Entries | Nukuoro Living Dictionary

Entries

laulau— a type of basket
hugadoo— all (of things)
gooluu— you (dual)
saohia— have time for, free, available
dahadaha— an embankment around a taro plot
maasei— small (singular)
hagapale— teach to steer, allow to steer, lean against
latabagea— an ornament made of turtle shell
hagaono (ina)— make a total of six
dao— a method of calculating the relative maturity of coconuts by comparing the size of the upper (immature) ones on the tree with the lower (mature) ones; the second of a pair (e.g., dao dogai)
hagadaane— to act like a human
duu bale— not quite vertical
angiangi— blow with increasing force (wind); blow continuously (wind); fan
dabaduu— fish sp.
luu hadu a moidigi— stone-like organs in the top of the head of flying fish
vaalanga— made up (of a story only)
daula mada lau nui— a rope for tying palm fronds together to make a belubelu seine
golomagi— patient, (not impetuous); restrained (not prone to act on impulse)
tili gee— throw away
hagabudu me— selfish
gasogaso— narrow (e.g., of skirts, fabric, road)
ngungu— chew, masticate (foods that make noise)
mee maagau— non-living thing
hagabuulinga dangada— tribe
gada-ahai— fish sp.: jack
se gava— know (how to do something) well
hai hegau hilo— work hypocritically (appearing to follow the rules but secretly violating the prohibitions)
mada-givi— fish sp.
hobulaa— a sound uttered esp. when lifting something
genu— a movement of the hips, as in the act of sexual intercourse
holiage— go about something in a complete circle
hilo hagamaadau— to braid sennit with the right hand
hakai— earring; put something on one's ear
googoo— bird sp.: japanese snipe (capella hardwickii)
hagadoe— put aside, leave for later, conserve
kala— fragrance (esp. of food)
hui— wash
bodu— spouse
denga mee naa— those ones (plural)
hagaseguli— make a total of one hundred thousand
hagamaingaa— cause one to feel the loss of, or the uselessness of, something of great value
vvela— hot, warm (of an object)
lodo gilimalali— pureness of heart, innocence
au e dee gai naa loo— i'll bet you can't
gaibea— crab sp.: shore crab, land crab, grapsid crab, ghost crab
dalodaloa— pray for
salasalahagi— repeatedly look for valuable drifting objects
paa age— explode from below
hesilihaginga haiava— intersection
daelodo odi ange— even number
iga dakahi— fish sp.
buu de mama— air filled with mama
gabuibui— a type of prepared food (made with dried taro)
adu ange laa— the one following the one in question
ala anaboo— stay up all night (sing.)
malali— smooth; cleared (of brush or obstructions)
duumaa de gelegele— trillion (a million million)
ngago gaagoo— chicken egg
dangodango— repeatedly grab
hagapago iho— to descend suddenly
ngudu aahua— islet shore (except that facing the lagoon)
manu hao vai— a bottle (of glass)
ngadi me— nothing, unimportant, useless, worthless
pelaaini— to fry
malino— silent; calm, still (weather)
bule dango— button
ahangi— lagoon
gaga— bird sp.
hagaaloalo-mea— cause to become red (of fully mature coconut meat)
dabuvae sisi— little toe
dagi tilo— watchful, be on the lookout, keep an eye on
mee langa— woven object; the act of weaving
sauduu— mermaid
giivada— good fortune in the future, as revealed by divination
dalodalo— pray
hau ua— necklace
bungaleu— unskillful (at difficult activities)
gede— basket (generic)
gaimalie— good at food preparation (not wasteful)
aadea— clear (easily seen), unobscured
geevee— bird sp.: eastern whimbrel (numenius phaeopus)
hedangisi— make a noise by scraping things together, e.g. the grinding sound of jaws
hai gaavenga— restless (of a child)
maadau dae ssae— a type of fishhook
manu somo— tree, plant
loimada— tears
sunusunu— oily
ssuonioni— sand
hagaligiligi— to speed up (to get over with)
ssui de maasina— the rising of the moon after the setting of the sun (i.e., when the moon is still below the water when the sun sets)
dale gaiaa— provoke a fight by banging againstsomeone (as children do); hit and run
dauaalo— steady paddling
muna madua— words used only by elders (which are not normally part of a child's vocabulary)
baba— level (not bumpy); (any sort of) flat base (esp. the board on which mats are plaited), the consolidated reef under water or sand; the back of a human; the shell of a turtle, crab, etc.; to be ready
tao o de moso— coconut frond spine which has fallen and stuck upright in the ground
gaiaadia— stolen
dehui— tens of coconuts
dabadaba— slipper lobster
iho daahagi— a calm sea condition, in which the horizon disappears (the horizon being normally marked by surf)
hagadiba— incline to one side
dalahalu— plant sp.: tree sp. (allophylustimorensis (dc.) bl.)
heohi ange— suited to, fit (with), appropriate to
anaa ange maalie— those are exactly right
hagadaga age— improve
dagodolia— be slept upon for a long time <sing.>;be in place for a long time <sing.>
pono iho— put a cover on
boo dolu de gulu— the third day after breadfruit has been picked (after which it is not good to eat)
dama gaiaa— to hang around someone's house in the expectation of being served food (considered bad manners)
hagaduu eidu— superstitious; to believe in ghosts
noogele— to tie a knot so that it is difficult to untie
kino ai— hate intensely
sauaa— power, magic; powerful (esp. supernaturally)
dadango— repeatedly fall upon
hhau— tie up, fasten by tying (wrapping)
magi dee manava— asthma
hhoa de biho— fool (someone)
balaginagina— be squashed
dangada haangoda— fisherman
noho donu— properly situated or loaded (of a canoe)
lele tuli— childbirth
maanadu— think (about), decide; idea, thought
duumugamuga— buttocks
haangoona— to wake up (someone else)
gumedi— bowl (wooden)
dangi de musu— hear whispering (of others)
gelegele malama— sand with disk-like particles
hagalaagii— decorate, adorn; ornament
haa— four
basa dau donu— speak moderately
hagadogo number— to join (to make up a group of a certain number)
hagakii dalinga— producing a high-pitched noise in the ear; the itch felt in the ear when something sweet is eaten
gimoo— rat
nngie— plant sp., crepe myrtle shrub (pemphis acidula forst.)
hagalalo— angling (a fishing method)
mahanga— be split open
mada ahodo— any place where seawater seeps into the taro bog
tamana o dogu bodu— father-in-law
hagadonusia— believe
hagadania— a type of prepared food made from breadfruit
hanu momo— little bit, few
madaangahulu ma lima— fifteen
haonga gelegele— anus
henuu— placenta
ni aha?— what are these?
llabu— claw
olonoa— sea cucumber
nnui— large <pl.>; big <pl.>
gio— mollusk sp., charonia spp.
aahee maa— about when (future); about how much
haanau ssene— yield interest
malae— sacred place
gumi— a measurement: by tens of fathoms
gai nnao— exaggerate (esp. in storytelling)
hhano gi daha— to wash one's hands in such a way that the dirty water does not fall back into the basin or well
agu iho— say to oneself
luei todo— cough up blood
hagalloba ange— to slacken the boom sheet (of a sailing canoe).
honga de gelegele— on the ground
hagadaahao— play
dangaligi— type of basket
dae de ua— have a good time
hauala— seaweed sp.
guanga— a type of basket
kalo talinga— clean out, or scratch, inside the ear
ngadi ubu— an empty coconut shell used as a container
longolongo i adamagi— to pick up information by asking others, who have lied (so that one's information is false)
dalia— plant sp.
langa de ivi— a method of repositioning the bones of the ribcage
gaagaa— baby, infant
ngudu malie— eloquent (of a person)
goobai-o-lillo— mollusk sp.: trochus
dao malui— a spear with a hinged barb
hadu-uli— coral sp.: blue coral
sumu-gaaleva— fish sp.: filefish
daladala— rough in texture (as perceived overtime); fish sp.: squirrelfish
gubu lima— hand, wrist
doo tuugau— a dislocation of the tuugau
helii— plant sp., grass sp.(lepturus repens (forst.) r.br.)
gemo— fast, swift
kinei— here
daedae— to catch continuously with a hand net
maanegabo— energetic
salaboli— May
lagalaga— to put down one foot after the other (as in walking or marching in place)
vele— to weed (a garden); to clear bush (overgrowth); to pluck (feathers)
muli mai loo— much later
galaahuu— cheek
diinei de lodo— become calmer (after being angry)
munamuna— a short prayer
dau duadae— be a sucker, be fooled easily
ngadi basa— small talk; idle conversation
ga dae laa huu— very, too much
daohi i tua— learn by heart
ssaga bau— <var. of se hagabau>
aagonga i lunga— social class of chiefs and priests
mao lalo— deep, low (in status)
daahili hagadaahao— a song which is for amusement only (one which is not 'serious', i.e., not religious)
dau i tua— memorize
bulibuli— grab up one thing after another
hagabolo— to include in one's will

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