~a1 (i·)a verb, intransitive
bodytremble with fear; feel very uncomfortable
Ebel' en' i-a.I'm terrified!
a-2 a(i)· ai- subject prefix
Tnmgo-, gi-
you: second singular realis prefix
A-tomoli!You're lying!
K' a-tab' a-mui?Have you forgotten again?
Ai-ovei?Do you know?
MorphologyBecomes ai- before a vowel, or some monosyllabic roots.
contrasts withu- ①2sg Irrealis
aba1 aᵐba possessive classifier
(food+) for me and him/her: form of the possessive classifier used for food, tools, customary possessions etc. (enaka*), with a 1 exclusive dual possessor (see keba)
Bai-ali buioe aba awoiu.We've picked our areca nuts (for us to chew).
see lexical list atenaka
aba2 aᵐba possessive classifier
our (relative), of me and him/her: form of the possessive classifier used for kin terms (one*), with a 1 exclusive dual possessor (see keba)
et' abaour mother (the mother of my sibling and myself)
see lexical list atone
abia aᵐbia adjective
Tnmabia, opokei
1many, a lot of; numerous
Ne ngogoro uña menuko abia, ka pe-romo p-ajau!There are many animals in the woods, be careful!
Abia tamwase!There are too many!
Ni-bo abia.head of NPI've cut many of them.
2all, every
kiapa abia naall of us here
A-romo abia ponu awoiu?Have you seen them all?
synonymawoiu ⓓall
derivativeidi abiamany people; everybody
ngatene abia noun
thing alleverything
moro abia adverb
day allevery day, always
Moro abia pon, nga pon.The same would happen every day.
abiaini aᵐbiaini adjective
Uie vilo pon abiaini.This leaf is thick.
Abiaini tamwase.It's too thick.
abigo aᵐbiᵑgo noun
k.o. plantAcalypha hispida.
abilo aᵐbilo noun
Abilo pon i-ovei pe i-somoli mwaliko.This kind of snake can be harmful.
Abilo i-tataele ne tanoe.There’s a snake crawling on the ground.
derivativelava abilo[sides of a snake] k.o. large liana
abilo peini revo noun
snake of the seaseasnakeLaticauda semifasciata.
abo1 aᵐbo noun
kiñe aboblades of grass
abo2 aᵐbo noun
1sabo ne ene2sabo ne eo3sabo ne ini
Men' one i-tabau i-woi visibaele ini ne touro, abo i-ke.My son fell down and hurt his knee on the reef; he was bleeding.
Abo peini ma i-udu.His blood was dripping from his hand.
Abo na, (abo) ne ngele?Whose blood is this?
I-ko i-la abo ne kaipa i-ko i-romo abo i-ko pi-tavie we tae.He wants to draw your blood and examine it to see if you are sick.
poss. classifierne ① ⓑ▻①
2figrareintimate feelings. Used in some expressions
Buro pon i-katau abo ne ene!humThis song suits my blood! (=I love it!)
abu1 aᵐbu
1before hortative‘all right’, ‘let's’
Abu ne-kila Puma!teleradioLet me try and ring the guys in Puma.
Abu le-romo kape i-ka we tae?Let's see if she'll come or not.
2before imperative verbmarks polite order: ‘please’
Abu bai-aiu ba-vio me ne-rom!Could you please stand up and let me have a look there?
Ab' u-leng' i-ka.Listen to me for a second.
📘 Cognate with the conative prefix bu- ③.
3used aloneencouragement towards action: ‘come on’, ‘please’
O, abu, kaipa! Pe-ka p-atui botu 'none!Come on, you all! Come and check out my boat!
~abu2 (i·)aᵐbu
Averb, intransitive
go down
1physical motiongo down
Kape idi abia ponu na Aneve na, li-abu li-le li-vio n’ ole.Let everyone in the village go down and stand on the beach.
see~kego out, go seawards
derivative~abu ~tesit down
antonym~venego up
2figsubside, slow down
Pana iawo i-abu mijaka.The flames (of the fire) have died down a little.
O, tae, la-wañaka iada ka i-abu i-wene.That's all right, their dispute has gone down now.
3geocentric meaninggo downwindtravel north or west
Kape n-ab' ne-le Honiara.I'll travel west [lit. down] to Honiara.
antonym~vene ⓐ▻④go south/east
Bsecond verb, intransitive
1after intransitive verb(move+) down
I-sabu i-abu ne ero.He fell down in the river.
Kuo pine ponu i-atili i-abu i-le.The huge canoe was sliding down (on the rollers).
Ero i-pu i-abu i-vagasi revo.The river flows down to the sea.
2after transitive verb(take, move s.th.) down
Li-toe dero i-abu.They cut down the cauri tree.
Ni-tabulu voko i-abu i-le ne gilita.I rolled a rock down into the valley.
Ka mobo kata kape la-ka ponu: li-elele kuo iada i-abu.The next day, as they were getting ready, they dragged their canoe down (on the sand).
3geocentric meaningdownwind, towards north or west
Ngiro Tangake i-aka i-abu i-kamai tev' iu ne.The Tangake wind blows down from the east.
~abu3 (i·)aᵐbu verb, transitive
Words for hitting and strikingli-abu
~abu hit w. hands; kill
~ago spear; shoot w. arrow
~apini kill, destroy
~arevo shatter, destroy
~bei squash, crush
~la ~mini strike hard
~makoe ; ~mamakoe broken, shattered
~panade split
~pidi strike w. supple object; lash, whip
~tobo poke; pierce
~viane hit w. foot, trample, stomp
~vo ① beat, pound w. long stick; crush
~vokoiu break; crush, destroy
~wate bang on ‹s.th.›
~wete spear; shoot; pound; grind
~woi stab; plant; erect, thrust; bang
1hit, strike ‹s.th., s.o.›, typic. with o.'s hands
Ka vitoko kape i-abu tanoma ini, ia i-abu i-kovi.He nearly hit her face; but he missed.
Dapa kula li-abu revo, me le-labu namuko.The others slap the water, in order to (scare and) catch the fish.
2figs.th.have an impact upon ‹s.th., s.o.›, affect
Vilisao i-abu toñaki pon.The ships were struck by a tornado.
Tavsone ponu i-abu nengele idi.Covid-19That sickness weakens the body. [lit. it strikes one's limbs]
3play ‹musical instrument› using hands
Li-abu ukalele ka gita.They play the ukulele and the guitar.
Ngele i-abu?musicWho's playing?
see~vi ①blow
4kill, slay, murder ‹s.o.›
Pon tadoe? Pon tepakola? Kape i-abu idi?Is that a god? Is that a giant? Does he kill people?
Nga po idi le-sune ngele kape i-te, pon kape l-abu.If they found somebody around, they would kill him.
Tadoe tae: i-abu idi tae.He's not a monster, he doesn't kill people.
5kill ‹animal›, hence hunt, fish+
Mobo kape le-lui nuduro me l-abu namuko.Tomorrow we'll carry the scareline to get some fish.
~abu4 (i·)aᵐbu verb, transitive
wash ‹clothes+› with water, esp. vigorously
Kape n-abu lusa ene ne iaero.I'm gonna wash my shirt in the river.
see~aka ②wash gently
~abui (i·)aᵐbui verb, transitive
Caus. of ~abu ② ‘go down’
take ‹s.th.› down
Pi-ka pi-abui ngatene upa pi-ko me p-ajau toñaki iote.We took our tools down (from the ship) so as to build another boat.
see lexical list at~lui
~abu ~te (i·)aᵐbu (i·)te serial verb, intransitive
descend sitsit down
U-ka u-abu u-te ene!Come sit down here!
abwa aᵐbʷa noun
Collecting tree gum (li-loko abwa).
Cf. (?) abo ② ‘blood’
1sap ‹of tree›: natural liquid coming out of a plant's trunk or stem
Li-toe bale, abwa i-pu i-ke.When you cut at a breadfruit, sap will come out.
Abwa dero i-ke mina oie basavono po li-toe, i-ka i-beiu ka li-kila li-ko “tepulu peini dero”.The sap of the kauri tree runs out of the trunk when you cut it; then it solidifies, and we call it tepulu, “kauri gum”.
contrasts withela ② ⓐjuice
contrasts withtepulugum
2liquid characterized by its specific colour; hence colour
abwa nabene noun
tobacco colourred-brown colour
Li-kanu ra ra li-ra abwa nabene.As they chew betelnut, what they spit out is red.
abwa motono abwa nga motono adjective
colour (like) the deep seadeep blue
abwa nga toloto nga toloto adjective
colour like the lagoonturquoise blue, blue-green
Dapa ka li-romo i-katau kiñe tamate, lusa ini, temaka ene pe moloe, ene po koro, ene po nga toloto, ene ka ene nga toloto –They would observe the grass skirts, the dancing gear; which part was red, which part was white, which part was green, here and here…
abwa bale aᵐbʷa ᵐbale noun
abwa▻① ‘gum’ + bale ‘breadfruit’
breadfruit gumresin of the breadfruit tree (bale), used as glue; hence glue
Dapa Niteni li-loko viavia mamdeuko pe moloe, li-la abwa bale li-lateli ne mengela vilo, li-ejau viko iadapa ñei.The people of Santa Cruz collect the red feathers of the Cardinal honeyeater, then use breadfruit sap to glue them to a piece of wood: that's how they make their traditional money.
abwaro aᵐbʷaro noun
coconutcoconut ‘milk’, obtained by squeezing coconut flesh
abwaro peini lurococonut milk
see lexical list atluro
ada1 aⁿda possessive classifier
their (food+), of them two: form of the possessive classifier used for food, tools, customary possessions etc. (enaka*), with a 3 dual possessor (see da)
mama adatheir taro pudding
buioe adatheir areca nut (for them to chew)
ngaten' adatheir food or their belongings
see lexical list atenaka
ada2 aⁿda possessive classifier
their (relative): form of the possessive classifier used for kin terms (one*), with a 3 dual possessor (see da)
et' adatheir mother (of them two)
tili' adatheir brother (of them two)
gi' adatheir uncle (of them two)
see lexical list atone
adapa1 aⁿdapa possessive classifier
their (food+): form of the possessive classifier used for food, tools, customary possessions etc. (enaka*), with a 3 plural possessor (see dapa)
avtebe me vongoro adapatheir taro and almonds
Li-ejau none pine adapa ne kulumoe.They are preparing a huge meal for the villagers.
monone adapatheir (wooden) chest
ngaten' adapatheir food or their belongings
piene adapa Teanuthe language of (the people of) Teanu
see lexical list atenaka
adapa2 aⁿdapa possessive classifier
their (relative): form of the possessive classifier used for kin terms (one*), with a 3 plural possessor (see dapa)
et' adapatheir mother
gi' adapatheir uncle
dapa tieli adapatheir brothers / their friends
see lexical list atone
adawo aⁿdawo noun
adawo bevewhite cloud
adawo boroborodark, rainy cloud
seeiotirain cloud
adie aⁿdie
Anoun, relational
I-akale adie ini.He's scratching his back.
2rear part of ‹s.th.›
La-koie Teanu la-koie ne Adie Vono.They came on shore on Teanu via the rear side of the island.
Li-vio li-dai adie nuduro.They are standing behind the fishing vine.
3later phase of ‹s.th.›
adie tomoro wakoafternoon
derivativen’ adieafter
rareafterwards, then
Adie, pi' iape ini i-ka, i-atevo iepiene peini noma.Then her grandfather came in and told her a story.
📘 More commonly preceded with a preposition ne.
main entryn’ adie
adiro aⁿdiro noun
Egghead ParrotfishScarus oviceps.
ae1 ae interrogative
A-vete a-ko ae?What did you say?
Na, piene adapa Teanu a-ko ae?How is this called in Teanu? [lit. this, in Teanu language, you say what?]
Na toñaki ae na?What sort of ship is this?
📘 Sometimes longer form nganae*, from ngaten' ae.
derivativengaten’ aewhat
2between pauseshesitation marker used when looking for one's words, esp. before a noun
Enga ini iote li-ko, ae, Takole.It also had another name, (what is it?) Takole.
~ae2 (i·)ae verb, transitive
1hollow out; remove stuff from ‹wood+›
Tano ponu, li-ae mijaka me kava i-pu i-katau.This kava bowl has been hollowed out a little, to allow kava to flow along.
I-bo kuo awoiu, i-ae lema.Once he had cut out the canoe, he began to hollow out its inner part.
2affected objectdig a hole in ‹ground›
Li-mabui li-ae tanoe, wako ka li-lateli teve.They quietly dug a hole in the ground, and put (the treasure) there.
3effected objectdig ‹hole› in s.th.
Li-ae kie.They're digging a grave.
4dig out, harvest ‹yam, hill taro›
Na uo kula kupa ka pi-ae.These are a few yams we just dug out.
Pe-le, p-ae none! P-ae jebute, me pe-tau me p-e!Go and dig out some food! Dig out some taros you can cook and eat!
see lexical list at~bi ①harvest
aele aele ale noun, relational
POc*qaqe (?)
Parts of the legaele
aele lower limb, leg
waluko thigh, hip
visibaele knee
waburo kneecap
belemele ankle
bava aele foot
uta aele heel
vidiviko ne aele toe
s.o.lower limb: leg, foot
Loubo iote i-ke vidiviko ne ale ene.A crab has bitten my toe.
~la aele verb-object idiom
take legstake a number of steps
I-la aele wa-tuo.He took six steps.
Aele Teulungo aele teuluŋo proper noun
pillow legsname of a Spirit (tamate), with thick legs
see lexical list attamate
aero1 aero noun
The pigstry fence (aero peini pwoi).
1fence, hedge
aero pe idi li-ejau i-dai manethe fence erected around the dancing area
2espfence around pen, in a farm; hence pen
Aero iupa i-vio vitoko na.Our (pig) pen is very close.
3genlimit, border
aero ne matarone [limit of entrance] threshold
4hencedistrict, area, territory
aero iadapa Teanuthe territory of the Teanu tribe
aero2 aero noun
1genseashell of any form
Le-le ne touro li-odo aero?Shall we go to the reef shore and look for seashells?
2espbivalve shell, traditionally used as an instrument to grate (~lu ②) coconut flesh or scrape the skin of tubers
aero we anive aero we anive noun
shellfish for dugongsmall cone shell used as traditional money (viko) in Vanikoro, and other parts of MelanesiaConus musicus ceylanensis.
Li-ia aero.scrape cone shells to make cowries
Li-loko aero we anive, li-si kangele i-ke mina.They collect cone shells, and cut off the mollusc part.
aeve aeve noun
1the sun
Aeve pana!The sun's hot!
Li-tabe i-le i-wene ne aeve me kokoro.They bring it out to lie in the sun so it dries up.
2espthe sun in its daily course, as a reference for indicating the time of the day
Aeve ka i-vene labiou awoiu.The sun has long risen already.
Aeve ka i-le.[the sun has gone away] It is early afternoon.
Aeve ka i-tavali.[the sun has gone down] it is late afternoon.
see lexical list atmoro ①
3hencehours on the clock; o'clock
Aeve ka tivi na? – Aeve ka tili.[lit. How many suns?] What time is it now? – It's five o'clock.
Ne-ko ne-tabo ne-le ne kulumoe ne aeve i-etengi wa-tili.I'll return to the village at 5pm [when the sun strikes five times].
agilo aᵑgilo noun
pointed arrowhead (of an arrow, puro), made of strong wood
Ni-le ni-sune puro agilo i-wene ene.As I was walking, I found an arrow with a pointed arrowhead.
Puro pon, li-bo agilo ene.That arrow was sharpened into an arrowhead.
see lexical list atvisone
~ago (i·)aᵑgo
Averb, transitive
1spear ‹fish+›
Ni-ago namuko i-kovi.I speared a fish but it escaped.
2shoot ‹s.o., s.th.› using bow (visone) and arrow (puro)
La-le lai-ago telupe?Shall we go pigeon-hunting?
Basavono po le-ko li-ago idi, li-katei puro i-ke ka li-ago.When you want to shoot someone, you draw out an arrow and shoot.
Bverb, oblique transitive
strike (s.o., s.th.: ñe) using a long object
U-la tepao u-ago ñe namuko pon.You spear the fish with a harpoon.
Besungale ini emele ero me ini biouro, i-ago ñe eo kape u-bu.mythologyBesungale is a woman with long breasts, with which she can strike you to death.
aguro aᵑguro noun
k.o. ant
ai- ai· subject prefix
you: variant of a- (2sg Realis prefix) before a vowel or certain monosyllabic roots
Ai-ovei Cindy?Do you know Cindy?
Ka ai-ve?Have you given birth?
aia aia
Anoun, kinship
ai' onemy father
aiayour father
📘 The symmetrical term is menu (pl. dameliko) or apali.
2classificatory father: any male member of the parental generation (F, FB, FZH, MZH…) except the maternal uncle (MB = gea)
father!affectionate address term, used by an elderly person, to a young man who has children – including to his own son. Sometimes a child's name is mentioned
Awis pine, aia!Thanks a lot, my dear! [lit. father!]
Mobo wako, ai' ie Womtelo!Good morning, father of Womtelo!
~aiae (i·)aiae verb, intransitive
s.th.be difficult
Piene adapa i-wen' moli, i-aiae tae!Their language is easy, it's not difficult.
Li-vete piene ñi i-aiae, ia li-lengi wako.They speak it with difficulty, but they understand it well.
Ni-romo viko i-aiae teve ene.Money is an issue for me.
antonym~wene molieasy
Ai’ akapa ajakapa noun
our FatherGod
Ai’ akapa i-tabe ma ini boso eo ka uña damiliko iono.blessingLet our Father raise his hand above you and your children.
aidi1 aiⁿdi possessive classifier
form of the possessive classifier used for food, tools, customary possessions etc. (enaka*), with an impersonal possessor (idi ‘people’)
Na tanoe aidi abia.This land belongs to everyone.
Noma li-lanasu idi ne kula none aidi, we viñe buioe aidi.In the olden days, black sorcery would make use of someone's leftover food, or of their leftover betel nut.
see lexical list atenaka
aidi2 aiⁿdi possessive classifier
form of the possessive classifier used for kin terms (one*), with an impersonal possessor (idi ‘people’)
Et’ aidi li-odo uko ñe basa damiliko iadapa.The mothers are looking for lice in their children's hair.
Uk' aidi, li-labu motoro.In-laws are to be respected.
see lexical list atone
aipa1 aipa possessive classifier
Lvnaipele (?)
your (food+), of you and them: form of the possessive classifier used for food, tools, customary possessions etc. (enaka*), with a 2 plural possessor (see kaipa*)
Ka vitoko kape le-mui piene aipa.They will soon forget your language.
Pi-valangia nganae aipa ponu?What are you guys carrying? [lit. which things of yours]
see lexical list atenaka
aipa2 aipa possessive classifier
Lvnaipele (?)
your (relative): form of the possessive classifier used for kin terms (one*), with a 2 plural possessor (see kaipa*)
Pie aipa li-atevo i-ka?Did your elders tell the story to you?
see lexical list atone
~aiu (i·)aiu verb, intransitive
1stand up, get up
Ka u-aiu!Stand up!
~aiu momobo verb, intransitive
get up in the morningwake up
Dapa li-aiu momobo li-vongo adapa.They woke up in the morning and took their breakfast.
see~pongowake s.o. up
2depart, leave a place, take leave
Idi abia ne kulumoe li-aiu li-le li-langatene ne sekele.All the villagers have left to go and work in their gardens.
P-aiu pe-wo pe-le ne ngogoro!Get up and run away to the bush!
Ngiro Palapu i-ka ka li-aiu li-ke li-pwalau i-le Iura.As soon as the northern wind began to blow, they left [Vanikoro] and set off to sail southwards.
~ajau (i·)aᶮɟau verb, transitive
Tnm~adao, ~adau
do, make: variant of ~ejau*
ajekele aᶮɟekele noun
rubbish, refuse, garbage
Ni-bo ajekele mina mevele 'none.I have collected rubbish from my front yard.
Kape le-loko ajekele le-iui ne revo.They're going to gather rubbish and throw it into the sea.
~aka1 (i·)aka verb, intransitive
1windblow strongly
Ngiro i-aka.The wind is (blowing) strong.
Nanana i-aka tamwase.Today it’s blowing very hard.
Ngiro Tokolau i-aka i-ka tev' tawo ne.The Tokolau wind blows from the west.
see~vi ①blow gently
2wave+gush in violently
Waiero peini apono i-aka i-ka pon, ini i-kot’ i-le.As the waves of the tempest began gushing it, he ran away.
3awa ‘neck, mind’be angry (at s.o., ñe)
Awa ene i-aka (ñe eo).[lit. my neck/mind is blowing hard (at you)] I am angry at you.
Awa eo i-aka ñe ene etapu!Don't be angry at me!
📘 The phrase awa ini i-aka ‘he's angry’ has given rise to a verb ~wañaka ‘be angry’.
~aka2 (i·)aka verb, transitive
wash ‹s.o., s.th.› gently; rinse with water
Kape n-aka basa ene.I'm gonna wash my face.
I-la men' iape i-lui i-aka.She took her baby and washed her gently.
Ni-aka okoro ne ero.I washed the knife in the river.
contrasts with~abu ④wash energetically
see~lebiebathe, wash o.s.
~akai (i·)akai verb, transitive
set ‹a trap›
Li-akai i-le ne meteliko, menuko i-ava i-ka…bird huntingWe set [a trap] up in the sky, and when a bird flies in…
~akale (i·)akale verb, transitive
I-akale adie ini.He's scratching his back.
akapa1 akapa possessive classifier
our (food+), of you and us: form of the possessive classifier used for food, drink, tools, customary possessions etc. (enaka*), with a 1st inclusive plural possessor (kiapa)
ero korone akapaour alcohol (to drink)
Dapa Tukupie li-koie li-te ne tanoe akapa Vanikoro ponu.Tikopians have settled on our land of Vanikoro.
see lexical list atenaka
piene akapa noun
our languagethe Teanu language
Uña damiliko li-mui pe li-wo ñe piene akapa.Children don't know how to count in Teanu.
akapa2 akapa possessive classifier
our (relative), of you and us: form of the possessive classifier used for kin terms (one*), with a 1st inclusive plural possessor (kiapa)
Pi' akapa dapa li-atevo nga pon.That's what our ancestors used to say.
Ka ai’ akapa i-tabe ma ini boso eo.blessingOur Father has waved his hands above you.
see lexical list atone
~akasi (i·)akasi verb, transitive
send ‹s.th., s.o.›
Awisi pine peini angede ovene ai-akasi i-ka.Many thanks for the email you sent me.
Ka i-akasi pi’ iape.He sent his grandson.
~akawo (i·)akawo verb, transitive
1wear ‹s.th.› around o.'s neck
Noma, idi wopine li-akawo kolokolo me i-botongo dapa.In ancient times, great men used to wear ‘kolokolo’ breast plates as a protection.
see lexical list at~labu
2hang ‹s.th.› on o.'s back or shoulder, using straps
Ni-akawo temamene.I'm carrying my rucksack.
Li-akawo tabuluburi ne adie idi, puro i-vio ene.You hang a quiver on your shoulder, with arrows [standing] inside.
akia1 akia possessive classifier
our (food+), of you and me: form of the possessive classifier used for food, tools, customary possessions etc. (enaka*), with a 1st inclusive dual possessor (kia)
namolo iakia ka none akia ka ero me kiaour clothes, our food, our water
see lexical list atenaka
akia2 akia possessive classifier
our (relative), of you and me: form of the possessive classifier used for kin terms (one*), with a 1st inclusive dual possessor (kia)
et’ akiaour mother (of you and me)
see lexical list atone
~ako (i·)ako verb, intransitive
Noma, viabas' ene i-ako.I used to have blond hair.
contrasts withborodark
2plantyellowed through growth
3espbananabe ripe and sweet
udo pe i-akotype of bananaripe bananas
see lexical list atmoso ①ripe
ale ale noun, relational
1leg, foot
vidiviko ne ale enemy toes [lit. fingers of my foot]
main entryaele
2figbottom part ‹of s.th.›
al’ ero [the foot of a river] river mouth
al’ ero alero alero noun
ale ‘foot’ + ero ①▻② ‘river’
river footriver mouth, down where a river reaches the sea
alero peini iaero Paiuthe mouth of the Paiu river
see lexical list atero ①
~ali1 (i·)ali verb, transitive
pick ‹areca nuts, buioe› by climbing on the tree
Lai-au jebute, la-kidi puluko ada, lai-ali buioe ada, la-kamai ponu.They went to harvest some taros, pinch off some betel leaves, pick some areca nuts, and came back.
~ali2 (i·)ali verb, transitive
cast ‹a net, pele
Kape u-ali pele po a-labu ponu?Will you be casting that net you're holding?
aluko aluko noun
pufferfishTetraodontidae spp.
Alvaki alfaki placename
name of an area on the island of Utupua (Tetevo), where the Nembao language is spoken
~amei (i·)amei verb, transitive
swing ‹s.th.› to and fro, back and forth
Uie lumobo po i-vi ponu, i-amei, i-amei, i-amei, i-amei, i-amei, i-amei i-ioi i-le ponu.Once he had tied the leaves (around the stone), he began to swing it, swing, swing, swing, till he threw it far away.
amela1 amela possessive classifier
your (food+), of you two: form of the possessive classifier used for food, tools, customary possessions etc. (enaka*), with a 2 dual possessor (see kela*)
Buioe amela, kela bai-odo ngapwae?Your areca nuts (for you to chew), how will you find them?
see lexical list atenaka
amela2 amela possessive classifier
your (relative), of you two: form of the possessive classifier used for kin terms (one*), with a 2 dual possessor (see kela*)
see lexical list atone
amjaka amᶮɟaka
1in small quantity; few
Li-ejau aña none mijaka.We cook a little (bit of) food.
none aidi mijakafood for just a few people
Ero na mijaka: votobo pe ni-anu tae.predicateThere's too little water, it's not enough for me to drink.
2rareshort, small: k.o. diminutive
N-atevo iepiene amjaka peini Laperus.I'll tell a short story about Lapérouse.
comma little bit
U-katau anoko u-vene u-le amjaka.Just follow the road a little further up.
Ni-ovei mijaka ponu.I only know that little bit.
Kap' ne-langatene mijaka.I'm going to work a little.
I-te i-labiou mijaka.He's been here for quite long.
Amo amo proper noun
Sir, Mr.: abbreviation of amoso ‘old man’
amoso amoso noun
POc*matuqaripe, old
1old man: a respectful term
contrasts withmomosoold woman
2sir; mister
Amoso!respectful addressSir!
Ai-ovei Amoso Lavalu?Do you know Mr Lavalu?
amuko amuko noun
2crushed seaweed, traditionally used as a protective varnish and insect repellent on wood
Li-bi vilo li-la ñe amuko.They carved some wood and applied seaweed varnish to it.
Amwakilo amʷakilo proper noun
the Christian God
amwaliko amʷaliko noun
variant of mwaliko
main entrymwaliko
ane ane noun
sea urchin, of various sorts
1Diadema urchin, with long, black needlesDiadematidae spp.
2pencil urchinHeterocentrotus mammillatus.
3Crown-of-thorns starfishAcanthaster planci.
anema anema noun
halfbeak, garfishHemirhamphus spp.
anes anes anesi noun, relational
animal+flesh, meat
anes kuleveluchicken meat
anes poipork meat
anes namukofish meat
anes mwalikorarehuman flesh
Aneve1 aneve placename
name of an ancient village in Teanu island
Da-tilu pe Teanu. Kulumoe iada Aneve.They were from Teanu island; their village was Aneve.
~aneve2 (i·)aneve verb, transitive
sweep ‹place, s.th.› with a broom
Li-aneve lema mwoe, ka maro.They sweep inside the house, and outside too.
anive anive noun
dugongDugong dugong.
Ni-rom anive iote pine ni-sai ñe kuo 'none ne.I saw a large dugong, I thought it was (as big as) my canoe.
derivativeaero we anivecowrie shell, shellmoney
anluko anluko noun
Sweetlip EmperorLethrinus miniatus.
anmobo anmoᵐbo noun
Eyestripe SurgeonfishAcanthurus dussumieri.
anoko anoko noun
1road, path on land
Vilo iote pine i-sabu ne anoko.There's a large tree fallen across the road.
A-ka a-kae? – Ni-katau anoko ni-ka.How did you come? – I just followed the road. (I walked)
2abstrpath, route, itinerary
Nga ne bogo, le-romo i-katau vangana kanmoro iu, li-ovei li-ejau anoko iadapa.sailing shipsAt night, they would follow the shining stars, and thus recognise their itinerary.
antebe anteᵐbe noun
marsh, swamp; mud
main entrynetebe
~anu (i·)anu verb, transitive
Awa ini i-ko i-anu laro.He'd like to drink a fresh coconut.
Li-anu kava awoiu ka li-vongo viri.We first drink kava, and then have dinner.
Li-anu ero pana ka li-kanu, ka li-moloe ne kat.We drink tea, we chew areca nuts, and we play cards.
anuele anuele noun
turtle, esp. sea turtleCheloniidae spp.
viñe anuele turtle shell (often cut into various ornaments)
anuele anaero noun
Hawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricata.
anuele tukuteleu noun
Green turtleChelonia mydas.
angede aŋeⁿde noun, relational
1footprint, tracks left by ‹man, animal› on the ground
angede enemy footprints
angede idiunknown possessorfootprints
angede vaotracks of wild pig
angede kulevelutracks of chicken
derivativeangede ovenetracks of heron → writing
2relic, remains, vestiges of ‹s.th.›; traces left by ‹s.o.›, esp. in the landscape
angede Upeiretraces left (in the landscape) by Upeire the mythical ogress
angede ovene aŋeⁿde ovene noun
1figtracks of heronwriting, letters of alphabet
2written message, letter, email
Minga kape le-sune angede ovene po Laperus i-si ponu.One day someone will find the message which was written by Lapérouse.
see~si ①write
aña1 aɲa noun
Lvnaña, añe
Tnmaña, vagiñi
1piece, bit of ‹food+›
aña mana luroa bit of rice
seeañañasmall bits
2taste of ‹s.th.›
Aña wako tadoe![Taste is terribly good] This is absolutely delicious!
None ne aña tamwaleko.[this food, taste is bad] This food doesn't taste good.
3noise of ‹s.th.›
aña ruene pe li-kothe noise of a door being slammed
Aña kuo.This is the noise of a canoe.
Li-viane tepapa me aña ini.They jump on the (dancing) boards for the sound it makes.
4figonly in negative sentencestrength, energy of ‹s.o.›
Aña ene tae![lit. I have no energy] I'm tired!
Nga aña ene tae, ni-le ni-wene, awoiu ni-lengi wako.Whenever I feel tired, I take a nap, then I feel better.
aña2 aɲa noun
a ritual of initiation symbolizing the transmission of a father's rights over land and ownership, to ‹his own children›
Li-miñi aña damelikoInheriting from the father
Due to the matrilineal structure of Vanikoro society, children automatically inherit land and property from their mother's clan. But a special ritual of transmission (~mini aña (dameliko)) is required from the father to his children, to ensure that they will also inherit from their father's clan (basa ③) when he dies. The clan of the mother – represented by the children’s uncle (gi' adapa) – brings presents to the father in the form of mat money (savene) or shellmoney (viko). This will be a way, for the mother’s clan, to symbolically “buy the clan” (li-sava basa) – i.e. buy land rights from the father’s clan.
~mini aña (dameliko) verb-object idiom
~mini ‘give’ + aña ② + dameliko ‘children’
fatherhold the ritual for childrenperform a ritual of transmission for ‹children›, symbolizing their right to inherit land and wealth from the father's side; hence bequeath land to ‹o.'s children›
Aña dameliko 'none mamote pi-mini tae.We haven't performed the ceremony of initiation for my children yet.
Menu ie teliki i-ovei pe i-vene i-ka ini teliki i-laiaini ai’ iape pe ai’ iape i-mini aña.A chief's son can rise to become chief, succeeding his father, only if the father has bequeathed it to him.
Teulungo ie ai’ adapa li-ovei pe li-la nga ai’ adapa i-mini aña dapa.upon the father's deathThe headrest of their father, they can inherit it only if their father has performed the transmission ritual towards them.
~añabu (i·)aɲaᵐbu verb, transitive
rain+make ‹s.th., s.o.› wet
Tebo i-añabu ene.I got soaked by the rain.
see~dobuobe wet
añanga aɲaŋa noun, relational
jaw; chin
añaña aɲaɲa noun, relational
small bits of ‹s.th.›
Li-mali iawo semame añaña longe.We light a fire with small bits of firewood.
MorphologyReduplication of aña, with pluralising and diminutive effect.
añawo aɲawo noun
whaleBalaenidae spp.
loro ie añawo noun
whale vomitamber
apali apali noun
Cf. apilaka ‘small’
non-relationalchild, young person
E, apali! U-ka ko!Hey, child! Come here!
Basavono pon ene mamote apali.At that time, I was still a child.
seemenuson, daughter
apalimata apalimata noun, relational
apali ‘child’ + mata (?)
relative of ‹s.o.›, member of o.'s close family
Eo apalimata ene.You're my relative.
Apalimata Stanley tilu kape la-ka la-romo ini.Two of Stanley's relatives will come visit him.
Synt.Although it refers to kinship, this relational noun does not encode its possessor using the kin classifier (one, ie ②), but with a direct possessor, like body parts.
ape ape possessive classifier
his, her (food+): form of the possessive classifier used for food, tools, customary possessions etc. (enaka*), with a 3 singular possessor (see ini)
namuko apehis/her fish (to eat)
okoro apehis/her knife
Taluaito i-su uro ape.The sorcerer lit his (magic) charcoal.
Ene ni-mui piene ape.I don't know her language.
see lexical list atenaka
apilaka apilakaaplaɣa aplaka adjective
Tnmpiñe, piñu(kako)
Cf. apali ‘child’
1small in size, little
okoro aplakaa small knife
toñaki apilakaa small boat
monone aplakaa small box
basakulumoe iote aplakaa little island
Oie ini aplaka.[her size is small] She is slim.
📘 Only with singular nouns. Plural form is suppletive wamtaka.
2small in age, young
men' iaba aplakaour small baby
emele aplaka[lit. a small woman] a young girl
Mwasu iote apilakathe younger Mwasu
~apilo (i·)apilo verb, transitive
make, create ‹s.th.›
Li-apilo vekai wamtaka.They made small puddings.
Dapa noma vana li-apilo tenuro.People in the past used to make coconut-string ropes.
Li-apilo toñaki.They built a ship.
~apilo sekele verb-object idiom
make gardenprepare ‹garden› for cultivation, cultivate
Li-apilo sekele i-le li-teli avtebe.Once they had prepared the gardens, they planted taros.
~apini (i·)apini verb, transitive
kill ‹s.o.›, destroy ‹a group of people›
Vilisao i-lubi kuo ka i-apini idi.The tornado spun the ship and killed everybody.
see lexical list at~abu ③strike
~apinu (i·)apinu verb, intransitive
cook, prepare dinner
Noma, li-apinu ne mwoe.In the old days, cooking was done inside the house.
moe pe li-apinu enekitchen [lit. house where one cooks]
synonym~ejau ngatene
apono apono noun
hurricane, cyclone
Apono i-somoli otovo peini mwoe iupa.The hurricane damaged the roof of our house.
~aptei (i·)aptei verb, intransitive
swear (on s.o.'s life, ñe +N)
Dapa li-le ne ene tae, ka ene ni-aptei ñe lek’ one.They were not believing me, so I swore on my cross-cousin's life.
Ni-romo lek’ one emele tae. – Pe i-kae? – Pe ni-ovei pe ni-aptei ñei.I can't have any eye contact with my female cross-cousin. – Why so? – Because she's the one I can swear on.
AnthropologyYou typically swear on the life of your cross-cousin (leka).
see~votei i-wenepromise
see infobox atleka
aremo aremo noun
The rainbow (aremo)
~arevo (i·)arevo verb, transitive
break into pieces, shatter, destroy ‹s.th.›
Vilisao i-ka i-arevo toñaki pon kula tilu na.The tornado split the ship into two halves.
Li-arevo uo.They have destroyed the cairn.
see lexical list at~abu ③
~asai (i·)asai verb, transitive
1sew ‹clothes+›
li-asai lusa idisew a shirt
2medic.stitch up ‹wound›
Ni-woi basa ene li-asai.I banged by head, and it was stitched up.
asigo asiᵑgo noun
ghost crabOcypode cerathophthalma.
asodo asoⁿdo noun
batChiroptera spp.
Uña asodo dapa li-avo ne bonge.Bats hang in caves.
asoe asoe noun
vine, liana
li-katei asoepull a vine (in the bush)
ata ata noun, relational
POc*qatasoul, spirit
soul, spirit of ‹s.o.› insofar as it can be separated from the body
Ata ini kape i-le ne Popokia.abode of the DeadHis soul will travel to Popokia.
Nga u-le, ata tadoe kap' i-ejau bas' eo mumule.If you go there, the (evil) spirit of Ghosts can make your head go crazy.
atavono atavono noun
land spirit (?)k.o. black lizard
ate ate postverb
for good, forever
Ka li-te ka li-te ate.They stayed there, and stayed forever.
Voko i-wene po, ka i-wene ate.That rock remained there, and remained forever.
atero atero noun
fallow garden
~atevo (i·)atevo verb, transitive
1narrate, tell ‹story, iepiene
I-atevo iepiene ni-la mama ini.I recorded his voice as he told the story.
Li-atevo iepiene pe noma ka li-oburo.We tell old stories and we sing songs.
2talk about ‹s.th., s.o.›, mention
Vana li-atevo eo ka li-ko bwara moro waini kape u-tabo u-vagasi dapa.They often talk about you, and they hope that one day you will visit them again.
~atili (i·)atili verb, intransitive
slide along a surface
~ativi (i·)ativi verb, reflexive
reflexive constructionwomangird ‹o.s.› with (ñe) a skirt, or a loincloth (namolo) around o.'s hips
Da viñevi li-ativi dapa ñe tekume.The women girt themselves with a 'tekume' cloth.
contrasts with~go
see~koeneput on
atone atone noun
toilet in the forest
Ne-ko ne-le ne atone.Let me go to the bush-toilet.
see~le ne revogo to the sea
~atui (i·)atui
Averb, intransitive
try hard, make intense efforts
U-atui etapu!Don't make too much effort!
I-atui i-atui: tae! i-tabo i-le.He tried on and on, with no success, and went back.
Bverb, transitive
1make effort upon ‹s.th.›, have a go at ‹s.th. difficult›
Pe-ka p-atui botu 'none!Come and have a go at (lifting) my boat!
2+ Subord. pe ②▻④try unsuccessfully, hence fail, not manage to do s.th.
Ni-atui pe ni-mokoiu.I had a hard time finding sleep.
Li-atui pe li-ka.They didn't manage to come.
~au1 (i·)au verb, transitive
1pluck out ‹s.th.› by pulling it out
li-au via kulevelupluck children feathers
2espremove ‹water taro+› by plucking it out; hence harvest
Li-au basa kava iune.They pulled out a head of kava.
Pi-romo uie i-maili pine, ka pi-au.tarosWhen its leaves have grown big, it's time to harvest them.
Vono i-sodo li-le li-au jebute.In the morning they went to harvest some (water) taros.
see lexical list at~bi ①harvest
~au2 (i·)au verb, transitive
wrap ‹s.th.› with a leaf or equivalent
Kape li-au ñe uie baudo.We will wrap (the food) with 'baudo' leaves.
U-au ñe pepa.Wrap it in paper.
aulo aulo noun
hermitcrab, a small crustacean that lodges inside inside shellsPagurus spp.
ava1 ava noun, relational
Ava ini ukiliro.Its wings are colourful.
ava saba noun
frigate wingsname of a traditional geometrical design (tetawene), whose shape is reminiscent of open wings
2fishside fins
U-toe dekele namuko, ava ka wabasa mina.You cut off the fish's tail, side fins and head.
~ava2 (i·)ava verb, intransitive
Menuko ka i-ava.The bird has flown away.
2hences.o.travel by plane
Ai-ava iu ñe vakaboro?Did you fly (in the sky) in a plane?
ave ave noun
bea ave noun
spider's excretionspider silk; spider web
moe ie ave noun
spider's housespider web
~avi (i·)avi verb, transitive
pick ‹s.th.›, pick up, espec. by pinching it between o.'s fingers, or holding it with tongs
I-avi voko iote po wabulubu.He picked up a stone that was round.
Awoiu pon li-avi otovo.Then they picked sago leaves (from the trees).
Li-avi visiboko ñe aviro.You remove the oven stones with the tongs.
see~bipick ‹fruit›
avie avie noun
Malay appleSyzygium malaccense.
aviro aviro noun
Cf. ~avi
tongs, esp. long wooden tongs used to manipulate the hot stones of the oven (awene) while cooking
~avo1 (i·)avo verb, intransitive
1be hanging
Uña asodo dapa li-avo ne bonge.Bats hang in caves.
derivative~la … i-avohang ‹s.th.›
2be located above
Telau i-avo boso iawo.The food basket is hanging above the fire.
3headhead is hanging in the airfeel dizzy
Basa ene i-avo.drinking kavaI’m feeling dizzy.
4boat+float, stay afloat (vs. sink)
Toñaki ka i-avo ka i-tab' i-le.The ship remained afloat, and began its way back.
5hencebe anchored somewhere
Toñaki ka i-avo tetake re.The ship is moored over there.
~avo2 (i·)avo verb, transitive
1split ‹wood› using an axe (kome)
Li-avo tepapa ka li-apilo toñaki.They made planks (by splitting wood) to build a ship.
2husk ‹coconuts›
ekuo pe li-avo luroa stick used to husk coconuts
avtebe afteᵐbe noun
Words for taroavtebe, jebute, vioe…
avtebe ; bute ; jebute Colocasia esculenta
vioe ; vioe die Xanthosoma sagittifolium
vioe talabao Alocasia
vivilo Cyrtosperma spp.
jie ; tongo taro sucker
~teli to plant ‹tuber+›
~langiro to plant Colocasia taro
~ae to dig out ‹tuber+›
formal registertaroColocasia esculenta.
casual synonymjebute
avutone afutone noun
piece of rope or liana, used to fasten together bulky burdens, e.g. food harvested from the garden, or firewood
seevevevine, rope
seeterovine, rope
awa awa noun, relational
Awa ene i-meli.I have a sore throat.
2the seat of feelings, the ‘heart’. Grammatical subject of certain predicates referring to feelings
Awa ene i-su.[my throat is blocked, ~su ② ⓑ▻③] I am sorry.
Awa ene i-aka.[my throat blows, ~aka ①▻③] I am angry.
Awa ene motoro ñe piene pe a-viñ' ene.[my throat/mind is heavy…] I give a lot of consideration to your words.
3esp+object NP, or object clausethe seat of will and desire
Awa ene ni-ko ne-sava teve teliki.I want to buy it from the chief.
Awa eo i-viane? – Tae, ni-mene!Do you want it? – No, I don't.
derivativeawa ~kowant
derivativeawa ~vianelike, desire, want
4hencewill, desire
Awa eo i-viaene pwo nga iu.prayerThy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Emele pon i-katau awa ene!humThis girl sure suits my desire!
5ideas, thoughts
Ka ni-la awa eo.I understand what you mean.
Awa ini engaiote.[her neck/mind is different] She doesn't have the same point of view.
Awa ini abia.He has lots of ideas.
awa ~ko awa (i·)ko construction
1my neck/mind saysthink, believe
Awa ene i-ko “Kape wako.”I thought to myself: “It's going to be alright.”
2freqoptionally foll. by me ② ⓐ and/or kapewant (that)
Awa ene ni-ko kape le-l’ l-aneve Toplau.I want them to go clean up the men's house.
Awa ene ne-ko me le-la awis pine iakapa le-lamini tili’ akapa Dr Alex.I would like us to extend our big thanks to our friend Dr Alex.
Synt.The subject of ~ko is the person who wants, i.e. the possessor of awa. The subject awa is sometimes left implicit: the meaning ‘want’ is then expressed by ~ko alone.
synonym~ko mewant
synonym~ko kapewant
synonym~ko me kapewant
awa ~viane awa (i·)vjane awa ~viaene construction
1my neck/mind hitslike, appreciate
Awa ene i-viaene tamwase!I absolutely love it!
2desire, want (that, ~ko ② ⓑ▻④)
Ewe, nga awa eo i-viane.Alright, if you want.
Awa kupa i-viane pi-ko u-le u-romo tadoe akapa.We'd like you to go and meet our god.
awene awene noun
Around the ovenawene
awene stone oven
visiboko oven stones
iawo fire*
~avi remove ‹stones›
aviro tongs for moving ‹stones›
iunubo food parcel
mama ② ; vekai pudding
~vai bake ‹s.th.›
~tau ; ~apinu cook ‹s.th.›
motoe raw
moioe cooked, done
traditional stone oven
Li-mali iawo ne lema awene, semame añaña longe.We light a fire inside the stone oven, using small bits of firewood.
Emel' iote i-le i-wowo revo i-ka i-sabisi se awene.A woman went to draw saltwater, and brought it back to pour it above the oven.
📘 A pit is dug in the ground of the kitchen, filled with cooking stones (visiboko). Once the fire (iawo) has heated these stones, the food (none) is placed on them so as to be cooked (~apinu) or baked (~vai).
awis awis
1thank you (for, peini ~ ñe)
Awis pine !Thanks!
📘 Usually reinforced with pine ‘big’, or pine tamwase ‘very big’.
2espformula for closing a story, or taking leave
Awisi, aia! K’ awoiu. Wako.Thanks, my friend. That’s the end (of the story). Alright.
Awis pine tamwase.Many thanks (for your attention).
rarethanks; gratitude
Ne-ko ne-la awis pine iakapa ne-mini tili’ akapa pe i-si diksoneri akapa.I’d like to extend our deep gratitude to our brother, for the dictionary he has written.
awo awo noun
lime, used when chewing areca nut (buioe), in combination with betel leaves (puluko)
donga awothe lid of the [small box containing] lime
📘 Lime takes the form of a white powder similar to flour. It is often stored in a small box or pouch that men carry around as a necklace, so as to have it available whenever they chew areca nut.
see infobox at~kanu
awoiu awoiu
1s.th.end, finish, be over
Mobo ngapiene awoiu.Tomorrow, the festival will be over.
Ka awoiu pon ta.closing formula(the story) it's over.
Ra awoiu.It went on and on, until it finished.
Li-langatene i-le i-le i-le, ebieve iote awoiu.They worked on and on, for a whole month. [lit. and a month finished]
2figs.o.be finished, be doomed
Na kape dapa iakapa awoiu na ta!Now our people will be doomed!
BTense Aspect Mood marker
after a verbComplete aspect
Dapa li-koie ne lema kuo awoiu nao.They had finished climbing on board.
Li-iu tepapa i-dai awoiu, blateno ka li-toe li-kamai.Once they had buried the planks in circle, they brought in the ritual pole.
seekatae kaIamitive aspect, ‘already’
between two clauses; or beginning a new clauseafterwards, then
La-wamu i-wene pon, awoiu da ka la-tab' la-ka.So they hid it somewhere, and then they came back.
synonymn’ adie
linked with plural pronounall, everybody
Li-womanga dapa awoiu.following pronounThey fed them all.
Kiapa abia ponu na bwara awoiu ne sekele, nanana.floating quantifierAll of us here, we were all in our gardens, earlier today.
Kupa ka pi-le awoiu ne temotu tilu pon tae.floating quantifierWe did not all go to the two small islands. (i.e. Some stayed on the mainland)