355. Coordinate words having the same grammatical power, arranged in groups of from two to five or even more characters, form a numerous class. In regard to the laws of position, the whole group is treated as a single noun or verb, or adjective as the case may be. In the examples, a hyphen connects the coordinate words.
- 伊個行事, 全是仁義道德 í‘ kú‘ háng-zz‘, dzén ’zz zun-ní‘-’dau-tuh, his actions are all based on benevolence, rectitude, reason and virtue.
- 做親個時候, 夫妻兩個板要拜天地神明 tsú‘ t’sing kú‘ zz-k’í‘, fú-t’sí ’liáng kú‘ ’pan yau‘ pá‘ t’íen-dí‘-zun-ming, at the time of marriage, the husband and wife must worship heaven, earth and the inferior deities.
- 大細有啥事體, 爺娘要問醫卜星相要好勿要好 tú‘ sí‘ ’yeu sá‘ zz‘ ’t’í, yá-niáng yau‘ mun‘ í-póh-sing-siáng‘ yau‘ ’hau veh yau‘ ’hau, if there be anything that concerns their children, the parents will ask the doctor, the diviner, the astrologer, and the physiognomist, if all will be well.
- 勿能用之器皿傢生, 測量伊個長闊高深 veh nung yúng‘ tsz k’í‘-’ming-ká-sáng, t’seh liáng, í‘ kú‘ dzang-k’weh-kau-sun, you cannot by taking instruments measure its length, breadth, height and depth. (four adj. here form one substantive, viz. dimensions.)
- 人勿好担兇來, 待之馬牛羊三樣中牲, 因備人用 niun veh ’hau tan h’iúng lé, de‘ tsz ’mó-nieu-yáng san yáng‘ tsóng sáng, yung bé‘ niun yúng‘, men ought not to be cruel in treating the three animals, horse, cow and sheep, because they are useful to man.
- 人嘸啥事體個辰光, 担琴碁書畫來, 消悶過日 niun m sá‘ zz‘ ’tí kú‘ zun kwong, tan‘ giun-gí-sû-wó‘ lé‘ siau mun‘ kó‘ nyih, when men have nothing to do, they take to the harp, chess, writing and painting, to dissipate care and pass away the time.
- 被褥鋪盖 pí‘-niók-p’ú-ké‘, coverlid and mattrass, for bedding.
- 鞋襪衣帽 há-mah-í-mau‘, shoes, stockings, clothes and hat.
- 順從 zun‘-zóng, to yield to and follow.
- 等待 ’tung-dé‘, wait for.
- 骨頭指節 kweh-deu-tsz tsih, bones, limbs and joints.
- 廣大 ’kwong dú‘, wide and great.
- 牢硬 lau ngáng‘, firm and hard.
- 播揚奧妙個道理 pú‘-yáng au‘-miau‘ kú‘ ’tau-’lí, to propagate mysterious and wonderful doctrines.
356. Another numerous class of compounds consist of words, which, while helping to form a larger group, retain a grammatical relation to each other.
- 有一種爲非作歹個人 ’yeu ih ’tsóng wé-fí-tsok-’té kú‘ niun, there is a sort of vicious mischief-making men.
- 一眼嘸情嘸義個 ih ’ngan m-dzing-m-ní‘ kú‘, quite destitute of feeling and principle.
- 正管偷閑懶惰 tsung‘ ’kwén t’eu han ’lan dú‘, they do nothing but waste time and be lazy.
- 認差之假佯頭發囘往心 niung‘ t’só tsz ’ká yá deu fah wé ’wong sing, he was misled by his pretend change of mind.
- 領之傳杯弄盞個朋友出去 ’ling tsz dzén pé lóng‘ ’tsan kú‘ páng ’yeu t’seh k’í‘, he led out his friends who were his drinking companions.
- 嘸沒出典 m meh t’seh ’tíen, has on classical authority.
Obs. i. 出 governs 典 ancient books, and the two words together form a substantive in the objective case, after the verb m meh. The whole is equivalent 勿上書本 veh ’zong sû ’pun, it is not used in books.
Obs. ii. In phrases of this sort, we have government within government. A transitive verb with its regimen, may form part of a group, which is an elongated adjective, qualifying the following noun. Compare in English, such phrases as “a luxurious, do-nothing life.”
Obs. iii. Verbs with their regimen are freely used as adjectives, and connected by means of 箇, with the following noun; e.g. 養蠶咾種茶葉個百 姓, 今年苦惱者 yáng‘ zén lau tsóng‘ dzó yih kú‘ pká síng‘, kiun níen ’k’ú ’nau ’tsé, the silk-worm breeders and tea cultivators will this year suffer greatly. So also other combinations, 拉廣東做個 物事, 全是巧個 ’lá ’kwong tóng tsú‘ kú‘ meh zz‘, dzén ’zz ’k’iau kú‘, things made at Canton are all ingeniously worked.
357. In many cases, while there is a common grammatical character belonging to the whole group, only part of the constituent words give the sense. Thus in 苦楚 ’k’ú ’t’sú, miserable; 福氣 fók k’í‘, happiness; 恩典 un ’tíen‘ favour; the second word in each has no influence on the sense. So also 相 in 相信 siáng sing‘, to believe in, does not in colloquial usage retain the sense of reciprocity. To give that idea, an adverb such as 大家 tá‘ ká, must be prefixed.
358. Some terms originally consist of two syllables, which are written separately, only because the Chinese mode of writing requires each character to be the sign of a monosyllable.
- 吩咐 fun fú, to command.
- 須張 sü tsáng,[1] ] to nurse (c).
- 叮囑 ting tsóh, give directions.