What does "liam" mean in this song's lyrics?

Question

深深的爱（詹雅雯）

Min Nan lyrics (spelling and romanization from twblg.dict.edu.tw, video here)

想起行过的路： | Siūnn-khí kiânn-kuè ê lōo:
阮的跤步， | Gún ê kha-pōo,
虽然经过风雨， | Sui-liân king-kuè hong-hōo,
毋惊寂寞， | M̄ kiann siok-bo̍k,
因为囥在心中 | In-uī khǹg tsāi sim tiong
是你的笑容 | Sī lí ê tshiò-iông
陪阮面对困难佮艰苦。 | Puê gún bīn-tuì khùn-lân kah kan-khóo.
交予时间替阮来安排 | Kau-hōo sî-kan thè gún lâi an-pâi
唱出深深的爱。 | Tshiùnn-tshut tshim-tshim ê ài.

感谢你跕在这舞台， | Kám-siā lí liam tsāi tse bú-tāi,
毋管起起落落，你的情阮拢知。 | M̄-kuán khí-khí-lo̍h-lo̍h, lí ê tsîng gún lóng tsāi.
有时阵难免心头酸， | Ū sî-tsūn lân bián sim-thâu sng,
受着命运来阻碍， | Siū-tio̍h miā-ūn lâi tsóo-gāi,
但是阮了解 | Tān-sī gún liáu-kái
是温暖的期待。 | Sī un-luán ê kî-thāi.
感谢你跕在这舞台，| Kám-siā lí liam tsāi tse bú-tāi,
对阮真心疼痛，陪伴一生的爱。 | Tuì gún tsin-sim thiànn-thàng, puê-phuānn it-sing ê ài.
相信一定会有一工 | Siong-sìn it-tīng ē ū tsı̍t kang
一切伤悲拢成空。 | It-tshè siong-pi lóng sîng khang.
你敢知感谢你深深的爱。 | Lí kám tsāi kám-siā lí tshim-tshim ê ài.

千言万语一句话来表明。 | Tshian-giân-bān-gí tsı̍t kù uē lâi piáu-bîng.
有你的鼓励关怀， | Ū lí ê kó-lē kuan-huâi,
阮会认真为将来。 | Gún ē līn-tsin uî tsiong-lâi.

感谢你跕在这舞台，| Kám-siā lí liam tsāi tse bú-tāi,
对阮真心疼痛，陪伴一生的爱。 | Tuì gún tsin-sim thiànn-thàng, puê-phuānn it-sing ê ài.
相信一定会有一工 | Siong-sìn it-tīng ē ū tsı̍t kang
一切伤悲拢成空。| It-tshè siong-pi lóng sîng khang.
你敢知感谢你深深的爱。 | Lí kám tsāi kám-siā lí tshim-tshim ê ài.
你敢知感谢你深深的爱。 | Lí kám tsāi kám-siā lí tshim-tshim ê ài.

Dialect notes | 方言注意

1. 行 kiânn: same as 走, “walk” | 跟「走」一样；
2. 跤步 kha-pōo: same as 脚步, “steps” | 跟「脚步」一样；
3. 毋 m̄: negative element “not” | 否定词，跟「不」一样；
4. 惊 kiann: same as 怕, “fear” | 跟「怕」一样；
5. 囥 khǹg: same as 藏, “hide” | 跟「藏」一样；
6. 佮 kah (共 kā?): same as 和, “and” | 跟「和」一样；
7. 交予 kau-hōo: same as 交给, “hand over” | 跟「交给」一样；
8. 阮 gún: means “we (you are not included)”, as opposed to 咱 lán, “we (you are included)”; in songs, I think 阮／咱 are often the same as I/we | 意思是「我们（不包括你）」，相对「咱 lán」，「我们（包括你）」；在歌曲里，我觉得「阮／咱」常常跟「我／我们」一样；
9. liạm: Not sure whether it’s “跕 | liam | tiptoe”, “膁 | liám | swing the hips (dance?)” or “唸 | liām | sing [a song]” | 我不肯定地知道这是「跕 | liam | 脚尖走」，「膁 | liám | 扭动腰部（跳舞？）」还是「唸 | liām | 念［～唱歌］」；
10. 拢 lóng: same as 都, “all” | 跟「都」一样；
11. 时阵 sî-tsūn: same as 时候, “times” | 跟「时候」一样；
12. 工 kang: same as 天, “day” | 跟「天」一样；
13. 敢 kám: same as 是否, an interrogative element, turning a statement into a question; read kánn to mean “dare” as Chinese 敢 | 跟「是否」一样；念kánn就有跟普通话的「敢」一样的意思。

English translation

I remember the road I have walked:
My steps,
Though they went through wind and rain,
Did not fear loneliness,
Because hidden in my heart
It was your smile
That accompanied me in facing hardships and toils.
I hand it over to time to arrange in my place
To sing of [your] deep love.

Thank you for being [generic verb, see note 9] on this stage,
With their highs and lows, I knew all of your feelings.
Sometimes it’s hard not to feel pain,
When fate hinders you,
But I know
It’s a warm wait.
Thank you for being [generic verb, see note 9] on this stage,
Being really caring to me, accompanying me with lifelong love.
I think there will surely be a day
When all sadness will become empty [i.e. go away, vanish].
Do you know I’m grateful for your deep love?

[We could] manifest thousands of words with a single sentence.
With your courage and care,
I can be serious in the future.

Thank you for being [generic verb, see note 9] on this stage,
Being really caring to me, accompanying me with lifelong love.
I think there will surely be a day
When all sadness will become empty [i.e. go away, vanish].
Do you know I’m grateful for your deep love?
Do you know I’m grateful for your deep love?

The above is a slight modification of part of a facebook note I posted some days ago. If anyone has any comments on the translation, spelling, romanization, or Chinese version of the Dialect Notes, they are very welcome.

What this question wishes to focus on is note 9. Online lyrics (I believe) generally write it as 站 | zhàn | "stand", which makes perfect sense here. However, that character is only read tsām, and you definitely don't hear that in the video. Formerly, I thought I heard "tiam", and linked it to 踮 | tiàm. The meanings given do not quite match "zhàn", and do not perfectly fit the lyrics, but I just assumed there was another unlisted meaning matching "zhàn". Then, relistening to the video, I noticed I heard "liam", which definitely wasn't "tiam". So I looked for all the "liam"s I could find on my reference, and singled out the possible fits for the lyrics:

1. 跕 | liam | "tiptoe", which would imply the presence of the loved one in the singer's life was not "invasive" but rather "delicate";
2. 膁 | liám | "swing the hips", which could mean "to dance";
3. 唸 | liām | "sing", which might be related to dancing ("stage" has "dance" as its first character).

What do you guys think that verb is? Any other suggestions, maybe?

Answer 1

From the video:

想起走過的路
阮的腳步
雖然經過風雨
不怕寂寞
因為放在心中
是你的笑容
陪阮面對困難和艱苦
交給時間替阮來安排
唱出深深的愛

感謝你 惦在這舞台
不管起起落落
你的情 阮攏知
有時陣難免心頭酸
受著命運來阻礙
但是阮瞭解
是溫暖的期待

感謝你 惦在這舞台
對阮真心疼痛
陪伴一生的愛
相信一定會有一天
一切傷悲都成空
你敢知 感謝你深深的愛

(repeat)

千言萬語 一句話來表明
有你的鼓勵關懷
阮會認真為將來

感謝你 惦在這舞台
對阮真心疼痛
陪伴一生的愛
相信一定會有一天
一切傷悲都成空
你敢知 感謝你深深的愛

Your first thought is correct. It is tiàm, not liam. Most of Taiwanese do not have to watch the video, and will tell you this only based on the lyrics - 惦在這舞台.

惦, 踮, 𫁥 (U+2B065, Ext. C) and 店 have the similar pronunciation, diàm or tiàm. 惦 is used in the video because of the sound, not the meaning. The formal word is 踮 or 𫁥.

踮在這舞台 means to stand (站在) or to stay (待在) on this (life) stage.

踮，足部，音 tiàm 或 tàm。
踮; radical: 足; pronunciation: tiàm or tàm。

釋義 (Interpretation):

1. 在…… (in; at; on; to present; to exist)

For example,
[閩南語] 我踮遮等你。
[發音] Guá tiàm tsia tán--lí.
[國語] 我在這裡等你。
[翻譯] I wait for you here.

2. 居住 (to live)、過夜 (to stay overnight)

For example,
[閩南語] 今仔日踮遮，明仔載才轉去。
[發音] Kin-á-ji̍t tiàm tsia, bîn-á-tsài tsiah tńg--khì.
[國語] 今天住在這裡，明天再回去。
[翻譯] Live here today and go back tomorrow.

華語的「在、住」，臺灣閩南語說成 tiàm，漢字寫成「踮」或「𫁥」。
在 or 住 is pronounced as tiàm in Taiwanese Minnan language, and written as 踮 or 𫁥 in Mandarin.

「踮」和「𫁥」是較新的字。早期的字書，如《說文》、《廣韻》甚至《康熙字典》，都未收這些字。
踮 and 𫁥 are new words. Early books, such as 《說文》, 《廣韻》 or even 《康熙字典》, have not included these words.

早期閩南語文獻中，如《廈英大辭典》的附錄、《廈門音新字典》、《臺日大辭典》，都以「站」做為 tiàm 的用字。
In the early Minnan language literature, such as the appendix of 《廈英大辭典》, 《廈門音新字典》, and 《臺日大辭典》, 站 is the character of tiàm.

依據《集韻》，「站」的音讀是「陟陷切」，意義是「久立也」。
According to 《集韻》, the pronunciation of 站 is 陟陷切, and the meaning is to stand for a long time.

所以「站」的切音是 tàm / tiàm，官話音是 tsām。
Thus, the pronunciation of 站 is tàm or tiàm, and the official one is tsām (zhàn).

從音、義上看，「站」都可以說是 tiàm 的本字。
According to the sound and the meaning, we can say 站 is the original word of tiàm.

不過「站」以官話音 tsām 發音，且長期做為火車、客運車停靠上下乘客的場所，故不適合再用來做為 tiàm 的用字。
However, the official pronunciation of 站 is tsām (zhàn), and it is used as the train or bus stops for a long time, therefore it is not suitable for use as the word of tiàm anymore.

Answer 2

跕在这舞台

it's a metaphor.

舞台 - stage, indicate the act of "falling in love"

跕 - tiptoe, indicate the silent, low profile

i would interpret the context as someone who's falling in love "secretly", without any fanfare. then, one of them write / sing the lyric to the other one for gratefulness .

in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典, 跕 is 為了不發出聲音而踮著腳走 (~ walk without sound)

http://twblg.dict.edu.tw/holodict_new/result_detail.jsp?n_no=13417&curpage=1&sample=跕&radiobutton=1&querytarget=1&limit=20&pagenum=1&rowcount=1

Answer 3

Just the regular voicing of voiceless consonants. In a language where there is contrast. Dang it.

My liam was because /l/ and /d/ and /r/ are allophones in Min and all spelt as l.

@user-487 is right: it's diam, not liam, I am hearing, and diam is tiam after voicing the t.