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The following list includes Chinese words that appear romanized in the text, English words that have been used more than once as glosses for specific Chinese terms, and place and dynasty names. Each entry begins with the form found in the text (following conventions established earlier for capitalization) with an aide-mémoire where necessary. This is followed by the Mandarin characters and the Hokkien characters if they are different. The final portion of each entry contains the romanized Mandarin and Hokkien pronunciation. The lack of any one of these is represented by a dash.
In the first item, for example, the form found in the text is ancestor. The Mandarin writing is 祖 先. The Hokkien writing is the same as the Mandarin. The Mandarin pronunciation is Zǔxiān. The Hokkien pronunciation chó·-sian.
| Text Form | Mandarin/Hokkien Characters | Mandarin/Hokkien Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| ancestor | 祖 先 | Zǔxiān / chó·-sian |
| âng-thâu-á ("redhead" Taoist priest) | 紅 頭 仔 | Hóngtóu / âng-thâu-á |
| bad thing | — / 歹 物 | — / pháin-mih |
| Bǎo'ān (pseudonym for a village in Taiwan) | 保 安 | Bǎo'ān / pó-an (Spelled "Bao-an" in the original edition of this book.) |
| Běigǎng (town in Taiwan, near Jiāyì) | 北 港 | Běigǎng/ pak-káng (Officially spelled Peichang.) |
| Běimén (town in Táinán county) | 北 門 | Běimén / pak-mnĝ (Officially spelled Peimen.) |
| buddha | 佛 | Fó / hút |
| censer master | 爐 主 | Lúzhǔ / lô·-chú |
| Chén (surname) | 陳 | Chén / tân |
| Chénghuáng (city god) | 城 隍 | Chénghuáng / sêng-bông |
| chhiam (fortune verse) | 籤 | Chiān / chhiam |
| city | 市 | Shì / chhī |
| county | 縣 | Xiàn / koān |
| Dànshuǐ (town in Taipei county) | 淡 水 | Dànshuǐ / tām-chuí (Officially spelled Tamsui.) |
| devil | 魔 神 / 魔 神 仔 | Móshén / mô·-sîn-á |
| divine rascal | 神 棍 | Shéngùn / sîn-kùn |
| dog tub | 狗 桶 | Gǒutǒng / káu-tháng |
| Education and Recreation Center | 育 樂 中 心 | Yùlè Zhōngxīn / iók-lók-tiong-sim |
| eight immortals table (part of family altar) | 八 仙 桌 | Bāxiān zhuō / pat-sian-toh |
| evil fairy, sec Yāoguài, Yāojīng | ||
| evil god, sec Xiéshén | ||
| family | 家 | Jiā / ke or ka |
| female spirit | 女 魂 | Nǚhún / lú-hûn |
| Fújiàn (Chinese province) | 福 建 | Fújiàn / hok-kiàn |
| Gāoxióng (city and county in Táiwān) | 高 雄 | Gāoxióng / ko-hiông (Officially spelled Kaohsiung.) |
| ghost | 鬼 | Guǐ / kuí |
| god | 神 | Shén / sîn |
| Good Brethren (euphemism for hungry ghosts) | 好 兄 弟 | Hǎo Xiōngdì / hó-hian-tī |
| Great Saint Equal to Heaven (god) | 齊 天 大 聖 | Qítiān Dàshèng / chê-thian-tāi-sèng |
| Guān Gōng (god) | 關 公 | Guān Gōng / koankong |
| Guǎngdōng (Chinese province) | 廣 東 | Guǎngdōng / kńg-tang |
| Guānyīn (goddess) | 觀 音 | Guānyīn / koan-im |
| Guardian (title used for manifestations of King Guo) | 太 保 | Tàibǎo / thài-pó |
| Guǐ (ghost) | 鬼 | Guǐ / kuí |
| Guǐshén (ghost-god, alternate term for ghost) | 鬼 神 | Guǐshén / kuí-sîn |
| Guō (surname) | 郭 | Guō / koeh |
| hangings (paintings of gods over a family altar) | 佛 祖 漆 子 | Fózǔ qīzi / pút-chó·-chhat-á |
| harmony / harmonious | 平 安 | Píng'ān / pêng-an |
| headman | — / 頭 家 仔 | — / thâu-ke-á |
| Héběi (Chinese province) | 河 北 | Héběi / hô-pak |
| hell marriage | 冥 婚 | Mínghūn / bêng-hun |
| His Highness Chyr (god) | 池 府 二 千 歲 | Chí Fǔ Èr Qiānsuì / tî-hú-jī-chhian-soè |
| His Highness Lii (god) | 李 府 大 千 歲 | Lǐ Fǔ dà Qiānsuì / lí-hú-tāi-chhian-soè |
| His Highness Wu (god) | 吳 府 三 千 歲 | Wú Fǔ sān Qiānsuì / gô·-hú-sam-chhian-soè |
| hó-khoàn (pretty) | — / 好 看 | — / hó-khoàn |
| hó-sè (proper) | — / 好 勢 | — / hé-sè |
| household head | 戶 長 | Huhjaang / hō·-tiún |
| household | 戶 | Huh / hō· |
| Huáng (surname) | 黃 | Huáng / nĝ |
| Hún (soul) | 魂 | Hún / hûn |
| hungry ghosts | 餓 鬼 | Èguǐ / gō-kuí |
| immortal | 仙 | Xiān / sian |
| inharmony / inharmonious | 不 平 安 | Bùpíng'ān / put pêng-an |
| initiation | 開 光 | Kāiguāng / khai-kong |
| Jiào, see poe | ||
| Jiāyì (city and county in Taiwan) | 嘉 義 | Jiāyì / ka-gī (Officially spelled Chiayi.) |
| Jìnjiāng (city in Fújiàn, close to Quánzhōu) | 晉 江 | Jìnjiāng / chìn-kang (Formerly spelled Tsinkiang) |
| King Guō (god) | 郭 聖 王 | Guō shèng wáng / koeh-sèng-ông or |
| King Guō (god) (alternate writing) | 郭 姓 王 | Guō xìng wáng / koeh-sèng-ông |
| kiō-á (divination chair) | — / 轎 仔 | — / kiō-à |
| kong-chhò· (village temple) | — / 公 厝 | — / kong-chhô |
| Kuài (New Taiwan Dollar = US $.025 in 1960s) | 塊 | Kuài / kho· |
| large family | 大 家 | Dàjiā / toā-ke |
| Lín (surname) | 林 | Lín / lîm |
| Lín (village subdivision) | 鄰 | Lín / lîn |
| Líng (higher soul) | 靈 | Líng / lêng |
| Línghún (soul) | 靈 魂 | Línghún / lêng-hûn |
| little god | 小 神 | Xiǎoshén / sió-sîn |
| Little Maid (ghost) | 小 娘 | Xiǎoniáng / sió-niû |
| lonely spirit | 孤 魂 | Gūhún / ko·-hûn |
| Lóngxī (city in Fújiàn) | 龍 溪 | Lóngxī / liōng-khe (Now called Zhāngzhōu, q.v.) |
| Mádòu (town in Táinán county) | 麻 豆 | Mádòu / mâ-tāu (Officially spelled Matou.) |
| Marshal Xiè (god) | 謝 府 元 帥 | Xiè Fǔ Yuánshuài / chiā-hú-goân-soè |
| Māzǔ (goddess) | 媽 祖 | Māzǔ / má-chó· |
| Mǐnán (frequent term for southern Fújiàn or its people or dialects) | 閩 南 | Mǐnán / bân-lâm |
| Nánkūnshēn (temple in Táinán county) | 南 鯤 鯓 | Nánkūnshēn / lām-khun-sin |
| palanquin | 轎 子 / 轎 | Jiàozi / kiō |
| passing through the oil | 過 油 | guòyóu / koè-iû |
| pháin-khoàn (ugly) | — / 歹 看 | — / pháin-khoàn |
| pháin-sè (embarrassing) | — / 歹 勢 | — / pháin-sè |
| Phoenix Mountain Monastery (temple in Fújiàn, home of King Guō) | 鳳 山 寺 | Fèngshān Sì / hōng-soan-sī |
| Pò (lower soul) | 魄 | Pò / phek |
| poe (divination blocks) | 筊 / 筶 | Jiào or Jiǎo / poe |
| portion (administrative section of a village) | 股 | Gǔ / kó· |
| portion representativet | 股 首 | Gǔshǒu / kó·-siú |
| power (of gods) | 力 量 | Lìliàng / lát-liōng |
| Qīng (dynasty) | 清 | Qīng / chheng |
| Qīngmíng ("clear and bright," a festival in the traditional solar calendar) | 清 明 | Qīngmíng / chheng-bêng |
| Quánzhōu | 泉 州 | Quánzhōu / choān-chiu (Formerly spelled Chuanchew.) |
| Queen of Heaven (= Māzǔ) | 天 后 天 上 聖 母 | Tiānhòu / thian-hō Tiānshàng Shèngmǔ / thian-siōng-sèng-bó |
| red approach table (part of family altar) | 紅 格 桌 | Hónggé Zhuō / āng-keh-toh |
| Rehnaw (festive) | 熱 鬧 | Rènào / lāu-jiát |
| River Bank Hamlet (part of Bao-an) | 溪 南 寮 | Xībǔliáo / khe-po·-liâu |
| seven ousts (grounds for divorce) | 七 出 | Qīchū/ chhit-chhut |
| Shǎngbīng (rite of appreciating soldiers) | 賞 兵 | Shǎngbīng / siún-peng |
| Shànghǎi (city in China) | 上 海 | Shànghǎi / siōng-hái |
| Shāntóu (city in Guǎngdōng) | 汕 頭 | Shantour / soàn-thâu (Formerly spelled Swatow.) |
| Shǎnxī (province of China) | 陝 西 | Shǎnxī / siám-sai (Officially spelled Shaanxi [formerly Shensi] to avoid confusion with Shānxī when tones are not marked.) |
| Shén (god) | 神 | Shén / sîn |
| Sòng (dynasty) | 宋 | Sòng / sòng |
| soul, see Línghún | ||
| South-of-the-River (part of Bao-an) | 溪 南 | Xīnán / khe-lâm |
| spirit marriage, see hell marriage | ||
| splitting the family | 分 家 | Fēnjiā / hun-ka |
| suí (pretty) | — / 美 | — / suí |
| Táiběi (city and county in Táiwān) | 台 北 | Táiběi / tâi-pak (Officially spelled Taipei, formerly also Taipeh.) |
| Táinán (city and county in Táiwān) | 台 南 | Táinán / tâi-lâm |
| Táiwān (province of China) | 台 灣 | Táiwān / tāi-oân |
| Táng (dynasty) | 唐 | Táng / tông |
| tâng-ki (spirit medium) | 乩 童 | Jītóng / tâng-ki |
| Third Prince (god) | 三 太 子 爺 | Sān Tàizǐ Yé / sam-thài-chú-iâ |
| three non-ousts (guarantees against divorce) | 三 不 出 | Sān Bùchū / sam-put-chhut |
| township | 鄉 | Xiāng / hiong |
| Tǔchéng (district in Táinán city) | 土 城 | Tǔchéng / tó·-siâ-á |
| Twelve Plague Kings (gods / ghosts) | 十 二 瘟 王 | Shí'èr Wēnwáng / cháp-jī un-ōng |
| Venerable King of the Broad Marshes (god = King Guō) | 廣 澤 尊 王 | Guǎngzé Zūnwáng / kóng-téh-chun-ông |
| Wángjiào (ceremony) | 王 醮 | Wángjiào / ông-chiò |
| water ghost | 水 鬼 | Shuǐguǐ / chuí-kuí |
| Wúgōngshēn (god) | 蜈 蚣 神 | Wúgōngshēn / gō·-kang-sîn |
| Wúlín (pseudonym for village near Bǎo'ān) | 梧 林 | Wúlín / gô·-lîm |
| Wūtóu Dàoshì ("black-head" Taoist priest) | 烏 頭 道 士 | Wūtóu Dàoshì / o·-thâu-tō-sū |
| Xiè (surname) | 謝 | Xiè / chiā |
| Xiéshén (false god) | 邪 神 | Xiéshén / siâ-sîn |
| Xiètǔ (ceremony) | 謝 土 | Xiètǔ/ siā-thó· |
| Xīgǎng (town near Bao-an, in Táinán county) | 西 港 | Xīgǎng / sai-káng (Officially spelled Hsichang.) |
| Xīluó Diàn (temple in Táinán City) | 西 羅 殿 | Xīluó Diàn / sai-lô-diān |
| Xú (surname) | 徐 | Xú / chhî |
| Yáng (positive principle) | 陽 | Yáng / iông |
| Yáng Fǔ Tàishī (god) | 楊 府 太 師 | Yáng Fǔ Tàishī / iūn-hú-thài-su |
| Yāoguài (evil fairy) | 妖 怪 | Yāoguài / iau-kuài |
| Yāojīng (evil fairy) | 妖 精 | Yāojīng / iau-cheng |
| Yīn (negative principle) | 陰 | Yīn /im |
| Yúnnán (province of China) | 雲 南 | Yúnnán / hûn-lâm |
| Zēngwén Xī (river) | 曾 文 溪 | Zēngwén Xī / chêng-bûn-khe (Formerly spelled Tsengwen Chi.) |
| Zhāng (surname) | 張 | Zhāng /tiun |
| Zhānghuà (city and county in Taiwan) | 章 化 | Zhānghuà / chiong-hoà (Officially spelled Changhua.) |
| Zhāngzhōu (city in Fújiàn) | 漳 州 | Zhāngzhōu / chiang-chiu |
| Zú (lineage) | 族 | Zú / chók |