2 翹楚｜翘楚	have outstanding talent	人才出眾｜人才出众; 有本事
Nou5a1 le2 kiao5co2 mian3 deng2lai6 ziah8.
孥阿汝翹楚勿轉內食｜孥阿汝翘楚勿转内食
你有本事你就不會回家吃飯
guin5 gê6危下
guin5 lao5 gao1 bêh4 cioh4 ciu2 ko2 diah4 cên1sing5
危樓高百尺手可摘星辰。｜危楼高百尺手可摘星辰。
The tall building is hundred feet tall, hand can plug the stars.
bug4gan2 gao1sian1 ghe2, kiong2 gian1 tiang1 zion7 nang5
不敢高聲語，恐驚天上人。｜不敢高声语，恐惊天上人。
Do not dare to speak loudly, (so as not to) frighten celestial beings.
cên1sing5 星辰	stars	星星
tin1dêng2 天頂	heavenly	天上
siang1ring5 仙人	celestial beings	天上人
suan1ngai5 山崖	cliff top	山崖
Nang5 do6 suan1ngai5 hi2dêng2 “suan1 gao1 nang5 uin3 hong1”
人在山崖許頂山高人畏風｜人在山崖许顶山高人畏风
Man on top of a cliff, tall mountain man is afraid of the wind.
suan1 gao1 nang5 uin3 hong1 山高人畏風｜山高人畏风	Man is afraid of the wind on top of a tall mountain.
nguin5hiam2 危險｜危险	danger, dangerous	危險｜危险
Hang3 Ciao5 漢朝｜汉朝	Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD)	漢朝｜汉朝
sing1bu6 新婦｜新妇	daughter in law	xi2fur5 媳婦兒｜媳妇儿
da2gê1 大家	mother-in-law, husband’s mother	jia1po2 家婆po2po5 婆婆
da2guan1 大官	father-in-law: husband’s father	jia1gong1 家公gong1gong5 公公
lao7riag8 鬧熱｜闹热	bustling with noise and excitement, lively	re4nao5 熱鬧｜热闹
dêg4go1 竹篙	bamboo pole	zhu2 gan1 竹竿
gung2zui2 滾水｜滚水	boiling water	kai1shui3 開水｜开水
soi2êg8 洗浴	to take a bath or to take a shower	xi3zao3 洗澡
gian5dah8 行踏	to have dealings with, to be in a relation with, to be in contact with	lai2wang3 來往｜来往
zian3do3 正倒	anyway, in any case	fan3zheng4 反正
ding1do3 顛倒｜颠倒	conversely	fan3guo5lai2 反過來｜反过来
zao2ki2 走起	to rise from bed in the morning	qi3chuang2 起床
The video uses this character 早 for zao and is said as za2 in Teochew and zao3 in Mandarin.
ming5ceng5 眠牀｜眠床	bed for sleeping	睡床

It is actually very difficult to type out what Professor Lim has said because there are no subtitles. I have to listen to this part of Professor Lim's lecture and made a few amendments and additions.