kiăm-siăp (stingy) and khiām-iŏng (thrifty)

[Yeleixingfeng]

Sorry, don't have much time to elaborate. Thanks for your praises though, such knowledge is never appreciated in school. ^^

I post only for one reason:
SimL, can you give me a list of characters which you find hard to memorise, or remember its parts. This is not a matter of ScTc, I am just suggesting an alternative to your memorising. Hope you would at least try... ^^

[SimL]

I post only for one reason:
SimL, can you give me a list of characters which you find hard to memorise, or remember its parts. This is not a matter of ScTc, I am just suggesting an alternative to your memorising. Hope you would at least try... ^^

Hi Yeleixingfeng,

Thanks for your kind offer! I don't have a list conveniently at hand at the moment, but I'll go home and try to find a few which have been giving me extra trouble, and let you know in the next few days...

PS. What does your nick mean?

[amhoanna]

Thanks for the insights, 夜雷興風. I type using 倉頡 and I'm constantly trying to get back to a caveman level with hanji. So bring on the Oracle Bones.

[Yeleixingfeng]

PS. What does your nick mean?

Which nick?

Thanks for the insights, 夜雷興風. I type using 倉頡 and I'm constantly trying to get back to a caveman level with hanji. So bring on the Oracle Bones.

I type with 鄭碼, since it's the only stroke-based input system pre-installed in Windows. Any thoughts on 倉頡? 鄭碼 types both Sc and Tc in the same system, so while it is convenient, sometimes the same four-code corresponds to a few characters, hence arises the need to choose. For example, typing the code zld shows all, in order, 纲綱網絅綗絧. Obviously it is arranged according to frequency of usage, and zld is quite an extreme example. Does this happen in 倉頡?
By the way, I wouldn't think it appropriate to "bring on" too much etymology in this Hokkien forum - would a) deter the discussion, and b) be kinda showy. >.< Maybe, if needed - for example determining the correct punji? (I doubt it though) - I might add in a bit.
Thanks though. It's nice to know that you guys are interested in the etymology of words too. ^^

[SimL]

PS. What does your nick mean?

Which nick?

I meant "Yeleixingfeng", but I think amhoanna already answered that by addressing you as "夜雷興風" in his most recent reply. This shows one lovely aspect of Chinese characters - I had a very hard time remembering your nick when it was written as "Yeleixingfeng", but once I saw "夜雷興風", it was much easier to remember. I guess this is one reason (of many!) why Chinese don't want to give up characters and only write in an alphabetic script.

By the way, I wouldn't think it appropriate to "bring on" too much etymology in this Hokkien forum - would a) deter the discussion, and b) be kinda showy. >.< Maybe, if needed - for example determining the correct punji? (I doubt it though) - I might add in a bit.

Nah! You should talk about whatever interests you, as it all relates to Hokkien anyway (IMHO). Don't worry about appearing too "showy", you know a lot, and I'm sure most of us would be very happy to learn from what you know, if you're happy to share it with us.

[Yeleixingfeng]

My nick is actually 夜雷星蜂 (sorry Amhoanna, I didn't think it necessary to correct you, since in this forum, it's just a name), the name of a martial art routine of my protagonist. Yeah, I write an Eastern-fantasy novel - epic failure. The setting is at modern times, but I write that a parellel universe exists, where scholars who have escaped the Qinshihuang (Is there a Hokkien name?) continued to live for generations. Anyway, all four characters are a simile description of the kungfu.
Actually the main aim for writing this novel is to propogate Chinese culture, to introduce the phylosophical thinking of the people then, which explains why I need to know so much about word etymology, since Kaishu has yet to be created during Qin, and I also know a lot regarding the Wuxing(gO heng?) and yin-yang and how they apply. >.<

[SimL]

Yeah, I write an Eastern-fantasy novel - epic failure. The setting is at modern times, but I write that a parellel universe exists, where scholars who have escaped the Qinshihuang (Is there a Hokkien name?) continued to live for generations. Anyway, all four characters are a simile description of the kungfu.
Actually the main aim for writing this novel is to propogate Chinese culture, to introduce the phylosophical thinking of the people then, which explains why I need to know so much about word etymology, since Kaishu has yet to be created during Qin, and I also know a lot regarding the Wuxing(gO heng?) and yin-yang and how they apply. >.<

Awesome! Kudos to you!

[amhoanna]

Cool project, Starbee.

Windows seems to ship with different input systems in different countries. On TW computers, the Chinese-HK, -Macau, -Sg, and -MY options don't actually work -- nothing is there to install.

Chongkit 倉頡 is the same as what U described. It serves up HK, ROC, PRC and JP hanji together. I think there's an option to block out the PRC/JP stuff. Different Chongkit installs have different character sets. My Vista desktop that I bought in TW has an expanded set that with weird hanji that I've only seen in Hoklo textbooks. It came with Cantonese Pingyam too.

泰始皇 = Cînsíhông... My (non-native) instincts would have me say Cînsí'ông 泰始王 instead. Not sure if I heard that somewhere.

[SimL]

泰始皇 = Cînsíhông... My (non-native) instincts would have me say Cînsí'ông 泰始王 instead. Not sure if I heard that somewhere.

I've wondered about this 皇 / 王 thing before. I always thought 皇 as "hong5" and 王 was "ong5", but a few months ago, one of my parents told me that 皇帝 is pronounced "ong5-te3" in Hokkien. What's the story here? Is "ong-te" perhaps a Penang (Baba) Hokkien "mispronunciation"?

[niuc]

In general, I very much like to read up on the historical derivation of the characters (though I'm sure I'll never get to the depth of knowledge of you or Yeleixingfeng). I have used zhongwen.com in the past (but not very much), and I have a nice book (in English and Chinese) on the history and derivation of about 650 characters. It's a great book, and devotes a whole page to each of the characters it covers. It divides the characters into various categories: human body parts, animals, nature terms, etc.

Sim, I am also still learning. I found it easier to remember 漢字 by knowing the history, or even using "pseudo-history", e.g. 溫 is also written as 温, so 水, 日 and 皿, sun warming water in the plate. It is not historically true, but this kind of "story" makes sense and easier to remember.

i.e. even after supplementing my methods by using historical derivation to learn the character, I will still need to drill (by writing it many times, or by using flashcards), in order to get the speed of recognition to acceptable levels.]

Yes, indeed repetition is still needed. Personally, the process becomes easier for me because every stroke is more meaningful.

泰始皇 = Cînsíhông... My (non-native) instincts would have me say Cînsí'ông 泰始王 instead. Not sure if I heard that somewhere.

Bingo! In Bâ-gán-uē we say Cîn-sí-ông 泰始王.

I've wondered about this 皇 / 王 thing before. I always thought 皇 as "hong5" and 王 was "ong5", but a few months ago, one of my parents told me that 皇帝 is pronounced "ong5-te3" in Hokkien. What's the story here? Is "ong-te" perhaps a Penang (Baba) Hokkien "mispronunciation"?

皇帝 is hông-tè in my variant. Not sure why we say Cîn-sí-ông instead of Cîn-sí-hông; whether it is 皇 pronounced as ông in this instance or it's actually 王.