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Ted

@tedzu.bsky.social
166 followers 19 following 496 posts
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Of all the Chinese words for “stingy; miserly” (and there are many if you look up Wiktionary under 吝嗇 dialectal synonyms), my favorite is probably the Cantonese word 孤寒 “gu1 hon4” 孤寒 literally means “alone and cold” which I find poignant even poetic and reminds me of this Tang poem 江雪 by 柳宗元
江雪 "River Snow" by 柳宗元 (Liu Zongyuan, 773 - 819 CE)

千山鳥飛絕,萬徑人蹤滅。孤舟簑笠翁,獨釣寒江雪。

English translation: mine
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 12/11/2025
This reminds me of another poem from the Book of Songs《詩經》國風:王風 · 黍離 知我者、謂我心憂, 不知我者、謂我何求。 悠悠蒼天、此何人哉。 Those who know me, whisper I bear sorrows; Those who don’t know me, ask what I seek. O distant Heaven, tell me what man (has brought us to this despair).
《詩經》國風:王風 · 黍離
彼黍離離、彼稷之苗。
行邁靡靡、中心搖搖。
知我者、謂我心憂,
不知我者、謂我何求。
悠悠蒼天、此何人哉。
https://ctext.org/book-of-poetry/shu-li/zh
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
I love Cantonese-Mandarin 粤式普通話 For example, 這是什麼來的 (what is this?) which ends with 來的 is not standard Mandarin from the north, but Mandarin influenced by the Cantonese construction 呢個係乜嘢嚟嘅 (what is this?) in which 嚟嘅 (synonym of 來的) serves as a modal particle to strengthen the tone of the sentence
來的
regional, chiefly Cantonese-influenced Mandarin, colloquial
synonym of 來著 / 来着 (láizhe)這是什麼來的?/这是什么来的?  ―  Zhè shì shénme láide?  ―  What is this?
Synonyms
(Cantonese) 嚟嘅
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E4%BE%86%E7%9A%84嚟嘅 (Jyutping: lai4 ge3)
a modal particle to strengthen or confirm a statement, mostly when being used after a noun
https://shyyp.net/hant/phrase/%E5%9A%9F%E5%98%85
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
My favorite use of 嗨: 自嗨 or 自high (“self-high”) 😅 This term started out as an internet slang around 2010 and is now widely used colloquially with a range of meanings—to get excited or hyper by oneself; to amuse or have fun by oneself; being self-indulgent or narcissistic 川普自嗨 Trump “self-high”
川普自嗨
https://youtu.be/dWolFfNQSAo?si=7dyd2mVfOjyR1aec
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
A big pet peeve of mine: using the character 游 for 遊 (旅游 instead of 旅遊) The original form of this word “travel” in oracle bone and bronze inscriptions is 斿 (a child holding a flag and traveling) Later scripts added 辶 (walk) → 遊 (travel) and 氵(water) → 游 (swimming) to differentiate the two meanings
漢典
斿:字源演變
https://www.zdic.net/hant/%E6%96%BF漢語多功能字庫 Multi-function Chinese Character Database 
斿 
形義通解
略說: 甲金文從「㫃」從「子」,或不從「子」而從「人」,象小孩子執旌旗出行之形。本義為出遊,是「游」、「遊」的初文。

詳解: 甲金文從「㫃」從「子」或「人」,象小孩手執旗幟出遊,本義是出遊,引申為旅遊。東周金文於「斿」字增「彳」、「辵」、「水」,「遊」為遨遊之專字,「游」是表示在水中游。參見「遊」、「游」。字義分化後,「斿」用來表示古時旌旗末端直幅、飄帶一類的下垂飾物,可能因為這些下垂的穗帶隨風飄揚,有浮游之貌。
https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E6%96%BF宋 · 蘇舜欽(1009-1048) 行草墨跡《遊山五古帖》書法 
https://www.jizifang.com.cn/s/shufazitie/caoshu/2020/0710/358.html
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
In Taiwan, the Mandarin term 嗆聲 qiàng shēng or simply 嗆 means “to loudly provoke or confront” TIL 嗆聲 is actually derived from the Taiwanese term 唱聲 chhiàng-siaⁿ which means “to threaten” In Hokkien, chhiàng (唱) means “to call out with a loud voice”
Image source:
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1DL81TRP4c/?mibextid=wwXIfr
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Only 6 elements are directly named after countries. Somehow France (Gallia) got named twice😅 Francium (Fr): 鍅 Fǎ (TW); 钫 fānɡ (CN) Gallium (Ga): 鎵/镓 jiā Germanium (Ge): 鍺/锗 zhě Nihonium (Nh): 鉨/鿭 nǐ Polonium (Po): 釙/钋 pō Ruthenium (Ru): 釕/钌 liǎo
Elements named after geographical locations. In chronological order of discovery.
Image source: https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/1cqzbdb/elements_named_after_geographical_locations_in/
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
In 1722 黃叔璥 Huang Shujing, a Mandarin-speaking Qing official, arrived Taiwan where he spent 2 years. He recorded in 臺海使槎錄 “Records from the mission to Taiwan and its Strait” (1736) how the language spoken by Taiwanese was totally unintelligible—like barbarian gibberish and birds talking (鴃舌鳥語,全不可曉)
臺海使槎錄·卷一~卷二
by (清)黃叔璥
https://archive.org/details/06044602.cn/page/n127/mode/1upTaiwanese Hokkien
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwanese_Hokkien

臺灣話
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E8%87%BA%E7%81%A3%E8%A9%B1
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
In 1722 黃叔璥 Huang Shujing, a Mandarin-speaking Qing official, arrived Taiwan where he spent 2 years. He recorded in 臺海使槎錄 “Records from the mission to Taiwan and its Strait” (1736) how the language spoken by Taiwanese was totally unintelligible—like barbarian gibberish and birds talking (鴃舌鳥語,全不可曉)
臺海使槎錄·卷一~卷二
by (清)黃叔璥
https://archive.org/details/06044602.cn/page/n127/mode/1upTaiwanese Hokkien
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taiwanese_Hokkien
臺灣話
https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-tw/%E8%87%BA%E7%81%A3%E8%A9%B1
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
In Hokkien/Taiwanese, bô-siáⁿ-mih 無啥物 (not have what) is used to mean “it doesn’t matter; that’s all right; never mind” (synonymous with 沒什麼 or 沒關係 in Mandarin) In Mandarin, méishénme 沒什麼 (have not what; nothing) can also be used to mean “don’t mention it; it’s a pleasure; you’re welcome”
無啥物 bô-siáⁿ-mih
(Hokkien) it doesn't matter; that's all right; never mind
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E7%84%A1%E5%95%A5%E7%89%A9沒什麼 méishénme (Mandarin Pinyin)
Adverb
沒什麼
1. nothing
Interjection
沒什麼
1. it doesn't matter; that's all right; never mind
2. don't mention it; it's a pleasure; you're welcome
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%B2%92%E4%BB%80%E9%BA%BC
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Tang poet Liu Yuxi 劉禹錫 (772–842) wrote in 秋詞 "Autumn Song" 自古逢秋悲寂寥 我言秋日勝春朝 晴空一鶴排雲上 便引詩情到碧霄 Since ancient times, autumns are met with sadness and loneliness I say autumn days outshine spring morns As a crane soars above the clouds in clear skies My poetic sentiments are drawn to the azure heavens
劉禹錫《秋詞》
自古逢秋悲寂寥,我言秋日勝春朝。
晴空一鶴排雲上,便引詩情到碧霄。
Image source: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17FBNnhvnX/
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
A meditation by W.S. Merwin on nature and the inevitability of change in life, as he speaks directly to the light of September: you appear to be only a name that tells of you but they all know that you have come you who fly with them the whispering birds the fallen blue plums perfect in the dew
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
Interestingly, 港 (káng) in Taiwanese, besides meaning harbor (most common) or stream (dated), is also used as a classifier for fluids like water or wind which coincidentally is similar to how “stream” is used as a measure word in English (eg, a stream of tears) Example 台語:電風捘(tsūn)較細港一下 華語:電風扇轉小一點
港 káng
華語釋義:提供給船舶停靠的地方。 計算流體的單位。 溪流。
https://sutian.moe.edu.tw/und-hani/tshiau/?lui=tai_su&tsha=%E6%B8%AF
港 káng
1. [名詞]提供給船舶停靠的地方。
    - 用例:高雄港。Ko-hiông-káng.(高雄港)
2. [量詞]計算流體的單位。
    - 用例:一港水真大港。Tsi̍t káng tsuí tsin tuā-káng.(一道很大、很強的水流)
    - 用例:門口一港風真冷。Mn̂g-kháu tsi̍t káng hong tsin líng. (門口一道風很冷)
3. [名詞]溪流。
    - 用例:破船過港,嘛較贏泅。Phuà tsûn kuè káng, mā khah iânn siû. (乘坐破船渡過溪流,勝過游泳渡過溪流。)
https://sutian.moe.edu.tw/zh-hant/su/8544/
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
TIL the Mongolian word тайван is a loan word from Chinese 太平 (tàipíng) and it means “peace,” “calmness,” and “tranquility” Interestingly, in Bulgarian “Тайван” means Taiwan. These two words are unrelated and just happened to have the same spelling in Cyrillic So in that spirit, тайван No. 1 😉
Mongolian: тайван (peace)
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BDBulgarian: Тайван (Taiwan)
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%A2%D0%B0%D0%B9%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 21/09/2025
Love these ideographic compound variant characters for "Buddha" 佛(仏) 西域哲人 Sage of the Western Region 自覺 Self-awakening or enlightenment 西國人 Person of the Western Kingdom 西天人 Person of the Western Heaven 天國人 Person of the Heavenly Kingdom 😇 Image from: 白玉庵 account on Twitter @Hakugyokuan
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 14/09/2025
Okay, hear me out. In Hawaiian, Mahalo means thanks. In Taiwan’s indigenous Saisiyat (賽夏), ma'alo' means thanks and it comes from the root word 'alo' meaning blessing. In Hawaiian, it’s Aloha (good wishes) 📷 Austronesian Languages (Cognation & Comparison) FB
Photo credit: Austronesian Languages (Cognation & Comparison)
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1A9fKJVNtp/?mibextid=wwXIfr
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
A wild Rose of Sharon at the trail I learned today the Rose of Sharon is native to southern China, Taiwan, and India. It was introduced to Europe in the 16th century. The name “rose of Sharon” first appeared in the Song of Solomon 2:1 (KJV, 1611) #沙崙玫瑰
1611 King James Version of Song of Solomon (Song of Solomon) Chapter 2
https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Song-of-Solomon_2_1611/
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
Friend brought over some figs grown in their backyard. They are so good! 😊 #無花果 台語:bû-hua-kó
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
In Taiwan 伴手禮 refers to gifts, usually local specialties bought on a trip that one brings back. 伴手禮 is derived from the Taiwanese term “phuānn-tshiú” 伴手 (gift) Another similar Taiwanese term is “tán-lōo” 等路 (gift) which is the word our family used
Sun cake (太陽餅) a Taichung specialty and Pineapple cake (鳳梨酥) are two famous Taiwanese sweet traditional pastries, popular with both locals and visitors from abroad. I received these two boxes of “tán-lōo” (等路) or “gifts” from back home fresh from Taiwan today
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Reposted by Ted
eileen chengyin chow @chowleen.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
There comes a day when the trees refuse to let you pass until you name them. -Lisel Mueller, from "Your Tired, Your Poor" #everynightapoem #fragment
There comes a day when the trees

refuse to let you pass

until you name them. Stones

speak up and reveal themselves

as the poor of your new country.

Then you see that the moon

has chosen to follow you here

and find you humming the music

you stuffed your ears against.

You dream, in a language

you never wanted to understand.

When you pick up the telephone,

the voices from home arrive

sighing, bent by the ocean.

Their letters bear postage stamps

that surprise you with their strange, bright birds.

Lisel Mueller, from “Your Tired, Your Poor”
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 01/09/2025
“Home is where the heart is at peace” 此心安處是吾鄉 —from a poem by Song poet Su Shi 蘇軾 (1037–1101) 常羨人間琢玉郎,天應乞與點酥娘。盡道清歌傳皓齒,風起,雪飛炎海變清涼。 
萬裡歸來顏愈少,微笑,笑時猶帶嶺梅香。試問嶺南應不好,卻道:此心安處是吾鄉。 宋 · 蘇軾《定風波 · 南海歸贈王定國侍人寓娘》
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 30/07/2025
TIL the Japanese named it tsunami 津波 (lit: harbor wave) because fishermen didn’t notice the tsunami passing them in the ocean until they returned to the harbor and found their village totally devastated by the full force of the waves hitting shallow waters
When ‘tsunami’ was introduced to the English language, and what it means
https://amp.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/short-reads/article/3107591/when-tsunami-was-introduced-english-language津波について
https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/kishou/know/faq/faq26.html
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 26/07/2025
Interesting thread on the “original” (pre-Han) meaning of 灋 In bronze inscription 灋 meant “to follow the example of” (效法); later (during Spring & Autumn and Warring States) it was also used as a homophonic substitute (通作) for 廢 which meant “great” (大) or “abandon” (背棄) depending on the context
From 漢語多功能字庫:
金文表示效法,中山王方壺:「可灋可尚,以鄉(饗)上帝,以祀先王。」表示可以效法,可以崇尚,以祭獻上帝,以祭祀先王。《國語.越語》:「無忘國常」,韋昭注:「常,典法也。」又通作「廢」,表示大,大盂鼎:「灋(廢)保先王」,「廢保先王」即大大地保佑先王。《爾雅.釋詁》:「廢,大也。」又通作「廢」,表示背棄,逆鐘:「勿灋(廢)朕命」。《詩.大雅.韓奕》:「無廢朕命。」《左傳.宣公十二年》:「毋廢王命。」
https://humanum.arts.cuhk.edu.hk/Lexis/lexi-mf/search.php?word=%E7%81%8B
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 25/07/2025
Si tuviera que morir mil veces allí quiero morir: si tuviera que nacer mil veces allí quiero , cerca de la araucaria salvaje, del vendaval del viento sur, de las campanas recién compradas. Pablo Neruda "Que despierte el leñador" 若我必須死上一千次 我願死在那裡 若我必須生上一千次 我願誕生在那裡 我那小小多山的國家 焚-鄭南榕殉道二十周年紀錄片 (2009)
「我那小小多山的國家」詩句改寫自聶魯達詩作,出自《焚IMMOLATION:紀念鄭南榕殉道20週年》,導演陳麗貴,2009。

Si tuviera que morir mil veces
If I had to die a thousand times
若我必須死上一千次

all ĺ quiero morir
there I want to die
我願死在那裡

si tuviera que nacer mil veces
if I had to be born a thousand times
若我必須生上一千次

alli quiero nacer
there I want to be born
我願誕生在那裡

——摘錄自Pablo Neruda《Canto General》 (1950),IX. Que despierte el leñ ador|第九章〈讓樵夫甦醒〉 VI(第六節)中段選摘 (651 行 - 640 行)
譯者:陳宛萱
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1235108301316795&id=100044529093651&set=a.583377709823194
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 23/07/2025
Interestingly, the original meaning of the character 吃 (⿰口乞 or ⿰口气) means “to stutter” in which the phonetic component 乞 (气) could also add part of the meaning since it has the phonetically borrowed meaning of "begging" (i.e., trying to talk but with difficulties)
說文解字(大徐本):吃,言蹇難也。從口气聲,居乙切
https://dict.variants.moe.edu.tw/dictView.jsp?ID=-5529&la=0
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 15/07/2025
𘜶𗗚𗓰𗾟,𗱕𗋽𗰖𘏚 "The great sea is vast and deep, all the waters are gathered there" RIP Mr. West 🙏
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
Interestingly in the Japanese-Taiwanese dictionary 日臺小辭典 / 臺灣總督府編 (1908), under the Japanese entry 欝憂 ウッ ユウ (utsu yū), the corresponding Taiwanese words are written as: 欝悶 ウッ ブヌ (utsu-bun) 憂悶 イウ ブヌ (iu-bun) 憂欝 イウ ウッ (iu-utsu)
《日臺小辭典》
編:臺灣總督府
出版:東京大日本圖書
日期:1908 明治41年
(資料來源:國家圖書館 臺灣記憶 https://tm.ncl.edu.tw/)

https://tm.ncl.edu.tw/article?u=008_001_0000571470&n=10&d=%7B%22_hidingFromList%22:0,%22_deleted%22:0,%22_hiding%22:0,%22page_limit%22:%2210%22,%22page%22:%221%22,%22query_words%22:%22%E8%BE%AD%E5%85%B8%22,%22lang%22:%22chn%22%7D&query_words=%E8%BE%AD%E5%85%B8
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
廣東話是鳥語 Cantonese is “bird language” ? Well, listen for yourself how the phrase 各個國家有各個國家嘅國歌 (Every country has its national anthem) sounds like in Cantonese and decide for yourself! 🐓🐓🐓😂 youtube.com/shorts/aRLXl...
youtube.com
廣東話是鳥語
YouTube video by 林BB
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 12/07/2025
A case in which both Japanese and Taiwanese/Hokkien preserved Middle Chinese pronunciation? 憂鬱 in Japanese is pronounced /yūutsu/ from MC 'juw 'jut In Taiwanese this compound word 憂鬱 is pronounced /ut-tsut/ which is written today as 鬱悴 or 鬱卒 (憂鬱 can be also read as /iu-ut/ in literary reading 文讀音)
憂鬱 Wiktionary
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/%E6%86%82%E9%AC%B1臺日大辭典 (1931) by 小川尚義
https://taigi.fhl.net/dict/gm.php?fn=A/A0117.png
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
This "bird talk" reminds me of the homophonic piece 季姬擊雞記 (Ji Ji Ji Ji Ji) or “Ji Ji hit the chicken” written in the style of Classical Chinese by the linguist 趙元任 Chao Yuen Ren (1892 - 1982) #普通話也是鳥語 youtu.be/r7t02I0gtmU?...
youtu.be
季姬击鸡记 Ji Ji Ji Ji Ji Ji Chinese poem with a single syllable
YouTube video by Werewolf Wu
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
When written in cursive, the Kanji 喜 (happy, joyful) looks like 㐂 which resembles the number 七十七 (seventy-seven) written vertically. This is why one's 77 birthday is called 喜寿 (Kiju) in Japan and celebrated as a milestone for longevity
喜寿とは何歳のお祝い?意味や由来・お祝いの仕方を解説
https://www.yamada-heiando.jp/c/column/kiju
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
臺灣笑話集 by 川合真永 (1915) a collection of Taiwanese jokes written in vernacular Taiwanese with Japanese translation It’s incredible to me how the Japanese could write Taiwanese in Chinese characters so well back when Taiwanese themselves weren’t doing it
冊名:臺灣笑話集
編作者:川合真永
出版日期:1915-08-10(大正四年)
印刷所:台灣日日新報社(台北)
https://taigi.page/posts/%E6%9B%B8%E4%BB%8B(005)-%E5%8F%B0%E7%81%A3%E7%AC%91%E8%A9%B1%E9%9B%86-1915-%E5%B7%9D%E5%90%88%E7%9C%9F%E6%B0%B8/
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
Auspicious kanji of the day (7/7/2025): 㐂 a triplication of 七 (seven) which is a variant of 喜 based on the cursive script of 喜 and pronounced the same way 㐂 means “happy”, “joy” and is often used in shop signs or product names in Japan Lucky 7 x 3 😇
「愛酒場 楽㐂-LUCKY-」
Photo credit:
https://www.instagram.com/kurume.lucky/
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
經濟 (economy) is one of many 和製漢語 “Japanese-made Chinese words” that 梁啟超 Liang Qichao (1873-1929) borrowed from the Japanese and introduced to the Chinese lexicon of his time through his writings He used 經濟 in his essay “On Freedom” 論自由 (1902)
梁啓超 Liang Qichao
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liang_Qichao
論自由by 梁啓超 (c. 1902)

「不自由毋寧死!」斯語也,實十八九兩世紀中,歐美諸國民所以立國之本原也。
自由之義,適用於今日之中國乎?曰:自由者,天下之公理,人生之要具,無往而不適用者也。雖然,有真自由,有偽自由,有全自由,有偏自由,有文明之自由,有野蠻之自由。今日「自由云自由云」之語,已漸成青年輩之口頭禪矣。新民子曰:我國民如欲永享完全文明真自由之福也,不要不先知自由之為物果何如矣。請論自由。
自由者,奴隸之對待也。綜觀歐、美自由發達史,其所爭者不出四端:一曰政治上之自由,二曰宗教上之自由,三曰民族上之自由,四曰生計上之自由(即日本所謂經濟上自由)。政治上之自由者,人民對於政府而保其自由也。宗教上之自由者,教徒對於教會而保其自由也。民族上之自由者,本國對於外國而保其自由也。生計上之自由者,資本家與勞力者相互而保其自由也。而政治上之自由,復分為三:一曰平民對於貴族而保其自由,二曰國民全體對於政府而保其自由,三曰殖民地對於母國而保其自由是也。自由之徵諸實行者,不外是矣。
http://preprints.readingroo.ms/china/www.bookcool.com/%E6%A2%81%E5%90%AF%E8%B6%85%E6%96%87%E9%9B%86.pdf
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 29/06/2025
Ueda Kazutoshi 上田萬年 (1867-1937), who studied linguistics in Germany and has been called father of modern Japanese linguistics, was a believer of one country 國家, nation 民族 & language 言語, and a major proponent of a standard Japanese “national language” 國語 One of his early work is the book 國語論 (1895)
From 上田萬年『國語論』published by 金港堂 circa 1895
Photo credit: 國立臺灣大學 臺灣文學研究所 山口 守 教授
https://ocw.aca.ntu.edu.tw/uploads/course_item_file/file/1517/102S106_AA01L01.ppt
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 27/06/2025
Came across this cool writing style called 三及第 “Saam Kap Dai” which combines classical Chinese, standard Chinese, & written Cantonese. 三及第 was popular in Hong Kong in the 1940s-60s An example of 三及第 from 經紀日記 (c. 1940-50s) by 經紀拉 (三蘇、高雄)
《經紀日記》第一集 by 經紀拉(三蘇、高雄)
《經紀日記》是高雄擔任《新生晚報》副刊主編時,以「經紀拉」之名,在報中連載的日記體長篇小說,後來由大公書局出版了兩集單行本。小說以第一人稱寫成,從經紀拉的視角出發,透過寫「拉哥」周旋於各式人物之間,在走「盤」、賣出買入中賺取差額的日常工作,展現了四、五十年代香港的社會面貌。

https://archive.org/details/20220104_20220104_1435#:~:text=Graphic%20Violence-,%E7%B6%93%E7%B4%80%E6%8B%89%EF%BC%88%E4%B8%89%E8%98%87%E3%80%81%E9%AB%98%E9%9B%84%EF%BC%89%E3%80%8A,%E7%B6%93%E7%B4%80%E6%97%A5%E8%A8%98%E3%80%8B%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%80%E9%9B%86&text=%E3%80%8A%E7%B6%93%E7%B4%80%E6%97%A5%E8%A8%98%E3%80%8B%E6%98%AF%E9%AB%98%E9%9B%84%E6%93%94%E4%BB%BB,%E5%B9%B4%E4%BB%A3%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E7%9A%84%E7%A4%BE%E6%9C%83%E9%9D%A2%E8%B2%8C%E3%80%82《經紀日記》第一集 by 經紀拉(三蘇、高雄)
《經紀日記》是高雄擔任《新生晚報》副刊主編時,以「經紀拉」之名,在報中連載的日記體長篇小說,後來由大公書局出版了兩集單行本。小說以第一人稱寫成,從經紀拉的視角出發,透過寫「拉哥」周旋於各式人物之間,在走「盤」、賣出買入中賺取差額的日常工作,展現了四、五十年代香港的社會面貌。

https://archive.org/details/20220104_20220104_1435#:~:text=Graphic%20Violence-,%E7%B6%93%E7%B4%80%E6%8B%89%EF%BC%88%E4%B8%89%E8%98%87%E3%80%81%E9%AB%98%E9%9B%84%EF%BC%89%E3%80%8A,%E7%B6%93%E7%B4%80%E6%97%A5%E8%A8%98%E3%80%8B%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%80%E9%9B%86&text=%E3%80%8A%E7%B6%93%E7%B4%80%E6%97%A5%E8%A8%98%E3%80%8B%E6%98%AF%E9%AB%98%E9%9B%84%E6%93%94%E4%BB%BB,%E5%B9%B4%E4%BB%A3%E9%A6%99%E6%B8%AF%E7%9A%84%E7%A4%BE%E6%9C%83%E9%9D%A2%E8%B2%8C%E3%80%82
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 26/06/2025
Love how 仁 is composed of 亻(human) and 二 (two; also can be an iteration mark for亻as in two or more people), highlighting the relationship between people. 仁 is thus often paired with the character 愛 (仁愛 benevolence; humaneness) or 慈 (仁慈 kindness; compassion) An ancient variant of 仁 is 忈 “two hearts”
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 25/06/2025
Love this Canto phrase 見攰就唞 gin3 gui6 zau6 tau2 “feel tired then rest” cuz it illustrates how Cantonese uses words differently from other Sinitic languages 見 here doesn’t mean “to see” but “to feel” 攰 means “tired” 就 means “then” 唞 means “to rest”
見攰就唞
https://christiantimes.org.hk/Common/Reader/News/ShowNews.jsp?Nid=173785&Pid=105&Version=0&Cid=2168&Charset=big5_hkscs
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 22/06/2025
TIL during Japanese rule (1895-1945), the Japanese referred to local Han people in Taiwan as 本島人 (islanders) while Japanese in Taiwan were called 內地人 (mainlanders) 本島人 later transitioned into 本省人 (in-province ppl) to distinguish from 外省人 (out-province ppl) who came from mainland China after WWII
1896 September Gazette of the Governor-General of Taiwan 
明治29年9月臺灣總督府報-國語學校規則
https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1896_September_Gazette_of_the_Governor-General_of_Taiwan_%E6%98%8E%E6%B2%BB29%E5%B9%B49%E6%9C%88%E8%87%BA%E7%81%A3%E7%B8%BD%E7%9D%A3%E5%BA%9C%E5%A0%B1-%E5%9C%8B%E8%AA%9E%E5%AD%B8%E6%A0%A1%E8%A6%8F%E5%89%87.jpg#mw-jump-to-license改進中央與地方關係、本省人與外省人隔閡之建議
Circa 1959 (中華民國四十八年)
https://tcmb.culture.tw/zh-tw/detail?indexCode=drnh&id=014-010100-0055
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
是誰傳下這詩人的行業 黃昏裹掛起一盞燈 啊,來了 有命運垂在頸間的駱駝 有寂寞含在眼裹的旅客 是誰掛起的這盞燈啊 曠野上,一個矇矓的家 微笑看…… 有松火低歌的地方啊 有燒酒羊肉的地方啊 有人交換著流浪的方向… 鄭愁予《野店—邊塞組曲之二》
鄭愁予《野店—邊塞組曲之二》
https://www.nmtl.gov.tw/News_Content.aspx?n=3887&s=127650
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 14/06/2025
I’m fascinated how 荔鏡記 (c.1566) uses a mix of Choânchiu (泉州音) & Teochew (潮州音) to tell the story of 陳三 from 泉州 and 五娘 from 潮州 and how we don’t know who wrote this earliest literary work in Hokkien In this example 林厝托媒婆求𡥘𡚸, 𡥘𡚸 (潮州: cua7 bhou2) is used instead of 𤆬某 (泉州: chhōa-bó͘) for “to take a wife”
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 11/06/2025
In Taiwanese, traditionally last names are said in colloquial pronunciation (白話音) and personal names in literary pronunciation (文讀音) But there are plenty of exceptions to the above general rules: 馬英九 Má Ing-kiú (both 馬 & 九 are literary) 陳水扁 Tân Tsuí-pínn (all three characters are colloquial)
Reference: 教育部台語常用辭典 
辭典附錄
字姓 jī-sènn/lī-sìnn 音讀
人名 lâng-miâ 音讀
https://sutian.moe.edu.tw/zh-hant/piantsip/sutian-huliok/
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 09/06/2025
This is some passage by Xunzi 荀子 (3rd century BCE) on natural phenomena and the role of human rituals 雩而雨,何也?曰:無佗也,猶不雩而雨也。日月食而救之,天旱而雩,卜筮然後決大事,非以為得求也,以文之也。故君子以為文,而百姓以為神。以為文則吉,以為神則凶也。 Thus gentlemen consider [these rituals] as decoration, while the common people think it's the work of the Divine.
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
People may be surprised to learn it was the Japanese when they ruled Taiwan (1895-1945) who first systematically wrote vernacular Taiwanese using Chinese characters (漢字) in dictionaries, magazines, and Taiwanese learning manuals such as those for Japanese police 《臺灣語通信研究會》鷲田敬太郎 所著〈司獄用語〉明治42年 (1909)
明治42年(1909)《臺灣語通信研究會》鷲田敬太郎所著〈司獄用語〉
https://images.app.goo.gl/33eDhuh1vZuEn11z5
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 05/06/2025
Hokkien words of the day* 有影 ū-iáⁿ (literally: has shadow) meaning real or true 無影 bô-iáⁿ (literally: has no shadow) meaning not real or false Derived phrases meaning “really?” or “seriously?” (Mandarin: 真的嗎?) 敢有影 kám-ū-iáⁿ 有影無 ū-iáⁿ--bô *Hakka and Teochew also share the use of 有影、無影
Photo source: 真正有影 facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/15aaJfiGq4/?mibextid=wwXIfr敢有影: “really?”; “seriously?” (Mandarin: 真的嗎?)
Photo source:
https://hakkatv.pixnet.net/album/photo/342050810
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
In the first Taiwanese translation of the New Testament Bible in Pe̍h-ōe-jī (POJ, 白話字) by Dr. James L. Maxwell (published 1875), the Lord’s Prayer ends with “sim só͘ goān” 心所願 (so be it) This is why in earlier days many Taiwanese churches would say “sim só͘ goān” 心所願 to end a prayer instead of Amen 阿門
New Testament translation in Pe̍h-ōe-jī by by James L. Maxwell (1836-1921); published in 1875. “Lán ê Kiù- chú Iâ-so-Ki-tok ê sin-iok” (咱ê救主耶穌基督ê新約)

新約聖經 馬太福音傳 6: 7-15
1873 馬雅各 版:
7 恁祈禱个時,莫得[bo̍h-tit]唸濟濟擺親像異邦儂,怹扑算講濟濟話,才會准;
8 莫得學怹,因為未求个代先,恁欠用个,爸[pē]已經知。
9 按呢祈禱著講,阮个爸[pē]蹛佇天裡,願汝个名做聖;
10 汝个國臨到,汝个旨意著成[tio̍h chiâN]佇地裡親像佇天裡;
所著用个米糧今仔日予阮;
12 阮赦免得罪阮个儂,求赦免阮个罪;
13 莫得予阮拄著試,著救阮出歹;因為國,權能,榮光攏是汝个到代代;心所願。
14 恁赦免儂个過失,天爸也赦免恁个過失;
15 恁毋赦免儂个過失,天爸也毋赦免恁个過失。

https://taigi.page/posts/%E9%A6%AC%E9%9B%85%E5%90%84-vs-%E5%B7%B4%E5%85%8B%E7%A6%AE-%E5%8F%B0%E8%AA%9E%E7%99%BD%E8%A9%B1%E5%AD%97%E8%81%96%E7%B6%93%E4%B8%BB%E7%A6%B1%E6%96%87%E5%B0%8D%E7%85%A7/New Testament translation in Pe̍h-ōe-jī by by James L. Maxwell (1836-1921); published in 1875. “Lán ê Kiù- chú Iâ-so-Ki-tok ê sin-iok” (咱ê救主耶穌基督ê新約)

新約聖經 馬太福音傳 6: 7-15
1873 馬雅各 版:
7 恁祈禱个時,莫得[bo̍h-tit]唸濟濟擺親像異邦儂,怹扑算講濟濟話,才會准;
8 莫得學怹,因為未求个代先,恁欠用个,爸[pē]已經知。
9 按呢祈禱著講,阮个爸[pē]蹛佇天裡,願汝个名做聖;
10 汝个國臨到,汝个旨意著成[tio̍h chiâN]佇地裡親像佇天裡;
所著用个米糧今仔日予阮;
12 阮赦免得罪阮个儂,求赦免阮个罪;
13 莫得予阮拄著試,著救阮出歹;因為國,權能,榮光攏是汝个到代代;心所願。
14 恁赦免儂个過失,天爸也赦免恁个過失;
15 恁毋赦免儂个過失,天爸也毋赦免恁个過失。

https://taigi.page/posts/%E9%A6%AC%E9%9B%85%E5%90%84-vs-%E5%B7%B4%E5%85%8B%E7%A6%AE-%E5%8F%B0%E8%AA%9E%E7%99%BD%E8%A9%B1%E5%AD%97%E8%81%96%E7%B6%93%E4%B8%BB%E7%A6%B1%E6%96%87%E5%B0%8D%E7%85%A7/
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 01/06/2025
The Lord’s Prayer (Gospel of Matthew 6: 9-13) in Classical Chinese (文言文) from 禆治文-克陛存譯本 (1859) Interestingly the prayer in the right photo (c. 1889) ends with 誠心所願 (let it be so) instead of 亞孟 (Amen). By tradition 誠心所願 (sing4 sam1 so2 jyun6) is used in Cantonese (HK) at the end of prayers
裨治文、克陛存譯本(深文理)1859
馬太福音 第六章:
“故爾祈禱、當如是云、我父在天、願爾名聖、 爾國臨格、爾旨得成、在地如在天焉。 我儕所需之糧、今日賜我、 免我儕諸負、如我免負我者、 尤毋導我於誘惑、乃拯我出於惡、蓋國也、權也、榮也、皆歸於爾、爰及世世、亞孟。”
‭‭馬太傳福音書‬ ‭6‬:‭9‬-‭13‬ 裨治文-克陛存譯本‬ https://bible.com/bible/2213/mat.6.9-13.裨治文-克陛存譯本
Photo source. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mdwf1V0ZTsHKgLAuzSABgCw25ptntEyf/view?usp=drivesdkLords Prayer in Classical Chinese.
我父在天 願爾名聖 爾國臨格 爾旨得成 在地如在天焉 我儕所需之糧 今日賜我 免我儕諸負 如我免負我者 尤毋導我於誘惑 乃拯救我出於惡 蓋國也 權也 榮也皆歸於爾 爰及世世 誠心所願
From: Guinness, Lucy; In The Far East: Letters From Geraldine Guinness; Morgan & Scott; London 1889
https://archive.org/details/infareastletters00tayliala/page/49/mode/1up

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Lords_Prayer_in_Chinese.jpg
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
Interestingly the character 雫 ⿱雨下 is also considered a variant for 𬻊 ⿱ 天下 in Sawndip (𭨡𮄫) or 方塊壯字(Zhuang) used by Zhuang people (壯族) in South China (mainly Guangxi) In Sawndip 𭨡𮄫 (Zhuang): 𡗶 ⿱ 天上 gwnz ("above") 𬻊 ⿱ 天下 laj ("below") 📸Sawndip Sawdenj 古壯字字典 (Zhuang-Chinese Character Dictionary) 1989
Sawndip Sawdenj 古壯字字典 (Zhuang-Chinese Character Dictionary) 1989.
Photo: 《古壯字字典(初稿)》P275
https://read01.com/KDE604P.html
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 31/05/2025
So interesting how Vietnam adapted Chinese characters to create new characters to represent Vietnamese (Chữ Nôm 𡨸喃): 𡗶 ⿱ 天上 trời ("sky") 𠳒 ⿰口𡗶 lời ("word; utterances") Also in Sawndip 𭨡𮄫 (Zhuang): 𡗶 ⿱ 天上 gwnz ("above") 𬻊 ⿱ 天下 laj ("below")
A page from Tự Đức thánh chế tự học giải nghĩa ca (嗣德聖製字學解義歌), a 19th-century primer for teaching Vietnamese children Chinese characters. The work is attributed to Emperor Tự Đức, the fourth emperor of the Nguyễn dynasty. In this primer, chữ Nôm is used to gloss the Chinese characters, for example, 𡗶 is used to gloss 天.
Created: Written in 1882; first published in 1898.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%E1%BB%AF_N%C3%B4m#/media/File:Tu_duc_thanh_che_tu_hoc_giai_nghia_ca.jpg
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Ted @tedzu.bsky.social · 30/05/2025
Today I learned 雫 was used in “Dictionary of the Hok-këèn Dialect” (Medhurst, 1832) for the word “nóa” which means “to knead with the hands” This dictionary was based on an earlier native Hokkien (漳州 Cheng-chù) syllabary 彙集雅俗通十五音 (謝秀嵐, 1818) which used 雫 for “nóa” h/t to: Maxim Persikov on Twitter
“A dictionary of the Hok-këèn dialect of the Chinese language, according to the reading and colloquial idioms: containing about 12,000 characters. Accompanied by a short historical and statistical account of Hok-këèn” (published 1832) by Medhurst, Walter Henry, 1796-1857
https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofhokk00medhrich/page/490/mode/1up彙集雅俗通十五音(七) by (清)謝秀嵐撰 
https://archive.org/details/02077336.cn/page/n77/mode/1up
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