Another set of words that escaped me: Rent and tax. In Penang, I learnt that 'rent' as a verb is sŭe/sě. Later, I found that it was also used as a noun, too, i.e. chu sŭe ('house rent'). It was only in Nicholas Bodman's "Spoken Amoy Hokkien" that I found the alternative pronounciation - c? as used in te c (land rent).
This led me to two possibilities:
1. c and sŭe are the wendu/baidu for 租.
2. sŭe is actually 稅, i.e. taxes.
My theory is that (2) is the more likely answer. sŭe is phonetically a lot closer to 稅 than 租, and besides, taxes/rent are similar concepts, possibly not differentiated in Min.
Any takers?
Cheers,
Mark
Pay your taxes!
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hong
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hong
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hong
Just as an aside: 厝 is defined in Kangx as 厲石也, and in Mathews as a "gravestone". Of course, I have read in other Chinese-language Minnan sources that 厝 is the correct Hanzi for chu (house), so I have little reason to doubt it (as you say, we cannot rely on Kangxi or 說文 for all character definitions, especially for Southern dialects). The only reason I brought it up is because I always thought 處 was the Hanzi for chu, as it has the same pronunciation, tone and meaning.
Anyway, Singapore also uses 厝 for chu, as in the housing estates of Choa Chu Kang 蔡厝港and Yio Chu Kang.
It is interesting to see how the meanings for so many Hanzi are totally different between Minnan and the rest of the Chinese dialects. Makes one wonder how the "many spoken languages, but one written language" could still apply smoothly for Minnan in pre-modern China. As we have discussed in a previous thread, tam/ta (wet/dry) are already two examples.
How did one write "house" in wenyan, anyway? I doubt it was 屋.
Anyway, Singapore also uses 厝 for chu, as in the housing estates of Choa Chu Kang 蔡厝港and Yio Chu Kang.
It is interesting to see how the meanings for so many Hanzi are totally different between Minnan and the rest of the Chinese dialects. Makes one wonder how the "many spoken languages, but one written language" could still apply smoothly for Minnan in pre-modern China. As we have discussed in a previous thread, tam/ta (wet/dry) are already two examples.
How did one write "house" in wenyan, anyway? I doubt it was 屋.
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Casey
税 se3/sue3/ser3 may be used both as a verb and a noun.
1. As a verb, it means to rent a house, a place, etc. It also means to rent out a house, a place, etc. to people.
2. As a noun, it means rental (e.g., house rent, chu3 se3/sue3), fare (e.g., bus fare, chia1 se3/sue3), fee (e.g., electricity fee, dian7 se3/sue3; water fee, cui2 se3/sue3) and of course tax.
厝 chu3 means house (implying the whole house). 说 文 : " 厝 , 置 也 ". In 诗 经 , a dwelling place was called " 直 " (same as 置 ) or 所. 厝 was used in the Tang period to mean house. Another word I can think of is 居 .
1. As a verb, it means to rent a house, a place, etc. It also means to rent out a house, a place, etc. to people.
2. As a noun, it means rental (e.g., house rent, chu3 se3/sue3), fare (e.g., bus fare, chia1 se3/sue3), fee (e.g., electricity fee, dian7 se3/sue3; water fee, cui2 se3/sue3) and of course tax.
厝 chu3 means house (implying the whole house). 说 文 : " 厝 , 置 也 ". In 诗 经 , a dwelling place was called " 直 " (same as 置 ) or 所. 厝 was used in the Tang period to mean house. Another word I can think of is 居 .
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hong
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hong