Entries | Nukuoro Living Dictionary

Entries

madali— with (someone)
gumedi de henua— a type of bowl
valaai hagasili lodo— a medicine taken to reduce one's anger, or any other strong emotion
ga sui nei— wet, become
duu de --— make a string figure
hagalulu de madangi— to attract the wind (by making certain noises)
labodo-tea— eel sp.: moray eel
daabui— enclose
vange— give
deengaa gamalie— let's do it attentively
hagasaele age— make up one's mind; lift up (in a steady motion)
noodalo— duplicate
kini— pinch at one time; pick a flower
ou— yes
hai naa hanu me— something will happen...
samu— gossip, slander
manu-alioo— plant sp.: a variety of taro
madabiebie— fish sp.: seabass
saagule— pick head lice
savini dua— run backwards, move backwards fast
hai de boo (o)— celebrate the birthday (of)
dagasisi— scoop out by inserting a knife between the meat and the shell (e.g., in cutting copra)
duosi— servant
mee— thing
denaa ai laa— that was it
dangalebu de moana— rough or choppy seas
moni galele— a canoe rigged for a type of fishing
bangi mada aasanga— a certain way of pinching with the fingers
maavae— separated (two things), divorced
henua gee— foreign lands
lahalaha— measure off in fathoms
maamaangi— repeatedly or continually maangi
gave bae— a row of stones piled on top of each other
gau hadu— the board to which the metal grater for grating taro is attached
lobaloba— flapping (of a sail in the breeze)
hanga-baabaa— mollusk sp.: spiderconch
manu-hagadigedige— mollusk sp., coneshell
dee dau ia— it's ok
kano made— slightly aged meat
hagaabiabi
hagaageageli
hagadubuna— grandparents; ancestors
hagaagiagilaua
hagaabongi
lodo mao lunga— egotistical, self-centered, arrogant in spirit
daumaha laanui— the main sunday religious observance in the church
hua manu— fruit, flower
bulubuludi— keep hugging
leba— flap in the wind (like a flag)
valu— to grind (coconuts only)
unu ga senga— get drunk
ngaalulu— a rattling or sloshing around inside (of something shaken)
laulau hoe— the blade of the canoe paddle
madalama— Nukuoro (colloquial term)
loada— sputum
masavaa alodahi— always
be...be— either...or
anga iho— self-awareness
hadu alo— the bottom portion of a fish
haunga— manner of wearing a flower garland
daholaa— fish, hunt (at night)
maanadu iho— think about oneself
donu gee— misunderstand
kii— win, overcome
ahi— fire
manu-gili-maau— plant sp., heliotrope (tournefortia argentea l.,)
diadia— to make a cover for something (e.g., a coconut shell) by plaiting or lashing around it
imu-uli— fish sp.: triggerfish
gamugamua— covered all over (or here and there)with coral (any kind)
hoohonu— be full (pl.)
o— of (possessive marker used for nouns and proper names)
sigi de hagahala— a technique of finishing a mat edge
hohhoo— a sound made when surprised
naba i de muna— converse earnestly
mee mmala— bile; gall bladder
hagaingoo ai— called by (named)
amoamo— keep lifting one thing after another
duaa nui— broom
dangidangi keli— beg, apologize, or ask permission in an insistent manner; pray fervently; beseech
madaligi— skillful at craft work, craftsmanlike; craftsman
saba— capable (of a person)
togo— to propel (once) by means of a punt pole
hebaledage— a confluence of currents (making the water choppy)
hagamommomo— reduce a little at a time
haangoda de lodo— to fish in the lagoon
omaau— our (dual, exclusive; for plural, inalienable noun)
hai soa— friendship
gidee mai— found out (or be found out)
malillili— easily scattered; to feel the nibbling of fish on a fishing line
gi— to
banibani— sea cucumber
Hadu lehu— the name of a ghost in Nukuoro legend
hagaganimua— to treat as an eldest child
hai sala— mistake, error
ngaiho— north
hagaaduadulia
hanoo seni— go to sleep
sussunubega— fish sp.: wrasse
gannui ina— white (of the portion of a woman's thighs hidden under her sarong)
daa de alelo— cluck one's tongue
kii adu— get out
hagaholoholoi— to use the rope tied to palm fronds in a type of fishing
daula de gona— a cord between the naval and the genitals (according to Nukuoro anatomical lore)
gogo gi mua— bent forward
boobua— insect sp.; dragonfly
hegide— see each other; meet up with
hagahaangoda— to teach to fish
hagasuihage— exchange, trade
hagatoo mua— take every possible precaution, insure
hagamoolau— hurry, rush
dangolia— grabbed, fallen upon
honu kadi— filled up completely (with solids); full up (and tightly packed)
balala— the sound of sucking liquid; the sound of coitus
adu— conglomerate, islet
hai me dua nnui— do violently
hagahodooligi— to install as chief
gu lava— and then...
ono laangi— Saturday (lit. 'sixth day')
muna pada— harsh words
heboohagi— fight
kabi— tight (of clothes), stuffed
kaba— do prematurely
dee tala mai— don't tell me
adu hale— village (group of houses)
duasivi— the back of the spine
molimoli— to carry things repeatedly, in multiple trips from one place to another
hagi me— pick coconuts
daudonu— if, in the case that; gentle, mild-mannered, soft-spoken
mmule— slow, late
duu de maasina— first appearance of the moon
lavalava dui— skirt; sewn skirt
duudae baa— the dust produced by working pearl shell to make a hook
gubu daahili— verse of a song
maanga— mouthful or spoonful of food
dalaa manu— piece of broken glass
nao— to extract by gouging out with a finger
pili— boring; be bored
madila— bamboo
hagaduuduulanga— a style of construction (consistently followed)
hebahebaa— crowded together
seni iho— take a nap, stay overnight (away from home)
ulu— enter
kava— to feel uncomfortably warm
mulegi— show off (in front of members of the opposite sex)
dogi daadaa— a type of adze (with a small blade, for light chipping)
daakodo— be in place (pl.); lie down (pl.)
daogili— plant sp.: swamp taro (cyrtosperma chamissonis), also the corm of this plant
hagaadiidiia
aladoidoi— iron (a piece of)
dihidihi— fish sp.: butterflyfish
de umu— the cooking house
daahaa mada balabala— the stage of development of the coconut between mugamuga and daahaa
langa de moana— becoming stormy (of the sea)
dabalahi— thin (of long flat object, e.g., fabric, paper, hair)
saunga— having an unpleasant body odor
dau— read
hagammae manava— tease cruelly
heui— question (something) carefully
haa-malama— April
hagaabiabia
gili hano— separation of the hard interior parts of the tree trunk
doo togonogo— separation of the tip (caudal vertebrae) of the spine
hoimanu— fish sp.: eagle ray
masavaa— time when, time of; between, amongst
hakaa— sharpen
gai haganamunamu— eat sparingly (in order to save some food for later)
baalasi de ada— to take a picture
maagaga dua— to walk with one's shoulders unnaturally thrown back
sumu ina— to make diamond-shaped designs in plaiting, or lashing
hulo gee— go away (plural)
nanulia— the object of a complaint
sseu gee— push away, push aside (in one direction)
degidegi— ticklish
senga— crazy; dumb, foolish, ignorant; senseless, drunk
se aha— what; what is it?
saalohia— hungry (antiquated word)
lave— be caught on, stuck on
modu— to break (string or rope)
sseu— push violently
hagahula— the sac in a fish which emerges from its mouth when it is brought up from a great depth
bagudanga— bomb, dynamite
huuhuge— open or uncover many things (by several persons)
ssali— drip (liquid)
sigale— scull (a boat)
denaa tagodo— that is the situation...
mee pilo aha— what's the point of doing this
hagamao lunga— arrogant, haughty, overbearing, proud
duu de gona— umbilical hernia
maalamangia— illuminated (by having light shined upon it)
tohi— make into strips
hagailonga— sign, mark, signal, omen
sio— tornado, waterspout; whirlwind
manu-kono— bird sp.
dau (umu)— a cover for an earth oven
anei loo— these (here) are the ones
maalama dua de laa— the light remaining after sunset
daba— a flash of light, a blink of an eye
elaa— a sound indicating surprise
ngadi vai— a coconut shell used for water storage(on fishing trips)
noho maadai— sit quietly

← →