A Graduate Kneels Before a Magistrate
This is a curious little tale buried in the Teochew primer by Lim Hiong Seng, among a series of example sentences.
Source: Lim Hiong Seng (1886) Handbook of the Swatow vernacular, pp. 166-167. Singapore: “Koh Yew Hean” Press. (Internet Archive)
to¹¹ tʰeŋ¹¹ hai⁵² u¹¹ tsek² kai¹¹ siu⁵² cai⁵⁵ / u¹¹ huam⁵² tieʔ² luk⁵
Do6(7) Têng5(7)hai2 u6(7) zêg8(4)gai5(7) siu3(2)cai5, u6(7) huam3(2)diêh8(4) lug8.
在 澄海 有 一個 秀才，有 犯着 律。
There was a graduate in Thenghai, who had broken the law.
Siu2tshai5 秀才 – Graduate of the entry-level civil service examinations in the imperial system, “licentiate”. However, as the passing rate of the examinations were so low, a licentiate might actually be quite old.
Theng7hai2 澄海 – County in Teochew prefecture.
i³³ tsiu¹¹ kʰɯ⁵² puŋ³³ kũã³³ hu²⁵ sim⁵²
I1 ziu6(7) ke3(2) bung1 guan1hu2(6) sim2.
伊 就 去 分 官府 審。
He was then brought to be examined before the magistrate.
lau¹¹ tia³³ ti⁵² teŋ⁵² tsiu¹¹ tsʰuk⁵ lai¹¹ tso¹¹ tɯŋ⁵⁵
Lao6(7)dia1 di3(2)dêng2 ziu6(7) cug4(8)lai5(7) zo6(7)deng5.
老爹 戴頂 就 出來 坐堂。
The magistrate put on his hat and in to hold court.
Lau7tia1 老爹 – Colloquial term for magistrate or official, probably reflecting the concept of officials being like parents to the common folk 父母官.
teng2ti2 頂戴 – round hat with a precious stone on top marking rank, worn by Qing dynasty officials. The inverted word ti2teng2 refers to the action of putting on the hat.
siu⁵² tsʰai⁵⁵ tsiu¹¹ kũĩ¹¹ loʔ² kʰɯ²¹³
Siu3(2)cai5 ziu6(7) guin6(7) loh8(4)ke3.
秀才 就 跪 落去。
The graduate thereupon kneeled down.
lau¹¹ tia³³ sim²⁵ kau⁵² hoʔ⁵ ku⁵² lou¹¹ / naŋ⁵⁵ zuaʔ² tsai²⁵ / liap² teŋ⁵² tsiu¹¹ tʰuk⁵ tiou¹¹ paŋ⁵² to¹¹ tsʰɯŋ¹¹ teŋ⁵²
Lao6(7)dia1 sim2(6) gau3(2) hoh4(8)gu2 lou7, nang5 ruah8(4)zai6, liab8(4)dêng2 ziu6(7) tug4(8)diou7 bang3(2) do6(7) ceng5(7)dêng2.
老爹 審到 ho’2久𡀔，儂 熱在，粒頂 就 脫掉 放在 床頂。
The magistrate examined him for a long time, and feeling warm, took off his hat and placed it on the table.
Tsai6 在 – Literary pronunciation
Liap4 粒 – Functions here as a classifier.
siu⁵² tsʰai⁵⁵ to¹¹ kũĩ¹¹ sui¹¹ si⁵⁵ tsiu¹¹ kʰi²⁵ lai¹¹
Siu3(2)cai5 do6(7) guin6(7) sui5(7)si5 ziu6(7) ki2(6)lai5(7).
秀才 到跪 隨時 就 起來。
The graduate, who until now had been kneeling, immediately stood up.
Sui7si5 隨時 – immediately
lau¹¹ tia³³ muŋ¹¹ i³³ / tã²¹³ / lɯ⁵² tso⁵² ni¹¹ kʰi²⁵ lai¹¹ ne
Lao6(7)dia1 mung7 i1, dan3, “le2 zo3(2)ni5(7) ki2(6)lai(5)7 nê?”
老爹 問 伊，呾：“汝 做呢 起來 ne？”
The magistrate asked him, “why did you stand up?”
siu⁵² tsʰai⁵⁵ tsiu1 tã⁵² tã²¹³ / ua⁵² si¹¹ kui¹¹ huaŋ¹¹ ti²¹³ / m¹¹ si¹¹ kũĩ¹¹ lɯ⁵²
Siu3(2)cai5 ziu6(7) dan3(2)dan3, “ua2 si6(7) gui6(7) Huang7di3, m6(7)si6(7) guin6(7) le2.”
秀才 就 呾呾：“我 是 跪 皇帝，唔是 跪 汝。”
The graduate replied, “I was kneeling to the emperor, not to you.”
The graduate is implying that he was kneeling to the magistrate’s office as a representative of the emperor, denoted by his official hat.
siu⁵² tsʰai⁵⁵ tsiu¹¹ tsʰuk⁵ kʰɯ²¹³
Siu3(2)cai5 ziu6(7) cug4(8)ke3.
秀才 就 出去。
The graduate then walked out.
me¹¹ kʰi⁵² i³³ kai¹¹ ũã²¹³ tsai⁵² sim⁵²
Mên5(7)ki2 i1-gai5(7) uan3 zai3(2)sim2.
夜起 伊個 案 再審。
The next day his case was heard again.