Kó͘-tāi tī thong-sio̍k iōng-gí tang-tiong sī "kó͘-chá sî-tāi" ê ì-sù. Nā sī tī le̍k-sú-ha̍k, "kó͘-tāi" sī te̍k-pia̍t ê chi̍t tōaⁿ sî-kan, chēng kì-lio̍k-tek le̍k-sú (recorded history; thoân-thóng siōng kóng ê "sìn-sú") sǹg khí, kè-sio̍k kàu Se-iûⁿ ê Tiong-sè-kí khai-sí chìn-chêng.

Siông-sè sú-iōng pau-koat í-hā bûn-chiuⁿ:

Thong-iōng ê le̍k-sú sî-tāi siu-kái

Tē-khu ê le̍k-sú siu-kái

Chia ê "kó͘-tāi", te̍k-pia̍t tī Tang-iûⁿ ê pō͘-hūn, bô it-ēng chiàu kâng-khoán ì-sù sú-iōng.