杜定
tōo-tīng
The Hokkien word for lizard is 杜定 (tōo-tīng).
杜定 is used to refer to the reptile known as a lizard.
Meaning: reptile (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is tōo-tīng.
Did you know?
- In some Hokkien-speaking regions, certain lizards are believed to possess spiritual qualities or are used in folk omens to predict household fortune.
- The specific characters used for 杜定 are often chosen more for their phonetic sound in Hokkien than for their literal dictionary meaning in Mandarin Chinese.
- Because Hokkien is a tonal language, a slight change in the pitch of the syllables in 杜定 could accidentally turn the word into an entirely different noun or verb.
Examples in context
- 牆壁上有隻杜定。chiông-pia̍h ū chi̍t tsia̍h tōo-tīng.There is a lizard on the wall.
Example conversation
Jiahao and Shufen are in the garden.
- 家豪 Ka-hao淑芬，你看！這有杜定。Sio̍k-hun, lí khòaⁿ! Che ū tū-tēⁿ.Shufen, look! There is a lizard here.
- 淑芬 Siok-fun哎呀，我怕杜定。Ai-ya, góa pà tū-tēⁿ.Oh, I am afraid of lizards.
- 家豪 Ka-hao它不會咬人的。Tā ē-sī bē káu lâng ê.It won't bite people.
- 淑芬 Siok-fun不管它咬不咬，快走開。Put-kuán tā káu-pò-káu, khài tsáu-khui.Regardless of whether it bites or not, let's get away quickly.
