Glossary of Chinese Words and List of Deities
angzang dong xi
dirty things [evil spirits]
ba gua
octagonal diagram with one trigram on each side with a yin-yang
image in the centre
bai shen
pray
bai Tai sui
pray to Taisui [a deity] asking for safety
bei
H. poe
crescent shaped divining block
bu shufu
uncomfortable, ill
dage
eldest brother
dajie
eldest sister
daozhu
throne, tang-ki’s chair
Datuk
[Malay] grandfather, elder
Datuk Kong
Malay spirit
ding qiu
H. deng kiu
ball of nails
diyu
H. tegek
hell
erjie
second sister
fa gao
H. huat kueh
a type of cake. Fa gao
literally means rising high. Hoat
means rising in Hokkien. Kueh
is a Hokkien word meaning cake but also is seen as being similar to the mandarin word gao
in fa gao
, meaning high.
fa re
H. pu juak
heaty feeling or condition of body
feng
mad [in a general sense]
feng-shui
arrangement of space in order to create harmony with the environment
fu
H. hu
talisman
gao
cake
gong zue
duke
guanxi
relationship, network of relationships
gui
evil spirit, ghost
hao jun
H. kokun
offerings to generals and soldiers
haso xiang
to burn incense
hawker centre
food centre where one can buy cheap cooked food
hei ling qi
black flag
hong
H. ang
or ahng
red
hongbao
H. angbao
red packets containing a gift of money
hong ji
divining blocks
huangli
H. onglai
pineapple
H. huat lah
[luck] blooming, fortunate, getting rich
hun yang
heavenly soul, becomes a shen
or gui
after death
H. iu-keng
procession
jiang jun
general and soldiers
H. jiat bar
eaten
jing sheng bing
mental illness
jin yin
H. kim yin
seal
ji-tong
H. tang-ki
spirit medium
jiu shi
H. kiu say
to save the world
kampong
[Malay] village
ke-hku
sacrifice of thigh [ancient China]
ke-kan
sacrifice of liver [ancient China]
koan ki
invocationary chant
Kong
grandfather, elder
kongsi
benevolent organization
kow tow
to bow down showing respect
kum
[Cantonese] gold [also means luck]
kum gwat
[Cantonese] mandarin orange [literally golden orange]
lai
H. lai c
ome
H. Latu Natok
Malay Datuk
lian tiu
to lose face
linghun
soul, made up of fleshly part po
and spiritual part yang
H. loh tang
descent of gods into tang-ki
H. mian tam sim
do not worry
ming
H. mia
fate
ming yun
fate or destiny
ong
red
onglai
H. huang lai
pineapple
po yin
earthly soul, becomes reincarnated after death
renao
H. lao zheut
lively, bustling, busy
sanjie
third sister
shang xiang
lighting incense
shen
H. sin
god, deity
shen bian
H. sin pi
god’s whip
shen gu
godbone
shen jing bing
mentally ill
shifu H. sibei
teacher, master
shu
book
H. sip jua
heaty feeling or condition of body
suan ming xiansheng
H. xiansi sng miah
fortune teller
tang-ki
spirit medium
tian tang
H. tian ting
heaven
tiao
jump, dance
tiao dong
H. tung tiao
jump/dance [trance]
wang
fortune
wang lai
H. ong lai
luck comes to you
wen shen
seek help from tang-ki
wu
nothingness
wu wei
non-action
xiang
incense
xiao
H. hau
filiality, filial piety
xiao bei
the gods are laughing
xin
belief, truth, good faith, loyalty
H. xintua
shrine, small temple, usually in a room of a house
yang
male principle
yang
to support, nurture [ in relationship to filial obligations - to support and provide
nourishment to elderly parents as they did for their children]
yi
appropriateness, fittingness
yi jian fa cai
literally a glance strike luck
yin
female principle
you xing
H. iu keng
procession
yun
H. un luck
zhen ben
really stupid
Names of gods and spirits
Bai Yi Niang Niang
avatar of Guanyin
[when incarnated on earth, was called Miao-shan
]
Cai Shen Ye
god of wealth
Chu Shen
H. Chau Kun
kitchen god
Datuk Kong
Malay spirit
Guan Gong
one of the main characters of The Romance of The Three Kingdoms
Guanyin
the Goddess of Mercy
Hu Ye
H. Ho La
Tiger god
Huang Lao Xian Sier
medical doctor
Ji A Pei
second uncle, a hell spirit
Ji Gong
the mad monk
Lao-tzu
[Tao Shang Lao Jun
] considered one of the three founders of Taoism
Latu Asila Tei
name of a [Malay] snake spirit
Men Shen
H. muisin
door god
Monkey God [Sun Wukong, Qi Tian Da Sheng
] one of the main characters from the
story Journey to the West
Nezha
the Third Prince
Qing Shuii Zu Shia
Buddhist monk adept at curing sick
Tai Sui
deity, Ruler of the year and someone who helps deal with petty people.
Tian Di Zhao Hua Zhi Shen Ru Lai Fo
Buddhist monk
Tian Gou
Heavenly Dog
Toa A Pei
eldest uncle, a hell spirit
Toa Ji A Pei
common name for Toa A Pei
and Ji A Pei
Yu Huang Dadi
the Jade Emperor, the highest god
Zhang Tian Shi
founder of organized Taoism and considered one of three founders of
Taoism