Section 4. On Repetition.
360. The repetition of words frequently affects the grammatical sense of the words repeated. At other times it is mere tautology adopted for rhythmical reasons, or for the purpose of emphasis as in English. Cases in which the repeating of a word has a grammatical value, will be first considered.
Appellative and relative substantives, when repeated, are translated by all or every.
- 人人算日頭, 無價之寶 niun niun sön‘ nyih deu, vú ká‘ tsz ’pau, all men feel that the sun is inestimably precious.
- 處處反亂 t’sû‘ t’sû‘ ’fan lön‘, rebellion and disturbance everywhere.
- 君君臣臣 kiun kiun zun zun, all princes and magistrates.
- 樹樹有皮, 人人有面 zû‘ zû‘ ’yeu bí, niun niun ’yeu míen‘, trees all have bark, and men all have faces.
361. The numeral particles are all repeated, thereby giving the sense of all and every to their substantives. Subdivisions of time, and space, measures of material nouns, etc. are also repeated in the same sense.
- 店家家關者 tíen‘ ká ká kwan ’tsé, the shops are all shut.
- 門扇扇鎖好拉 mun sén‘ sén‘ ’sú ’hau ’lá, the doors are all locked.
- 羊隻隻要修 yáng tsáh tsáh yau‘ sieu, the sheep all need to be shorn.
- 城裏向舖舖有小甲 zung ’lí h’iáng‘ p’ú‘ p’ú‘ ’yeu ’siau kah, in the city every ward has a bailiff.
- 天天好日頭 t’íen t’íen ’hau nyih deu, the sun shines every day.
- 物事斤斤缺少 meh zz‘ kiun kiun k’iöh ’sau, each catty of articles is short.
- 把把刀磨快末者 pó pó tau mú k’wá‘ meh ’tsé, grind all the knives.
- 間間房子坍脱者 kan kan vong ’tsz t’an t’eh ’tsé, every house is fallen.
- 今年菓子種種勿好 kiun níen ’kú ’tsz ’tsóng ’tsóng veh ’hau, this year all kinds of fruits have failed.
- 姊妹雙雙出來 tsí mé‘ song song t’seh lé, the elder and younger sisters are come out in pairs.
- 寫字個法則是筆筆中鋒 ’siá zz‘ kú‘ fah tsuh pih pih tsóng fóng, the method of writing is for each stroke to be made with the point of the pencil.
- 條條大路 tiau diau dá‘ lú‘, they are all great roads.
- 句句眞話 kü‘ kü‘ tsun wó‘, every sentence is truth.
Obs. i. The difference between full appellative or other nouns, and the auxiliary nouns that define time, space, quantity, and form, is here again prominently brought to view. Duplication serves to show where the two classes of terms border on each other. Thus, 街 ká, a street is not repeated; the form being, such as 街路條條沒滿之一寸高血 ká lú‘ diau diau meh ’mén tsz ih t’sun‘ kau h’iöh, the streets were all covered with blood an inch high. 衖 long‘, a lane, on the other hand is treated as a subdivision in space, and takes no numeral particle; e.g. 衖衖有十外家人家 lóng‘ lóng‘ yeu seh ngá ká niun ká, in every lane there are ten families or more.
Obs. ii. It has been shown in the section on adverbs, that substantives of time when doubled are used in the sense always. This is an instance in agreement with the broader principle, that all names of subdivisions and auxiliary numeral particles are repeated, and that the repetition implies universality.
362. Adjectives are sometimes repeated before a substantive, but much more frequently when placed as predicate after it. No addition is thereby made to the sense.
- 做生活個人勞勞碌碌 tsú‘ sáng weh kú‘ niun lau lau lóh lóh, the workmen are tired.
- 好好物事 ’hau ’hau meh zz‘, a good article.
- 小小個一圓鐵蛋 ’siau ’siau kú‘ ih yön t’ih dan‘, a small iron shot.
- 多多百姓 tú tú pák sing‘, very many people.
- 花卉妖妖嬈嬈 hwó ’hwé yau yau zau zau, the flowers are very beautiful.
- 樹林密密層層 zû‘ ling mih mih zung zung, the wood is crowded with trees.
- 山頭玲玲瓏瓏 san deu ling ling lóng lóng, the hill is picturesque.
- 若惆惆 ’k’ú tseu tseu, unhappy.
- 聽見之書聲朗朗 t’ing kíen‘ tsz sû sung long‘ long‘, we heard the sound of reading pleasant and clear.
- 眼淚汪汪 ’ngan lí‘ wong wong, tears flowing abundantly.
- 火星燄燄 ’hú sing yan‘ yan‘, the sparks are very bright.
- 十指尖尖 seh ’tsz tsíen tsíen, ten sharp-pointed fingers.