Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/lam

by Adele Marion Fielde

lam

• 套lam671377
• To spread over loosely; to cover lightly.

khîeh kâi saⁿ kâi i lam lô̤h khṳ̀;

throw a tunic over him.

khîeh kò̤ pò lâi lam;

cover it with a cloth.

cí kò̤ cúa khah sòi, lam m̄ miⁿ;

this paper is too small and does not cover it perfectly.

• 䈇lam341188
• A basket, used as a cover.

bói kâi koi-lam lâi kìm koi;

buy a coop to keep the fowls in.

koi-lam khàm kâi teng;

a lamp having an openwork convex shade.

• 㰖lám5037521
• The black olive.

lâm lám;

to scald olives.

lám hût thùaⁿ;

charred olive pits.

lám phûe ko̤;

a conserve of black olives.

lám jîn;

the meat from black olive pits.

• 攬lám5026421
• To grasp; to carry with a firm hand or in both arms; to engross; to monopolize; to hug close; grasping.

pau lám sṳ̂0-sŏng;

an attorney who takes the whole management of affairs for his client.

i kâi hùe-mûeh ŭ lám-cāi a bô̤?

Is there a bill of lading for his goods?

sie lám koiⁿ;

embrace each other.

i nŏ̤ nâng tó̤ lám-ka-pûah;

the two are wrestling.

lám-kau, lám thóiⁿ tī-tîang îaⁿ;

wrestle and see who is the stronger.

tùi i lám kín-kín;

hugged him close.

lám lío m̄ hàuⁿ pàng;

clasped him in both arms and would not let him go.

lṳ́ tîeh nīe úa lám ĕ ie;

you must give me the grasp under the arms, in wrestling.

cía ho̤h lă lám;

this is a whole armful.

cí câng chīu, ŭ nŏ̤ nâng lám;

this tree is so large that it would take two persons with outstretched arms to compass it.

• 覽lám50214714
• To take a view of, to inspect.

cêk lám cĭn cai;

understood the whole thing at a glance.

lám kó, cai kim;

review the past in order to comprehend the present.

phak lám khûn cṳ;

has read a host of books.

kiong thîaⁿ gū lám;

I respectfully send this up for Your Majesty's inspection.

• 泥làm630855
• Mire; miry; mud, slush; slushy.

hái phîaⁿ kâi làm thô̤;

the mud from the sea shore.

làm îeⁿ;

mud-flats.

thô làm-làm, tâh lô̤h khṳ̀ cū bît pīn kha-lîam;

the mud is very soft, and if you step on it you sink up to your shins.

thô làm, thām lô̤h khṳ̀, lop-cē-kìe;

the mud is slushy, and when you step into it there is a splashing sound.

cía sĭ phìen i khṳ̀ lô̤h làm;

this is leading him into the slough.

• 淋lâm540858
• To drench; to souse; to splash.

lâm kàu cêk sin tap-tap-tih;

drenched so that he was dripping wet.

ēng kún cúi lâi lâm i nńg;

souse it with hot water to soften it.

íe cho̤h cúi lâi lâm koi;

dip out some water and scald the fowl.

lâm thâu lâm hĭⁿ cū lâm lôh khṳ̀;

pour it over him, head and ears, (as water from a shower-bath).

lâm pn̄g-ám;

drench it with rice water.

lṳ́ kâi saⁿ lâm tîeh îu;

your tunic is splashed with oil.

khṳt kún cúi lâm kàu kâi phă;

was splashed by the hot water so as to have a blister raised.

i khṳt lâ lâm kàu híam-híam sí

he came very near being scalded to death by the lard splashing over him.

• 藍lâm50214014
• Blue; indigo blue.

lâm sek;

blue.

jī lâm;

navy blue.

saⁿ lâm;

dark blue.

gûeh lâm;

pale blue.

it-pín lâm;

blue black.

chùi lâm;

a greenish blue.

gêk lâm;

a bluish green.

thien lâm;

azure.

i sĭ sía tîeh lâm pńg kâi;

he is writing out essays on thin paper for the use of lazy students.

pó̤-lâm sùaⁿ;

dark blue thread.

lâm pò saⁿ;

a jacket of dark blue cotton cloth.

• 男lâm6141022
• The male of the human species; a baron; the lowest of the five ranks of nobility.

lâm-cṳ́;

a son; a man.

lâm-cṳ́ hàng;

manly.

lâm-jin;

men.

lâm nńg;

male and female.

lâm hŭ láu ìuⁿ;

those of both sexes and of all ages.

lâm kè;

the men folk.

thâu tho̤ sĭ seⁿ lâm a seⁿ nńg?

Was her first born a boy or a girl?

lâm-ciak;

a baron.

• 南lâm614247
• South; southern; austral.

lâm hng;

the southern regions.

lâm pôiⁿ kâi tī-hng jûah;

southern countries are warm.

cí koiⁿ chù hìang lâm, hṳ́ koiⁿ sĭ cŏ̤ lâm;

this house fronts the south, that one has its back to the south.

huang-thai thàu kàu hṳ́ búe cū àiⁿ á hûe lâm;

when the typhoon has blown itself out it veers to the south.

cí lâm cam;

a magnetic needle.

lâm pâk hâng;

a warehouse where northern and southern goods are exchanged.

• 鋈lâm10651677
• To wash over with metal; to plate.

nâng būe sĭ lâm seⁿ-thih kâi, cong-kú tŏ̤;

men are not plated with iron that they last forever.

ío, i m̄ tîeh lâm seⁿ-thih kâi;

and moreover, he is not invulnerable.

hṳ́ tói tâng kâi, cí gūa sĭ lâm ngṳ̂n kâi;

the inside is brass, and the outside is overlaid with silver.

• 嵐lâm502469
• Vapor or mist.

suaⁿ-lâm cìang-khì;

malarious vapor among mountains.

nâng a sĭ chok tîeh suaⁿ-lâm cìang-khì cū àiⁿ seⁿ pēⁿ;

if people imbibe malaria they become ill.

• 霖lâm50217811
• Long continued rain.

hía hŏ cheⁿ-lâm!

What torrents of rain!

hŏ tōa căi lí-kẃn lâm;

a torrent of rain pouring incessantly.

• 襤䄛lâm-lú502
• Ragged; shabby.

saⁿ lâm-lú;

garments shabby.

cêk sin chēng kàu lâm-lâm lú-lú;

he was clothed in rags.

• 楠lâm614759
• An even grained, yellowish, fine wood, used for furniture; it grows in Kiang-si.

cìaⁿ nńg-lâm;

the real, elastic, yellow-wood.

khî-lâm;

a fragrant wood brought from Anam, and used for beads.

• 婪lâm502388
• Covetous; greedy.

tham-lâm;

avaricious.

• 濫lăm5038514
• A freshet; profuse; excessive; lawless; irregular; beyond bounds; unsettled.

cúi hùam-lăm;

the water surges.

hùam-hùam lăm-lăm chŵn bô̤ tīaⁿ keⁿ;

surging to and fro, with no fixed channel.

cò̤ kuaⁿ-hú kâi nâng m̄ hó̤ lăm hêng;

magistrates must not inflict excessive punishments.

ūe màiⁿ lăm tàⁿ, sṳ̄ màiⁿ lăm cò̤;

do not speak heedlessly, and do not act lawlessly.

lăm-sám;

heedless, lawless, careless, wanton.

ciⁿ-ngṳ̂n màiⁿ lăm ēng;

do not spend your money thoughtlessly.

màiⁿ lăm kau-chap phêng-íu;

do not heedlessly enter into friendships.

lăm pó̤;

give a security carelessly; to recommend without full knowledge.

cò̤ ŭ hìeⁿ lăm?

How could you be so heedless?