# Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/a
### a

* 阿a10681705
* A prefix to names of persons.

#### a-nôⁿ;

    my child.

#### a-noⁿ-kíaⁿ;

    an infant.

#### a-hiaⁿ;

    elder brother.

#### a-pĕ;

    father.
* 啞a1066808
* Confused vocal sounds.

#### o-a a-a-kìe;

    the raven croaks.

#### noⁿ-kíaⁿ khí-thâu ô̤h tàⁿ-ūe cĭu a-a-kìe;

    children beginning to learn to talk utter confused sounds.
* 鴉a10661964
* A raven with a white streak on its neck.

#### o-a;

    a crow.

#### hṳ̂-a;

    a fish-hawk.

#### a-phìen;

    opium.

#### a siaⁿ;

    hoarse.

#### siaⁿ li sĭ a siaⁿ;

    his voice is husky.

#### ŭ o-a kìe saⁿ siaⁿ;

    a crow cawed three times.

#### o-a lô̤h îeⁿ;

    the position of a crow descending into a field, (a fine site, geomantically considered).
* 椏a1066758
* Divergent branches; a crotch, a prong, a fork, a tine.

#### cúi kàu hṳ́-kò̤ pun a;

    the stream there divides into two branches.

#### cí tîo hô̤ tŏ̤ ĕ pôiⁿ pun cò̤ saⁿ a;

    this river in its lower portion divides into three branches.

#### chīu tōa, pun a;

    the tree grows and puts forth branches.

#### pun cò̤ chit poih a;

    divides into seven or eight forks.

#### cêk a cài pun cò̤ ku-ā a;

    one branch divided into several branches.

#### a-che;

    a crotched stick, used as a support.

#### khîeh ki a-che lâi thèⁿ;

    get a forked stick and prop it up.

#### bô̤ a-che saⁿ cò̤-nî nê?

    Without crotches how can the clothes be hung out to dry?

#### ki-búe khui a;

    the twigs are sprouting.

#### lŏ pun cò̤ nŏ̤ a;

    the road divided into two forks.

#### suaⁿ-lêng kîaⁿ kàu cí-kò̤ cĭu pun a;

    the spur of the mountain at this point divided off.

#### cí câng hue pun cò̤ kúi a;

    this flower consists of several sprigs.

#### hiah tŏ̤ tŏiⁿ kúi a, nē?

    On which branch is it perched?

#### àiⁿ cám-tīo tī cêk a?

    Which branch would you chop off?

#### cí a tn̂g, cí a tó̤;

    one of the tines is longer than the other.
* 也a107952
* Or; otherwise.

#### ŭ a bô̤?

    Is there any or not?

#### lṳ́ cêng a m̄ cêng?

    Have you or have you not?

#### lṳ́ thóiⁿ tîeh hó̤ a m̄-hó̤?

    Do you think it desirable, or not?

#### lṳ́ àiⁿ pêh kâi a o kâi?

    Do you want white ones or black ones?

#### àiⁿ kàu a būe?

    Are we almost there?

#### sĭ i kâi a-hiaⁿ a m̄ si?

    It is his brother is it not?
* 了a52961
* When placed between two verbs indicates continuance or repetition of the action.

#### noih-a-noih;

    limping along.

#### hìⁿ-a-hìⁿ;

    hobbling on.

#### kŭai-a-kŭai;

    limping at every step.

#### chĭang-a-chĭang;

    walking as one does when one leg is shorter than the other.

#### phĕ-a-phĕ;

    walking lamely, in such a way as to throw the body forward by jerks.

#### hit-a-hit;

    swinging to and fro.

#### lû-a-lû;

    keeps poking it.

#### pue-a-pue;

    flying round and round.

#### nih-a-nih;

    winking every little while.

#### lín-a-lín;

    turns over at intervals.

#### i tŏ̤ cúi mīn lìm-a-lìm;

    it bobs up and down on the surface of the water.

#### cûn sŏ̤-a-sŏ̤;

    the boat tosses constantly.

#### chūe-a-chūe cū chūe tîeh;

    keep on looking for it and you will find it.

#### bûa-a-bûa cū chûn tíam-kíaⁿ;

    by successive grindings it is worn away so that there is but little left.
* 拗á1077645
* To pluck; to twist; to wrest; to bend, as in an attempt to break.

#### á cîh;

    to break by bending.

#### à chùi;

    to snap in shivers.

#### á tn̆g;

    to snap off.

#### á cò̤ kûeh;

    to break in two.

#### á chíu pà;

    to test the strength by seizing each other's wrists.

#### á cang-khak;

    to make the frame of a coiffure.

#### á chīu-ki;

    break off a branch of a tree.

#### á lúi hue;

    pluck a flower.

#### á kaⁿ-ná;

    pick olives.

#### a tò̤-tńg;

    bend backward.

#### á tît cē;

    bend it straighter.

#### màiⁿ á khah wn;

    do not bend it into too short a curve.

#### á būe lô̤h sì;

    have not yet brought it into shape.

#### á sì-cìaⁿ sì-cìaⁿ;

    twist it into a correct shape.

#### jĭm á m̄ wn;

    endure pressure ​without bending.

#### àiⁿ á tîeh lóng-cóng á;

    if you pluck any you must pluck all.

#### chíu-cńg-thâu á jîp, bô̤ á chut;

    his fingers clutch but never relax, (said of a miser).

#### cí kâi jī tàⁿ lâi cong-kú á m̄ tńg;

    he never gets the pronunciation of this word right.
* 辯à68816014
* To argue; to dispute; to wrangle for a notion.

#### sie à;

    to debate.

#### à m̄ hàuⁿ hiah;

    would not stop disputing.

#### bô̤ lí, à kàu ŭ lí;

    make the worse appear the better reason.

#### i à tàⁿ bô̤;

    he denied its being so.

#### à îaⁿ;

    out argue.

#### à su;

    worsted in argument.

#### à m̄ khui kau;

    argue without coming to a conclusion.
* 亞à106876
* Second in order.

#### à-sìaⁿ;

    the second sage, Mencius.

#### à-ngŵn;

    the scholar ranking next to the senior wrangler among the successful candidates for the degrees of hâng-lim, cìu-sṳ̆ and kṳ́-jîn.

#### à-pĕ;

    next to a father to me.
* 歟ă11227614
* A final particle, indicative of relief or admiration, but mostly used after a question expressive of doubt, surprise or irony.

#### i káⁿ sĭ bô̤, ă!

    He has none then!

#### tùi cí-kò̤ khṳ̀, sĭ ă?

    This is the way to go, is it?

#### sĭ i ă!

    It is he, certainly.

#### i sĭ khṳ̀ khîu i kâi ă!

    He has gone to beseech it of him!
* 呀ă1066804
* A final particle, expressing doubt in the preceding statement.

#### hó̤, ă ;

    that will do perhaps.

#### khah sòi, ă;

    that is too small surely.

#### kàu ă;

    we are there by this time surely.

#### ài-ă;

    an interjection expressing surprise or incredulity.
* 呀ā1066804
* A final particle, serving to arrest attention.

#### sĭ uá ā;

    it is I.

#### lṳ́ ā, ĕ tńg m̄ hó̤ cìeⁿ-seⁿ ā;

    another time don't you do thus.

#### sĭ ā;

    that is so.

#### sĭ ā, tîeh cìeⁿ-seⁿ cìa° tîeh ā;

    yes, that is the way it must be.

#### i sĭ a-hiaⁿ ā;

    he is the elder.

#### uá lâi khṳ̀ ā;

    I am going.

#### nâng ā, thâu ā!

    Look out for your head there!
* 亦ā109384

#### ā-sĭ; īa-sĭ;

    if; should it be; in case that; supposing that.

#### ā-sĭ ŭ, hó̤ bói;

    should there be any, buy them.

#### ā-sĭ úa lâi cū hó̤;

    had I come it would have been well.

#### ā-sĭ ŭ hŏ, i cĭu m̄ lâi;

    should it rain he will not come.

#### i ā-sĭ bô̤ lâi —;

    if he does not come —.

#### lṳ́ ā-sĭ m̆ —;

    if you are determined that you will not —.

#### īa m̄ sĭ;

    if not.