佢

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声): semantic 亻 + phonetic 巨 (OC *ɡaʔ).
From the initial *k-series of Old Chinese third-person pronouns, cognate with 其 (OC *ɡɯ). Also compare Proto-Mon-Khmer *ge(e)ʔ, whence Khmer គេ (kei, “they; he; she”) (Schuessler, 2007).
In standard Cantonese, the tone has assimilated with the other personal pronouns: 我 (ngo⁵), 你 (nei⁵) (Chan, 1998).
Before the use of 佢, 渠 was also used in some novels and newspapers, such as 老婆奴續編／老婆奴续编 (1926). The character 渠 is still preferred in lects such as Wu and sometimes Gan.

Han compound

while 渠 is more common in other varieties

佢有三個大佬。

佢有三个大佬。

唔好搞佢啦。

佢個鼻好大。

佢个鼻好大。

(Cantonese, Hakka, Gan, Northern Min, Central Min, Southern Wu, vernacular) he; she; they; it (third person singular pronoun)


兮

Originally the same character as 乎 (OC *ɢaː). The oracle bone form consists of 丂 (“fork in a tree”) and two vertical strokes above; the two strokes are parallel in most oracle bone attestations, possibly representing finer branches (i.e. the sound produced by wind blows past these branches).

† - may use corresponding classifier in certain contexts

(Central Min, Puxian Min) Possessive particle.


儕

Possibly related to Proto-Tai *ʑaːjᴬ (“man; male”) (Luo and Deng, 1995; Li, 1997).

侪
侪
倽
畲
侪
纔
裁
全

(Hakka, Central Min, in compounds) person


事

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (事):
* → Japanese: 事(じ) (ji)
* → Korean: 사(事) (sa)
* → Vietnamese: sự (事)

Ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 又 (“hand”) + 中 (“flag or hunting weapon”) – flag in hand > to perform one's job. Compare 史, 吏.
Exopassive of 士 (OC *zrɯʔ, “to give or carry out an assignment; to serve”), literally “what has been assigned” (Schuessler, 2007).
Alternatively, based on Gong (2000), STEDT derives it from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *r-dzas (“thing”), whence Burmese စာ (ca, “thing”) and Tibetan རྫས (rdzas, “thing, object, matter”).

cog

亊
叓
㕝
𠁱
𠫺
𠭏
𤔇
𪜃
𠭆

建甌事／建瓯事 [Northern Min] ― Gṳ̿ing-é-dī [Kienning Colloquial Romanized] ― Jian'ou dialect

(dialectal Hakka, Northern Min, Central Min) speech; words; language


墿

(Northern Min, Eastern Min, Central Min, Puxian Min) road


寡

Shuowen
Warring States period
Western Zhou period
bronze script

In the bronze script from the Western Zhou period, it was originally an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 宀 (“house”) + 頁 (“head”) — only one person in the house; alone.
In the bronze script from the Warring States period, two decorative strokes were added around 頁. The seal script found in Shuowen adds two additional strokes, making the component under 宀 appear as 分 and 頁, leading Shuowen to erroneously interpret the character as an ideogrammic compound (會意／会意): 宀 (“house”) + 頒 (“to distribute”).
Related to 鰥 (OC *kruːn, *kruːns, “widower”), 孤 (OC *kʷaː, “orphan; alone”) (Schuessler, 2007). Cognate with Tibetan དགོན་པ (dgon pa, “solitary place; desert; wilderness”), Tibetan སྒོས (sgos, “private; individual”).


柚

(Yong'an and Sanyuan Central Min) pomelo


豨

Phono-semantic compound (形聲／形声, OC *hlɯl, *hlɯlʔ): semantic 豕 (“pig”) + phonetic 希 (OC *hlɯl).
Dialectal variant of 豕 (OC *hliʔ, “pig”).

Han compound

(obsolete or Northern Min, Datian Min, Central Min) pig; hog; swine


清氣

/t͡sʰeŋ⁴⁴⁻²² kʰi²¹/

/t͡sʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ kʰi²¹/

/t͡sʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ kʰi¹¹/

/t͡sʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² kʰi²¹/

/t͡sʰiɪŋ³³ kʰi⁴¹/

/t͡sʰeŋ³³⁻²³ kʰi²¹³/

/t͡sʰeŋ³³⁻²³ kʰiʔ²/

/t͡sʰeŋ⁴⁴⁻²² kʰi²¹/

/t͡sʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ kʰi²¹/

/t͡sʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻³³ kʰi¹¹/

/t͡sʰiɪŋ⁴⁴⁻²² kʰi²¹/

/t͡sʰiɪŋ³³ kʰi⁴¹/

/t͡sʰeŋ³³⁻²³ kʰi²¹³/

/t͡sʰeŋ³³⁻²³ kʰiʔ²/

(Southern Min, dialectal Eastern Min, Puxian Min, Central Min) clean


舌頭

/yɛ⁴² tʰe³³/

/yɛ⁴² tʰe³³/

(Central Min) root of the tongue; back of the tongue


伶俐

/lɪŋ²¹ lei̯²²/

/l̃iŋ⁵³⁻²¹ l̃ɛi²⁴²/

/liɪŋ²⁴⁻²² li²²/

/liɪŋ²³⁻³³ li³³/

/liɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ li³³/

/liɪŋ²⁴⁻²² li⁴¹/

/liɪŋ¹³⁻²² li²²/

/liɪŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ li³³/

/liɪŋ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ li³³/

/lɪŋ²¹ lei̯²²/

/l̃iŋ⁵³⁻²¹ l̃ɛi²⁴²/

/liɪŋ²⁴⁻²² li²²/

/liɪŋ²³⁻³³ li³³/

/liɪŋ²⁴⁻¹¹ li³³/

/liɪŋ²⁴⁻²² li⁴¹/

/liɪŋ¹³⁻²² li²²/

/liɪŋ⁵³⁻⁴⁴ li³³/

/liɪŋ⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ li³³/

(dialectal Cantonese, Hakka, dialectal Gan, Northern Min, Central Min, Shaojiang Min, Hunan Tuhua) clean


目屎

/mɛiʔ⁵⁻³³ sai³³/

/møyʔ⁵⁻³³ sai³³/

/bak̚²⁴⁻² sai⁵⁵⁴/

/bak̚³²⁻²¹ sai²¹/

/bak̚¹²¹⁻²¹ sai⁵³/

/bak̚⁴³⁻²¹ sai⁴²/

/mɛiʔ⁵⁻³³ sai³³/

/møyʔ⁵⁻³³ sai³³/

/bak̚²⁴⁻² sai⁵⁵⁴/

/bak̚³²⁻²¹ sai²¹/

/bak̚¹²¹⁻²¹ sai⁵³/

/bak̚⁴³⁻²¹ sai⁴²/

(Taining Gan, Hakka, Leizhou Min, Eastern Min, Southern Min, Central Min, Puxian Min) sleep (substance found in the eyes after waking)


味素

/bi⁴¹⁻²² sɔ⁴¹/

/bi²²⁻²¹ sɔ²¹/

/bi⁴¹⁻²² sɔ⁴¹/

/bi²²⁻²¹ sɔ²¹/

The taste of Quanzhou penetrates between the teeth

2017, 李海金 (lyrics), 黄敬静 (music), 您若来泉州, performed by 曾晓忠

泉州的味素鑽齒縫

泉州的味素钻齿缝

(Jin, Southern Min, Central Min, Puxian Min) taste


目珠

(Hakka, Datian Min, Central Min) eye (Classifier: 蕊 h; 雙／双)


屎窟

/siː³⁵ fɐt̚⁵/

/sz̩⁵³⁻⁵⁵ fut̚¹/

/siː³⁵ fɐt̚⁵/

/sz̩⁵³⁻⁵⁵ fut̚¹/

屎胐
屎𦜇
屎忽
屎脗
㞓胐
尸胐
屎肳
笥胐
笥窟
屉胐

(Cantonese, Fujian Gan, Hakka, Northern Min, Central Min, Shaojiang Min, Pucheng Wu) buttocks


啥貨

/siã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ he²¹/

/sã⁵³⁻⁵⁵ hue²¹/

/sã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ hue²¹/

/siã³¹⁻²⁴ hə¹¹²/

/siã⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ hue²¹/

/sã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ he¹¹/

/sã⁵³⁻²⁴ hə¹²/

/sã(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ hue²¹/

/siã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ he²¹/

/sã⁵³⁻⁵⁵ hue²¹/

/sã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ hue²¹/

/siã³¹⁻²⁴ hə¹¹²/

/siã⁴¹⁻⁴⁴ hue²¹/

/sã⁵³⁻⁴⁴ he¹¹/

/sã⁵³⁻²⁴ hə¹²/

/sã(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ hue²¹/


洋鹼

/jɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/iaŋ²¹ t͡ɕiɛn⁵³/

/iɔŋ³⁵ ˈkan²¹³/

/jɑŋ³⁵ t͡ɕi̯ɛn²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/

/iaŋ²¹ t͡ɕiɛn⁵³/

/iɔŋ³⁵ ˈkan²¹³/

(dialectal Mandarin, Gan, dialectal Hakka, Pinghua, Xiang, Dexing Huizhou, Shaxian Central Min, Danyang Wu) soap


糖霜

/tʰɑŋ³⁵ ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/tʰɔːŋ²¹ sœːŋ⁵⁵/

/tʰŋ̍²⁴⁻²² sŋ̍³³/

/tʰŋ̍²⁴⁻³³ sŋ̍⁴⁴/

/tʰŋ̍²³⁻³³ sŋ̍⁴⁴/

/tʰŋ̍²⁴⁻²² sŋ̍⁴⁴/

/tʰŋ̍¹³⁻²² sŋ̍⁴⁴/

/tʰɑŋ³⁵ ʂu̯ɑŋ⁵⁵/

/tʰɔːŋ²¹ sœːŋ⁵⁵/

/tʰŋ̍²⁴⁻²² sŋ̍³³/

/tʰŋ̍²⁴⁻³³ sŋ̍⁴⁴/

/tʰŋ̍²³⁻³³ sŋ̍⁴⁴/

/tʰŋ̍²⁴⁻²² sŋ̍⁴⁴/

/tʰŋ̍¹³⁻²² sŋ̍⁴⁴/

(Hokkien, Central Min) rock candy; rock sugar


麵食

/mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/mĩ²²⁻²¹ sit̚⁴/

/mĩ⁴¹⁻²² sit̚²⁴/

/mĩ²²⁻²¹ sit̚¹²¹/

/mĩ³³⁻¹¹ sit̚⁴/

/mĩ³³⁻²¹ sit̚⁴/

/mi²² zəʔ⁴⁴/

/mi̯ɛn⁵¹ ʂʐ̩³⁵/

/mĩ²²⁻²¹ sit̚⁴/

/mĩ⁴¹⁻²² sit̚²⁴/

/mĩ²²⁻²¹ sit̚¹²¹/

/mĩ³³⁻¹¹ sit̚⁴/

/mĩ³³⁻²¹ sit̚⁴/

/mi²² zəʔ⁴⁴/


頭殼

/tʰoʊ̯³⁵ kʰɤ³⁵/

/tʰɐu̯²¹ hɔːk̚³/

/tʰau²⁴⁻²¹ kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau²⁴⁻¹² kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau²³⁻²¹ kʰak̚³/

/tʰau²⁴⁻³³ kʰak̚²/

/tʰau²⁴⁻²² kʰak̚⁵/

/tʰau²⁴⁻³³ kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau¹³⁻²² kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau²⁴⁻¹¹ kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau²⁴⁻²² kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau²³⁻³³ kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau⁵⁵⁻¹¹ kʰak̚²/

/tʰoʊ̯³⁵ kʰɤ³⁵/

/tʰɐu̯²¹ hɔːk̚³/

/tʰau²⁴⁻²¹ kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau²⁴⁻¹² kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau²³⁻²¹ kʰak̚³/

/tʰau²⁴⁻³³ kʰak̚²/

/tʰau²⁴⁻²² kʰak̚⁵/

/tʰau²⁴⁻³³ kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau¹³⁻²² kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau²⁴⁻¹¹ kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau²⁴⁻²² kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau²³⁻³³ kʰak̚³²/

/tʰau⁵⁵⁻¹¹ kʰak̚²/

(dialectal, including Cantonese, Southern Min, Central Min) head


雞髻

/ke⁴⁴⁻³⁵ ki⁵³/

/kie⁵⁵⁻⁵³ kui²¹³/

/kue⁴⁴⁻³³ ke¹¹/

/kue⁴⁴⁻²² ke²¹/

/kue⁴⁴⁻²² kə¹²/

/ke⁴⁴⁻³³ kue²¹/

/ke⁴⁴⁻²² kue²¹/

/koi³³⁻²³ kue²¹³/

/ke⁴⁴⁻³⁵ ki⁵³/

/kie⁵⁵⁻⁵³ kui²¹³/

/kue⁴⁴⁻³³ ke¹¹/

/kue⁴⁴⁻²² ke²¹/

/kue⁴⁴⁻²² kə¹²/

/ke⁴⁴⁻³³ kue²¹/

/ke⁴⁴⁻²² kue²¹/

/koi³³⁻²³ kue²¹³/

(Hakka, Central Min, Eastern Min, Puxian Min, Southern Min) cockscomb (the crest of a rooster)


皮卵

/pʰui⁵³⁻²¹ l̃ɑuŋ²⁴²/

/pʰue¹³⁻²² nuĩ²²/

/pʰue⁵⁵⁻¹¹ nɯŋ³⁵/

/pʰui⁵³⁻²¹ l̃ɑuŋ²⁴²/

/pʰue¹³⁻²² nuĩ²²/

/pʰue⁵⁵⁻¹¹ nɯŋ³⁵/

(dialectal Northern Min, Eastern Min, Zhangzhou Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese, Central Min) century egg

§ - one that has a pine branch pattern; † - made with duck egg; ‡ - made with chicken egg


桌頭

/to(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ tʰau²⁴/

/to(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ tʰau¹³/

/to(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ tʰau²⁴/

/tɤ(ʔ)³²⁻⁴¹ tʰau²³/

/to(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ tʰau²⁴/

/to(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ tʰau¹³/

/to(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ tʰau²⁴/

/tɤ(ʔ)³²⁻⁴¹ tʰau²³/

(Hong Kong Hakka, Central Min) table; desk


狗嫲

/kau²¹⁻²¹³ ba²¹/

/kau²¹⁻²¹³ ba²¹/

(dialectal Gan, Hakka, Northern Min, dialectal Southern Min, Central Min, Shaojiang Min, Shehua, Pucheng Wu) female dog


老妹

/lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ meɪ̯⁵¹/

/lɒu̯⁴¹ me̞i̯²¹⁻¹¹/

/lɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ meɪ̯⁵¹/

/lɒu̯⁴¹ me̞i̯²¹⁻¹¹/

(Can we date this quote?), “佬妹阿花”, 张少林 (lyrics)performed by 张少林:

雅佬妹喊做阿花

(dialectal Mandarin, dialectal Gan, Hakka, Datian Min, Central Min, Jiangle Min, Xiang) younger sister


叔仔

/sʊk̚⁵ t͡sɐi̯³⁵/

/sʊk̚⁵ t͡sɐi̯³⁵/

(Cantonese, dialectal Hakka, Dongshan Hokkien and Zhangping Hokkien, Northern Min, Central Min, Pingxiang Gan) brother-in-law (husband's younger brother)

(dialectal Cantonese, Dongshan Hokkien and Zhangping Hokkien, Northern Min, Central Min, Shehua) paternal uncle (father's younger brother)


婿郎

/se⁵³⁻⁵⁵ lɔŋ¹¹/

/se⁵³⁻⁵⁵ lɔŋ¹¹/

(Hakka, Northern Min, Longyan Min, Datian Min, Central Min, Shaojiang Min) son-in-law


前暝

/t͡sʰiŋ³³ maŋ³³/

/t͡sʰiŋ³³ maŋ³³/

(Jianyang, Chong'an and Xiayang Northern Min; Central Min; Jiangle Min; Wan'an Hakka) yesterday


耳仔屎

/hi²¹ a⁴⁴⁵⁻³³ sai⁴⁴⁵/

/hi²¹ a⁴⁴⁵⁻³³ sai⁴⁴⁵/

(Northern Min, Central Min, Penang Hokkien) earwax


拿脈

traditional Chinese medicine
traditional Chinese medicine

(Southwestern Mandarin, Conghua Hakka, Central Min, Guangxi Xiang, traditional Chinese medicine) to take someone's pulse


病啞

/paŋ²⁴²⁻⁵³ ^((Ø-))ŋa³³/

/paŋ²⁴²⁻⁵³ ^((Ø-))ŋa³³/

(Eastern Min, Zhenghe Northern Min, Datian Min, Central Min) mute person; dumb person


話事

/waː²² siː²²/

/ʋa⁵³⁻⁵⁵ sz̩⁵³/

/waː²² siː²²/

/ʋa⁵³⁻⁵⁵ sz̩⁵³/

(Gan, Hakka, Northern Min, Central Min) to speak; to talk


龍雹

/lœyŋ³³ pʰau⁵⁵/

/lœyŋ³³ pʰau⁵⁵/

The first angel blew his trumpet, and there followed hail and fire, mixed with blood, and these were thrown upon the earth. And a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

1896, Séng Iŏ̤ Cṳ̌ing Sṳ́: Gṳ̄ing-nǎing Hǔ gâ̤ Tǔ-kióng (Lô̤-mǎ Cī), Mă̤-sī-lṳ̀ 8:7

Tê cì-ciă sǎ̤-chṳ̿ gâ̤ chṳé sā̤-gŭ, ciū iǔ lê̤ng-pāu iáu sáu huăi gâ̤ hǒ, lò̤ hā diá-di̿: si̿-gáing sáng-gǔ cì-gǔ chiáu-tiāu, chiū sáng-gǔ cì-gǔ iǎ chiáu-tiāu, gŏ̤ iōng gâ̤ cháng-chǎu dú chiáu-tiāu.

頭一隻使喙其吹□角，就有龍雹邀搜血其火，落下地裡：世間三股一股燒掉，樹三股一股也燒掉，各樣其青草都燒掉。

头一只使喙其吹□角，就有龙雹邀搜血其火，落下地里：世间三股一股烧掉，树三股一股也烧掉，各样其青草都烧掉。

(Northern, Eastern and Central Min, Southern Wu, Huizhou, Shehua) hail


糖蜂

/tʰɔŋ³³ pʰɔŋ⁵⁴/

/tʰɔ²² pʰaŋ³⁵/

/tʰɔŋ³³ pʰɔŋ⁵⁴/

/tʰɔ²² pʰaŋ³⁵/

(Hakka, Northern Min, Datian Min, Leizhou Min, Hainanese, Central Min, Hepu Cantonese) bee; honeybee


雞角髻花

Celosia argentea var. cristata#Translingual

Celosia cristata
Celosia cristata#Translingual

(Northern Min, Central Min, botany) cockscomb (Celosia argentea var. cristata, syn. Celosia cristata)


俺媽

/an⁵⁵⁻³⁵ mã⁵⁵/

/an⁵³⁻⁴⁴ mã⁵³/

/an⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ mã⁵⁵⁴/

/an⁴²⁻²⁴ ma⁴²/

/an³¹⁻²⁴ mã³¹/

/an⁵³⁻²⁴ mã⁵³/

/an⁵⁵⁻³⁵ mã⁵⁵/

/an⁵³⁻⁴⁴ mã⁵³/

/an⁵⁵⁴⁻²⁴ mã⁵⁵⁴/

/an⁴²⁻²⁴ ma⁴²/

/an³¹⁻²⁴ mã³¹/

/an⁵³⁻²⁴ mã⁵³/


蠶仔樹

/t͡sʰaŋ³³ t͡siɛ²¹ t͡sʰiu⁵⁵/

/t͡sʰaŋ³³ t͡siɛ²¹ t͡sʰiu⁵⁵/

(Northern Min, Pinghe Hokkien, Central Min) mulberry tree


蠶仔

/t͡sʰaŋ³³ t͡siɛ²¹/

/tʰam²⁴⁻³³ a⁵³/

/tʰam²³⁻³³ a⁴¹/

/t͡sʰam²⁴⁻³³ a⁵³/

/t͡sʰaŋ³³ t͡siɛ²¹/

/tʰam²⁴⁻³³ a⁵³/

/tʰam²³⁻³³ a⁴¹/

/t͡sʰam²⁴⁻³³ a⁵³/

(Hakka, Northern Min, Hokkien, Central Min) silkworm


𢫦

(Northern Min, Central Min) to hit; to strike


𤸬

(Northern Min, Eastern Min, Central Min, Zhangping Hokkien, Fujian Hakka, of a person or animal) thin; skinny


塕塵

/uŋ⁵⁵ ⁽ᵗ⁻⁾niŋ⁵³/

/eŋ³³⁻²³ teŋ⁵⁵/

/iaŋ³⁵⁻³³ tiaŋ²²/

/uŋ⁵⁵ ⁽ᵗ⁻⁾niŋ⁵³/

/eŋ³³⁻²³ teŋ⁵⁵/

/iaŋ³⁵⁻³³ tiaŋ²²/

(Dongshi Hakka, Eastern Min, Puxian Min, Teochew, Leizhou Min, Central Min) dust


棕衣

/t͡sɔŋ⁵⁴ i⁵⁴/

/t͡sɔŋ⁵⁴ i⁵⁴/

(Northern Min, Eastern Min, Central Min, Zhaotong Mandarin, Huaiji Cantonese, dialectal Hakka) raincoat woven from palm fiber (often worn by peasants in ancient China)