Entries | Nukuoro Living Dictionary

Entries

ngudu leelee— talkative, loquacious
kangi odi— too sharp
manu de gabadanga— the bird leading a flock (of ngongo) to a school of fish
hagamabua— cause to rest, relax, quit (a job)
ssui— wet
daagoli pelaaini— fried taro and banana biscuit
hakoloa— provide goloa for; support (someone, with material things)
mudumudu-dua-beau— fish sp.: damselfish
paa de hoa— happy (lit., 'to slap one's sides')
laanganga— way of plaiting
eba— a sleeping mat (child's)
hauhausanga— pl. of wrapping (of string) around the join of a pole
denaa naa loo— that seems to be it; that could be it
daahili lo te gohu— a popular (secular) song
sasao— escape one after the other
daahili dau soa— a love song
hagaholau— banish from the island (in a canoe with no paddle or food)
dohi dilo— to strip the immature leaf of any plant, except of the coconut (to make plaited hats, etc.)
daelodo dee odi ange— odd number
gobagoba— bushy (of hair)
kini— plant sp., tree sp., terminalia tree (terminalia samoensis rech.)
basa hagamalaia— to curse (someone)
doloinui— a hard lump inside a female's stomach, tumor; a coconut of the youngest stage of development
dugu de gumigumi— allow one's beard to grow, unshaven
mavaevae— scattered
balu— fish sp.
ngongo— bird sp.: common noddy (anous stolidus)
dangi— cry
se aha goe— you're a nobody
dee dolia— impossible to find the equal of (dehors concours)
hesuihagi— exchange, trade
gava— black bird sp.: reef heron (demiegretta sacra), eats lizards and fish
daa age— go toward land (from the lagoon)
hagaduugau— to make a handle for (e.g., a knife); to fasten with pegs
ngu te lodo— the edge of the lagoon reef
hua-dolo— plant sp., vine (any sort)
magi kino— loss of appetite
manigangi— satisfied completely in sexual intercourse
hagalleo— to produce many sounds
delaa naa— that there will be it
basa gauligi— to imitate a child's manner of talking; babytalk
goo— taro spade
hagasoa ange— go along with others, join the crowd
lodo hagamau mee— selfish with one's possessions, ungiving
tangada maagaga— industrious person
gagu— well-mannered
maleasa— fish sp.: tang
ma te— a contraction of mada de...
tigi ai— not yet
sau makaga— blow steadily (of wind)
bingabinga— the repeated use of a term or name in conversation
bae— an arrangement of rocks to make a retaining wall or pier, etc.; push aside (in all directions)
tinana o dogu dinana— maternal grandmother
aadiidii— dry (something) by artificial heat
dele de ada— dawn (first light)
loa tea— white ant
ssaavale— spit
madaangahulu ma ono— sixteen
maga— callus
bubu donu— move skillfully
mee hholu— bow (for an arrow)
deadea— becoming lighter in color
malibilibi— crack (of a whip)
ahi malo— a mat wrapping for clothes
aabi— room (of a house)
daelodo— number, figure; the outrigger boom between the main outrigger booms and the smaller outrigger booms at the ends of the canoe
hanonga— trip, journey
ino— bow or nod or genuflect (as a sign of respect)
gaanuunu— breast, bosom
malalidage— usedup or cleaned out completely
diingia— to be exposed to the sun's rays
haganoho— stop
goo— bark (dog)
bido gamu— uselessly short
oda— eat something raw
daia e tuaadai— seasick
hagadagado— to draft (a carving)
dugi gee— chase away (in a certain direction)
buni ange— agree with; join, closeup (something,e.g., a hole); close up to
nnamu— greasy, filthy with food (i.e., hands after eating)
huuhuaa mee— sorcery (made with chants)
hiigai— hungry
dau me— the sheath of the flower of the coconut tree
boolaa— a type of sound, indicating surprise
gu hia— how many was it
usu— push
geu gee— to jerk one's head away from something
gamu— coral (any kind)
ngadi biho— head
gona odi— too much
longoiho— feel
madaangahulu malama— October ('tenth month')
hagadubu dinae— the name of a certain type of string figure
hagalanu— rinse off salt from the body (with freshwater)
gahudi— banana (fruit); banana tree
tua— outside
hagabigi— strive to be like
ngadi ngavesi— an empty box
lele biho— dive head first
daunadi— would it be better if (implying disagreement)...
labagau— carpenter; skillful (at a craft); craftsman
danuaa ange— good for, better than
nui hoohoa— a coconut tree trunk incised with steps (to facilitate climbing)
gaagose— sea cucumber
hagadidi— to put a grass skirt on someone else
denga hhuge --— upward current
hagatale ange— try
diinonga-o-salo— fish sp.
midomido— end of (e.g., a stick)
daane honu— a person of many accomplishments
madaa sele— loop of a lasso or noose
ngudu gaiaa— charlatan
gea— hawksbill turtle
dahi— one
lima lau— five hundred
haa manu— the young (of an animal) born at the same time (e.g., a litter, etc.); the offspring of (sharing the characteristics of)
dalogo— coconut ice cream made entirely from a young coconut
mada— common ascendents who are daina or other connecting links of kin relationship
lau kohu— growing well (of plants)
ngadi daumaha— religions which are not in the judaeo-christian tradition, pagan cults
moni gabegabe— paddling canoe
lau— leaf
hai moumou— use wastefully
hagaau gee— bashful, shy, timid
lima malama— May ('fifth month')
basa gi lunga— speak loudly
lehua— blurred; covered with ashes
debedebe— the folds of skin around the waist
dulagi daudahi— alike (in appearance)
modomodo mada gii— a stage of development of the coconut
aahee oo dagodo?— how are you?
gini manu— pick flowers
daa hatau— beat unmercifully
bongaa manu— large, exposed roots (e.g., of the breadfruit tree)
dangada dau duadae— a sucker (a person who is easily fooled)
baagia— be hit (by wind, bullet, spear, etc.)
hai gaiaa— use without permission
hagadibadiba— rock back and forth to one side
dale pilo— a game (like tag), to leave something unfinished after having tried only slightly
hulu— reactive hostility
hai saulaba— the relationship of parent-in-law to child-in-law
dolo mea— spiny starfish (crown of thorns)
manu lele vaaligiligi— flying insect
balanggede— blanket
maadau mangoo— a type of fishhook (for sharks)
tuudae— defecation, poop
holehole— scrape off (with an object or one's finger), to scale (fish)
huaamee mugamuga— first stage of a green coconut; youngest coconut
mada lahalaha— appear to be wide
naa huu— when, if
baalasi mai/adu— shine a flashlight toward me/you
lagolago— plenty; a lot, many
dogia— be wet from the rain
unu— drink
gaa gee de nnamu— having a strong odor
doga— land on (as a bird lands on the branch of a tree)
go anahee— when (past)
gogo— bent slightly (like a round-shouldered person)
galugalu— any jelly-like substance; jellyfish sp. <n>
singasinga— to wave back and forth (as a coconut tree in the wind)
odi mai (adu, ange)— all (e.g., have come)
noho mua— overloaded in front (of a canoe)
dao badu— ridgepole (upper)
sili iho— have just stopped; calm down (of a person)
hagamulimuli— "this is the end" (of a chant)
alohanga— a streak of smooth water in the sea
laalaa— having many branches
tulu— ooze a lot at one time
buubudu— crowded together closely
lavalava lau manu— a sarong of material with a flowered pattern
ubu loada— a coconut shell used for expectoration
taba— a flashing of several lights, a blink of the eyes
gidee iho— be aware of oneself
duu ubu haohao— piece of taro cooked in a coconut shell with coconut oil
mee de lodo— a fishing place (in the lagoon)
see— cry aloud
lau hala— pandanus leaf
daalo— stab, skewer
noa— tied (as with rope)
udua— promontory, peninsula
hagadabena— prepare
mago de me— a worsening condition of the weather
kano malie— a tasty tuber of good quality
goloa baalanga— metal-working tools
tinana— mother (formal)
lote hebagi— during the war
aloalo-mea— becoming red (of fully mature coconut meat)
gelu-hai-vaelo— fish sp.: tang
sau aloalo— echo
moumou— wasteful, waste (something)
galeu— a change of wind direction
gudu— bug; flea, louse
dau honu— the season during which tides are highest
gaadinga hagaangiangi— copra dried in the wind (not in the sun or in an oven)
sali— flow, seep
hagamaanadu— remember, remind
daaea— fish sp., snapper
dohu de gili— covered all over (skin) with
libo— fish sp.: jack
boolleiee— a type of sound, made to frighten someone

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