Entries | Nukuoro Living Dictionary

Entries

holi— shape of, form of
dagodo lalo— seriously ill and not improving
delaa ai— therefore (with respect to that there)
hai vaivai me— have sexual relations
mangemangeo— covered with sores or blemishes
husi— taro bog, swamp
hagaeueu— a shrugging movement of the shoulders
diidii ange— urinate against
mada madangi— able to point (into the wind) well (of a sailing canoe)
gauligi daane— male child, boy
nngaolia— noise (a loud, individually perceived, noise)
hagamou— include in an age grade (those reaching adolescence within a few years of each other)
daahili daumaha— a church song
dinae— stomach, belly; the edible white part of clam meat
dai beau— rough seas at a certain time
duugunga o de henua— customs of Nukuoro Atoll
bono aasanga— a method of fishing (by blocking the channel at high tide)
damaa tili— sharpshooter
bigibigia— covered with something sticky
lau de madila— a tuna of fair size
aoao— becoming daylight
puli— grab up all at once
hagasele age— make up one's mind; lift up (in a steady motion)
gau henua gee— foreigners (lit., 'people from other lands')
duaa dai— seasick but unable to throw up
saugalo— stir
llie— the throat of the flying fish net
gavidi— a type of fishhook (made from turtle shell)
hagabudubudu— accumulate repeatedly
haula ngongo— to roast common noddy (bird sp.: anous stolidus) in a fire
uaua— vein, tendon, nerve, plastic filament
diihagaai— the eighth child of a couple
hagaagahi— call (someone)
gailulu— bird sp.: booby
hulu manu— feather(s)
madaviiga— the needle-like spines on daudu fish
ma te duge— the point of a madaa duge
gelgele dea— sand
suungia— damp
ise— fish sp.: halfbeak
vaga— sailing vessel, large canoe, ship
bula— a flash (e.g., of light); a quick glance; to light (a torch)
hinangalosaa— miss (someone or something); longing (for a person or place)
damadanga— origin, source
lou— a pole with a hook at the end, used to pick breadfruit, a breadfruit picker; pick breadfruit; pull down
pula-laalaa— fish sp.: shark sp.
mada agamu— the essential design features of tuai
demaadeu— our (plural, exclusive; for singular noun)
dili dangada— to fail to discharge one's obligations to help (esp. one's kin)
hegau baubau— bad deeds
ngaue ange— increase (in price, etc.)
hau biho— crown
nanu— grumble, complain
hudi— plant sp., tree sp., banana tree
dau laagii— to put on an ornament for a special purpose
davaia— the largest sort of tuna
vai nui— coconut water from a mature brown coconut
ao— daylight
hune— core of the breadfruit; the flower of the breadfruit tree
laulau hai daonga— a type of basket
delaa tagodo— that there is the situation...
duiduia— thorn
hadu mee llanga— lay out plaited work
daguu kalo— a thin straight-bladed axe blade
hagaalo-malie— cause to become alomalie
sango— wild (of animals scared of humans)
gide sala— misidentify
madagabubu— dull (of an edge, or point)
gudua— abounding in lice
sigi manu— to transplant a plant
maamaagila— becoming slightly parted
hagaheiangi— act smart (openly)
hadi bala— to rely on others for the things one should provide for oneself
mmuni— hidden, hide
amu— twirl fibers for the manufacture of rope or cloth, etc.
badai gee— extremely meddlesome
dinihu— industrious, hardworking
anei huu— these (here) only are the ones
sigo ina uavesi— don't forget
madaligi— January; small dipper
bagibagi de me— all of a sudden (violent actions)
sisi galisi— striped (with thin lines)
madalua ma lima seene— quarter
hagahebaa ngudu— converse (conversation)
bodu o de hine— husband
goohunga— dark images, shadows in the darkness
madamada— compete (as between individuals); front of
maoha saele— broken up (into many pieces or groupings)
tuu mugamuga— buttocks
dagimomo— few for each one
tea gee— pallor
maakau laa loo dangada— what a shame
denaa sili— that is enough
haaele sala— spoil (children), bring up (children) badly
daane masana— good one
gauligi ange— younger than
hagasugi ange— to use an abbreviated name or acronym
maamaadolu— becoming thicker (objects, rain)
gadoa— to be overdue for parturition
gavadu— give or carry (something) to you
langi haanau— certain kind of rain (omen of impending childbirth)
sabeeloi— wrap up (something) hastily
au hebaledage— a confluence of ocean currents (on the surface only)
dangage— raise one's head up or back
malingalinga— sideburns (of hair)
boli— take special care of
malau— fish sp.: big eye squirrelfish (the native term is applied to many spp.)
gailingalinga— continually wanting to eat
daladala— say again and again
dagu dama— my child
vai uu— milk
diidiingia— be frequently exposed to the sun's rays
diba— not level, tipped to one side
guboa— being used in connection with group activity
oo— taro root which has been cut from the plant, so that the stalk can be replanted
dookalala— stilts; walk on stilts
danuaa mai i hee— good according to whom
hagamaaiongi— depressed (mentally); unable to think, move, or talk (as a result of depression or trauma)
tilo mahamaha— having a good appearance
lava i de goloa— having many goloa
hai huaabodu— treat someone (including one's spouse) as a relative by not asking permission to use or borrow property; treat a relative as belonging to another family altogether
gede hangaabo— a type of basket
agina— there, then
manu hale moni— a pottery bottle or jar
saulaba— parent-in-law, child-in-law
milo— twist, turn (something, as a faucet), wind, wring
masalia— empty of water
nengenenge— tickle; catch an octopus by tickling it (to dislodge it from its hole)
malui— turned (in a direction), reversed, transpose
hadu tugi lau— stone on which the pandanus leaf is smashed
sasau— increasing in velocity (of wind)
honu baabaa— fill to the brim
hagasogoisi— reduce in number, make fewer
hina— ability, capacity (of person), resourcefulness
siga— to make a fire with a fire plow; to make a net with a net needle spool (called siga); to escape (of fish) from a net (through its holes); sew up a hole (in clothing)
hagamogomogo— take special care of, cherish; important, precious
gano agau— reef (including land thereon)
hai daahili— to compose songs
singa sogosogo— do something (e.g., work) all by oneself
hagasegea— let slip or slide
hagabido— carrying (two persons), with each person carrying an end
hagaoanga— pay, wages
hoa— side (of humans), below the hips
eidu ai— treat as a totem, worship, treat as asupernatural being
hagadoodoo denga muna— boast foolishly about one's ability (when it is obvious that one is inept)
lele age— regain consciousness; epilepsy; surfacing (of flying fish)
manu— animal, plant, insect (excludes fish and humans); throat spacer of a flying fish net
gaa lava— and then
dai seni— sleepy
lodo senga— to have unrealistic self-confidence (e.g., in one's capacity to do something impossible); to be foolishly desirous (of the impossible)
ngaage— south, downtown
bagua— tree sp.: pandan tree (pandanus dubius spreng.)
duu baa— one half of an oyster shell
muumuu kaiaa— to remain silent (in order to hide a misdeed of oneself or others)
magiaa— envious, jealous (non-sexual jealousy)
saudia— be exposed to the wind (not sheltered)
bangadala— fish sp.: seabass
kadi ange— fastened on to (by being stuck in)
madamataia— inclined to be (or easily) mataia
aboabo— become accustomed to
daane mada daua— bravest in war
sui ange— take revenge, get even; pay back (a debt)
buuganga— a trip for a festive or recreational purpose
manu-gaba-aasanga— plant sp., beach naupaka shrub (scaevola taccada (gaertn.) roxb.)
hagausenga— cloud
hagamomo— reduce in quantity
hagaheiloo— make the acquaintance of
saagahinoa— fish sp.
tolo i de baeao— elderly and infirm
oda— grated coconut meat after the oil has been expressed
seloo— millions
aloalo me— the current nearest to the (seaward) outer reef of the atoll
hagalligi— make very small
noho ai— occupy or live in (a place)
galohia— attractive to members of the opposite sex
tili— shoot at; shine (e.g., a flashlight) on; let go, throw away, lose something; disregard; steady beating (as of a heart)
hagahoou— make like new
sele— to chop down; cut open
hagadama— to treat as a child
hagadau iloo— know each other
sugi-daa— fish sp.: tang
gieuli— lizard sp.
mogomogo ina— muscular
denei donu— this is it for sure
aoa— misshapen fruit
moe tao— sleep soundly
manu solo laagau— file (for filing wood)
ahe iho— diminish (in intensity)
angia— blow away, cause to move (in the water)
hagamouli— give life to, bring back life; food (prepared for a meal)
huaalanga— a type of coconut tree
gammenge-maimai— mollusk sp., vasum turbinellus
halehale me donu huu— surprisingly, it turned out to be possible
gave— the name of a name-group
gelu haiusu— unicorn fish
baba— flat surface (like a board floor)
tagi o ssuugulu— principal (of a school)
niho ngalo— molar teeth, wisdom teeth
hau bule— shell necklace
gonogono— grunt (like a pig) repeatedly

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