# Dictionary of the Swatow dialect/tau
### tau

* 兜tau873109
* To retain; to detain.

#### tau-lâu i nā kò̤;

    press him to stay, as a guest.

#### tau-kíaⁿ;

    a son, a child who remains, in contradistinction to a daughter, who eventually leaves her father's family.

#### tau-kíaⁿ kah cáu-kíaⁿ lóng-cóng poih nâng;

    there are eight of them, including both sons and daughters.

#### i kâi mûeh kio i tau pàng kò̤;

    kept his things in order to make him stay.

#### tau-lâu i m̄ cŭ;

    could not persuade her to stay.
* 斗táu874680
* A dry measure of ten quarts; the Chinese peck; a simile of size; a wine vessel.

#### nŏ̤ tâng cêk seng, câp seng cêk táu, câp táu cêk cîeh;

    two pints make a quart, ten quarts a peck, and ten pecks a chaldron.

#### nîe cêk táu bí;

    measure out a peck of rice.

#### bí táu;

    a peck measure.

#### sĭ tōa táu a sĭ síam táu?

    Are the pecks full or short measure?

#### cía sĭ cìaⁿ-hú táu;

    this is the standard peck.

#### cí khí táu lâi phah hṳ́ khí táu cêk táu cìaⁿ câp-sì tâng;

    if these pecks were measured out in pecks of that size, there would be about seven-tenths as many.

#### cí koiⁿ phò kâi táu-sek hó̤ mē?

    Do they measure out good sized pecks at this shop?

#### i cí koiⁿ kâi táu nîe khṳ̀ ío ŭ táu-thâu;

    they give fuller measure at this stop.

#### táu-kài;

    a rod used to level off measures of rice.

#### táu-kài kài hó̤-hó̤;

    level it off level with the leveler.

#### pak-táu;

    a constellation containing four stars in Ursa Major.

#### bâk-táu;

    a carpenter's marking-cup and line.

#### ut-táu;

    a sad-iron.
* 倒táu86698
* To turn upside down, or end foremost; to subvert order.

#### cîah lău, cū tien-táu;

    when one becomes old he is apt to get things confused.

#### i cē lāu cū-lău-tien-táu;

    in growing old he has grown forgetful.

#### táu tì;

    bottom upward.

#### tien-tien táu-táu;

    all at loose ends.

#### tien-táu sĭ hui;

    confound truth and error.

#### chṳ́ sŭ màiⁿ táu-tì;

    do not mislay them from their place in the series.
* 找táu34644
* To barter; to exchange.

#### táu cîⁿ;

    to exchange silver for cash.

#### táu cîⁿ phò;

    a money-changer's office.

#### táu ūaⁿ kim ngṳ̂n;

    exchange of gold and silver.

#### hīn-khek kâi ngṳ̂n táu sĭm-mih kè?

    For how much does a dollar now exchange?

#### táu cêk kâi ûant-pó̤ cìaⁿ ēng cò̤ kâi gûeh;

    get a bar of silver exchanged for small coin, and it is spent in a month.

#### cìaⁿ chiah kim li jîh-ngŏ táu;

    pure gold exchanges for twenty-five dollars per ounce.

#### cía kim ío kĕ, táu kàu jī-câp ngṳ̂n;

    this gold has more alloy in it and exchanges for twenty dollars per ounce.

#### hīn-khek kâi cìaⁿ siam sa-peh táu hŵn-l2io bói bô̤;

    now-a-days real ginseng cannot be bought although you give three hundred times its weight in silver for it.

#### táu to̤h-kūiⁿ;

    the table of a money-changer.
* 腦táu6171309
* The brain; the head.

#### ău-táu;

    the back of the head.

#### i ău-táu-búe siu lâi ngía;

    her back hair is done up beautifully.

#### i cêng pàng ău-táu-búe a būe?

    Has she yet added the Ningpo coiffure to her own hair?

#### i kâi ău-táu píen-píen;

    the back of his head is very peaked.
* 臀táu92913013
* The seat; the nates.

#### i sīa khṳ̀ kâi táu khah khìo;

    he bends his body too much when he bends his bow.
* 搗táu8666430
* To pound or crush in a mortar.

#### táu chùi;

    break it up by pounding it in a mortar.

#### kieⁿ li phoi tàⁿ àiⁿ táu cap;

    the directions say that the ginger-root is to be pounded and its juice taken.
* 島táu866467
* An island out at sea.

#### hái-táu;

    an islet; a high rock in the sea.

#### suaⁿ-táu;

    a mountainous island.

#### tàu-sṳ̆;

    islands.
* 禱táu86611314
* To supplicate the gods; to pray.

#### khî-táu;

    to pray.

#### táu-cok;

    to ask divine blessing.

#### tng thiⁿ táu-cok;

    pray under the open sky. ​
* 巢tàu37478
* A nest; a resort.

#### cío tàu;

    a bird's nest.

#### koi tàu;

    a fowl's nest.

#### tṳ tàu;

    a pig's bed.

#### kâⁿ chīu-ki khṳ̀ co̤h tàu;

    took a twig in his mouth for the building of his nest.

#### tìam tŏ̤ tàu tói pū kíaⁿ;

    stayed in the nest hovering her brood.

#### kui lîo kui tàu;

    return to their accustomed haunts.

#### mûeh tīo i kâi tàu;

    spoiled their nests.

#### cìam tàu;

    usurp a nest.

#### phah phùa i kâi châk-tàu;

    destroy a retreat of robbers.

#### i bô̤ tàu cū bŏi cŭ cò̤ cêk ē;

    if they have no lurking place they cannot assemble.

#### bô̤ tàu cū bô̤ kò̤ hó̤ châng sin;

    if they have no haunt, they will have no place to conceal themselves.

#### kheh-cío tàu;

    a magpie's nest.

#### hĭa tàu;

    ants' nests.

#### bô̤ lîo bô̤ tàu;

    without house or home.
* 競tàu40711714
* To struggle for; to contend; to rival in zeal for; to emulate; to do vigorously.

#### tàu thóiⁿ tī-tîang méⁿ;

    see who will be quickest.

#### tàu phĕ cûn;

    paddle a race in boats.

#### tàu sái cûn;

    a regatta.

#### tàu cáu;

    run a race.

#### sie tàu hì;

    rival theatres.

#### hàm nŏ̤ pang lâi sie tàu;

    call two companies of performers to emulate each other.

#### taù thâk cṳ;

    strive to excel each other in study.
* 到tàu867186
* To reach to; to attain; complete.

#### tàu-tí sĭ cò̤-nî?

    After all, what does it amount to?

#### kẃn-thăi i kâi lói-sìo sĭm sĭ ciu-tàu;

    the courtesy with which he treated him was perfect.

#### sṳ̆-lí kàu ciu-ciu tàu-tàu;

    arranged in the most complete manner.
* 倒tàu86688
* After all; well then; indicating the end of the matter.

#### tàu put jû hìe-seⁿ kèng hó̤;

    the other way is not so good as that one after all.

#### cía tàu īa pă lío;

    well then, let it pass, (a sufficient error has already occurred).
* 鬭tàu87419114
* To mortise in; to set a tenon.

#### tàu sún;

    to mortise in a tenon.

#### cí kâi sún tàu khṳ̀ khah khùaⁿ;

    this tenon does not fit tightly in the mortise.
* 骰tâu8761884
* Dice.

#### i nŏ̤ nâng tó̤ pûah tâu;

    the two are throwing dice.

#### ĭe tâu;

    shake the dice.

#### lok tâu;

    rattle the dice in the box.

#### khah tâu;

    gamble with dice.
* 投tâu876644
* To take or go to; to deliver; to give one's self up to; to have recourse to; to agree on; to consort with.

#### tâu bûn-cṳ;

    deliver a dispatch.

#### íⁿ-keng tau mêng i kâi côk tíeⁿ;

    have already sought out and informed the head of his clan.

#### jît cē àm cío cū khṳ̀ tâu nâ;

    as soon as it is dusk the birds seek retirement among the trees.

#### tâu khî só̤ hàuⁿ;

    agrees with whatever one likes; sycophantic.

#### i ka-kī cṳ̆ tâu lô̤-măng;

    he let himself fall into the snare.

#### i soiⁿ sĭ châk lâi tâu-sêng kâi;

    he is a rebel who has returned to his allegiance.

#### i tòa kúi peh nâng lâi tâu hâng;

    he led several hundred to return to allegiance.

#### i khṳ̀ tâu kun;

    he has enlisted in the army.

#### i lâi tâu tŏ̤ úa kò̤;

    he came to stop at my house, as a casual visitor.

#### tâu seⁿ bô̤ tâu sí;

    hospitality forbids the delivering over of a refugee to death.
* 道tău8671629
* A road, path or way; a circuit; the officer who oversees a circuit or region; a principle, a doctrine, that which the mind approves; rectitude or right reason; the Reason or Logos of the Rationalists, denoting an emanation, the unknown factor or principle of nature, the way it acts in matter and mind; to lead, to direct, to follow out, to go in a designated path; a classifier of courses at a feast, edicts, dispatches, gateways, walls, rivers, and bridges.

#### tău-thâi;

    the Intendant of Circuit.

#### cí cêk tău kong bûn àiⁿ khṳ̀ tī-kò̤?

    Where is this dispatch to be sent?

#### i sǹg sĭ tng tău kuaⁿ;

    he is exercising the power of an official.

#### tău-lí;

    reason, propriety, what is evidently right.

#### ŭ tău-lí;

    has reason on his side.

#### bô̤ tău-lí;

    is in the wrong.

#### cìaⁿ-tău kâi nâng;

    an upright man.

#### hŭam sṳ tîeh chông cìaⁿ tău;

    in all things correct principles must be acted upon.

#### tău kà;

    Tauism.

#### tău-sṳ̆;

    tău jîn; Tauists.

#### i cò̤ sṳ̄ ûang-tău;

    he acts with rectitude.

#### bô̤ tău hun kun tì-kàu kok pāi;

    an unreasoning, stupid monarch brings national destruction.

#### lō-tău tōa tîo;

    a wide road.

#### tău thû îo-íen;

    the way is long.

#### tău-lō tèng bô̤ có bô̤ keh;

    there are no obstacles in the way.

#### tŏ̤ chim suaⁿ tèng siu tău;

    in the recesses of the moun tains practising austerities.

#### chiah tău;

    the equator.

#### i khṳ̀ chim sṳ ó̤h tău;

    he has gone in search of teachers in order to study Tauism.
* 盜tău8681087
* A robber; one who robs openly; to take by fraud or force; to plunder.

#### khîang-tău;

    a bandit.

#### tău-châk;

    a highwayman.

#### i pak thau-tău nâng kâi mûeh-kĭaⁿ mē?

    Has he ever appropriated other people's things, either slyly or forcibly?

#### phêng hái-tău ŭ kong;

    to subdue pirates is meritorious.

#### tău-kūaⁿ;

    night-sweats. ​
* 導tău8674113
* To lead, to conduct, to point out the way; to induce to do right.

#### lṳ́ hó̤ khai-tău i;

    you should show him the right way.

#### khai-tău kàu mêng-pêh mêng-pêh khṳ̂t i thiaⁿ;

    set the correct method plainly before him.

#### hùn-tău;

    a district instructor.
* 荳tāu8751407
* Pulse, peas, beans, legumes.

#### tāu khoih;

    peas-cods.

#### tāu-jîn;

    the beans or peas tliemselves; the meat of pea-nuts.

#### tī-tāu;

    pea-nuts; ground-nuts.

#### tī-tāu mô̤h;

    the thin brown coating on the kernel of pea-nuts.

#### tī-tāu khak;

    the shells of pea-nuts.

#### tī-tāu îu;

    pea-nut oil.

#### lêk tāu, chiah tāu, o tāu, pêh tāu, n̂g tāu;

    green, red, black, white and yellow peas.

#### tāu hū;

    bean-curd.

#### tāu-āⁿ;

    a filling or stuffing of mashed peas.

#### lêk-tāu ko̤;

    dumplings containing green peas.

#### tāu-seⁿ; tāu-gê;

    bean-sprouts.
* 痘tāu8751047
* Small-pox.

#### chut tāu;

    have small-pox.

#### cèng tāu;

    to vaccinate.

#### tān céng;

    vaccine virus.

#### tāu cieⁿ;

    small-pox pustules.

#### cèng îeⁿ tāu, cèng gû tāu;

    vaccinate with virus from a sheep or a cow.

#### tāu tâk;

    the matter contained in the pustules.

#### cí ău ŭ cí īeⁿ céng-tāu kâi huap sĭm hó̤;

    in modern times there is this excellent method of vaccination.

#### i kâi mīn pōiⁿ-pōiⁿ sĭ chut tāu, peh tīo tāu phí;

    his face is pock-marked, because he picked off the scabs when he had small-pox.
* 讀tāu92314915
* A clause; a phrase.

#### thâk lâi ŭ kù ŭ tāu;

    read with attention to the pauses.

#### thâk khṳ̀ bô̤ kù bô̤ tāu;

    read with no regard to the punctuation.

#### kù tāu hó̤;

    the clauses are of proper length; the style is pleasant.