Abwe na nem al ta minamina. I'll come
another time and we'll sit
(and talk).
Ga u mina? Where do you live?
misiyo
sit, sit down
.
U misiyo bubun, aem u pakom. Sit properly, sit cross-
legged.
mok
fruit (kind of edible),
tree
.
mola
be cooked
.
Aanan iyaka i mola? Is the food
cooked?
Aanan momo- lana ya hi guyauan mwahalahi elana. They
only distribute cooked
food at the potluck feast.
mola
payment, cost, wages
.
Laesi molana ehila?
58
How much does rice
cost?
Nevanakau maket elana wali mola i bwaya. What the women
in the market charge (for
their goods) is a lot.
molu
well, health/wellness,
alive
.
Tab u molu? Are
you well?
I kasiyebwa ga yaka abwe wana molu i pwawa. She was sick but
now she is better (she
found her wellness).
momol
pull
.
Guledau hi momol heyan gilesaa. They pulled the canoe up
onto the beach.
moni
sago porridge
.
Moni hi giginola hagali elana. They make sago porridge
at (the feast called)
hagali.
moti
fish
.
Ya na moti eluwa ya te ya kosil. I went and
caught only two fish.
mowamowasena
last
.
Wana limi heiya mowamowa- sena. His house is the
last one.
mowasi
finished, ended
.
Wana tuwalali iyaka i mowasi. His work is finished.
Baliman i momowasi te bugul ya i gan. It was
last year when that
happened.
moyobe
tapioca, cassava
.
muka
betel pepper, mustard,
chewed with betelnut
.
mul
grate
.
Tapiyoka i muli bubun. Grate the tapioca
well.
mula
flower
.
mulaa
later, afterwards,
followed by, before
.
Wana gan iyoho mulaa. His sister's son is
(coming) behind.
Mulaa abwe ha nem, he saikloun bwabwatana i gan. Before we came
there was a big cyclone.
mulolu
gift, give freely,
offering, shake hands,
send a greeting
.
Ya mulolu elam, nuwau na labewa, bahi nu lalahe. I am giving you a gift, I
want to help you, don't
pay it back.
Tonowak i mulolu eliyamiu. The
old man send you
greetings.
mumua
ancestral customs,
ancestors
.
Bobuton heiya wama mumuga paganina bwabwatana etega. Pig
feasts are one of our main
customs.
musamusa
rubbish
.
U na ga musamusa nu aliyoho hogaa. Go and throw the
rubbish away in the sea.
mwa
bait
.
mwaamwaa
dry
.
Kaliko tab i mwagamwaga ga? Are
the clothes dry yet?
mwao
thank you
.
59
mwaha
platter made of wood,
plate
.
Bobu aana hiwe, mwahena u pakalaopop. The pig's food is here, fill
up its plate.
mwahawan
(have a) hole in it
.
Wewel i sulusulu.Tabam baket i mwahawan, The
water is leaking out.
Maybe the bucket has a
hole in it.
mwal
safe (be), safety
.
Hi loutuk gola yaka mwal hi pwawa. They escaped
into the caves, so they
found safety.
mwamwalin
neck
.
Bobu mwamwalina hi kota. They put a rope around
the pig's neck.
mwananal
light (be ~), clear
.
Panuwa iyaka i mwa- nanal. The village is
already light
Limi u abubun yaka matala ni mwananal. Tidy up the
house then it will be clear
(our eyes will be
lightened).
mwapwela
open, ajar
.
Yawau i mwamwapwela gama- galau elal. My daughter
in law is very open and
friendly with people.
morning
.
Mweluluga waiwaisana. Good
morning! (greeting)
mwena
climb
.
mweyaha
light, fast, easy
.
Tuwalali toto ya i mweyaha. This work is
easy.
Tuwalali mweya- mweyahina te. This is
easy work.
N - n
na
go
.
Na na eyowaa. I will
go to the garden.
n/a
will, would
.
Naha ha oya elana wama tapwalolo naha ginola. We will go
up the mountain and
worship there.
nabi, nabiyan
lot, very
.
I logasisi nabi, yaa nige bosowaina. He tried very
hard, but he wasn't able
(to do it)..
nabwa
basket, basket for
carrying betelnut
.
60
naaeyan
naughty (of child)
.
nailin
thigh
.
nak
bad, no good, dead,
wrong, fault, bad
happenings
.
Iya wana nak tei. It is his fault.
Nak i gewi baliman toto ya elana. Many bad
things/deaths have
happen-ed this year.
nal
dirty with blood or food
.
Bugul nalina u na ga u ul. Go and wash the dirty
plates.
nal
bite into
.
nali
coral
.
nanakina
bad
.
Pagan nana- kina i awaawaginol. He
was involved in sexual
immorality.
nasi
today (used with irrealis
aspect), surely, probably
.
Wam nevenak nasi ni nem. Your wife will
come today.
Wali waga i nak, nasi nihi esowal. Their boat broke down,
they will probably be
late.
nati
easterly direction
.
Ya hek nati. I went in an easterly
direction.
natiya
up there, above
.
Laewa u gabom u teli natiya, bwanaa. Roll up the
pandanus mat and put it
up there, on the shelf.
natun
stinging nettle
.
natun
offspring, son, daughter
.
Natu, u nem. My child,
come.
nau
I, me
.
Nau no bugul. That is mine (my thing).
nawa
walk, fast (of boats and
trucks)
.
Kamwasa gegewe-na iyaka i nawaan. He has walked
all the trails.
Waga toto o i nawa. That boat is fast.
nawanawa
walk about (go for
a walk)
.
Na na na nawanawa pai. I'll go for
a walk down west.
nawinawi
spider's web
nel
ask a question, question
.
Wana nel i gewi. He has
many questions.
Nolu hi neliwa. Yesterday they
asked after you.
nem
come, arrival, coming
.
Na houwa, abwe nuku nem. I'll go ahead, you
come later.
Wali nemnem i esowal. They
don’t come very often.
neneni
ants, ants on it
.
Boge i neneni. Ants are into the
pawpaw.
netu
headrest
.
nevenak
lady, lady (middle-
aged), respect (term of)
.
nibihi
smack, hit
.
Wawayau hi nibinibihan. They
smacked the children.
nie
not, (negative)
.
Nige hi nenem. They didn't
come.
61
nieya
No
.
Nigeya ga Not yet
nimala panuna
five
.
niman
hand, arm
.
Nimwau i bon. My hand has a sore
on it.
nimu
mosquito
.
nimut
moss
.
ninin
teeth
.
Ninina i biki. His teeth are black.
niu
coconut, coconut tree
.
niu lamwana coconut leaves
nival
laugh, smile
.
nooo
meet together, meeting
.
Hi nogogo abatapwa- lolowa. They met at the
church building.
nok
go
.
Ta nok ga. Let's be
going.
nol
seawards direction
.
Limi toto leu nol heiya nam wana limi. The house
that is over there towards
the sea is my father's
house.
noleleya
outside
.
U tagil noleleya. Go outside.
nolu
yesterday
.
Nolu ha na ha koskos. Yesterday we
went fishing.
nomnom
witchcraft, sorcery,
sorcerer
.
nou
stone fish
.
nova
rock oven
.
nubain
cousin, relationship:
father's sister's child,
relationship: mother's
brother's child
.
Iya nubaiu, nain nuna natuna. He is my cousin,
my mother's brother's
child.
nul
lead, guide
.
nuluwan
forget
.
Sauga gege- wena i nunuluwan. He
is always forgetful.
nun
sister (man's), brother
(woman's)
.
Kakanun toto ya he nu te. This photo,
it is my brother.
nunuwana
desire, love (to),
love
.
Natunau i nunuwanagil. He loves
his children.
Lagona ana nunuwana i bwata eliyana. He has a great
love for his wife.
nuwa
body (trunk of), tree
(trunk of)
.
Ebwakil nuwana The trunk of the
tree
nuwahikan
remember, recall
.
Tab u nuwahikan? Do
you remember? memory
I teli wana nuwahikan eliyana. He put it into his
memory.
nuwaleyan
unhappy, sad
(look), pity (feel ~ for)
.
Wawaya i nuwanuwaleyan. They
felt pity for the child.
nuwan
desire, want, like
.
Ana nuwan i bwata te ni na Bwagaoia. He really
wants to go to Bwagaoia.
Nuwau na egon yaa wawaya i kahin susu baena. I want to go but
62
the child is crying for
breast milk.
Nuwau i nak ge ya kahin natu baena. I was sad and cried for
my child.
nuwanuwanaa
middle,
between
.
U teli teibol ge seya ali nuwanuwanaa. Put it between the table
and the chair.
nuwanuwatu
think about,
worry
.
Wana nuwa- nuwatu i bwata, yaka i pakasiyebwan. He had a
lot of worries, so it made
him sick.
nuwatu
think, plan, intend,
thought
.
I nuwatu tage ni egon sauga ya. She
thought she would go
right now.
Wana nuwatu i pil. He changed his
mind/ thoughts.
O - o
odam
lamp
.
Iyaka bulin i gan, odam u ton. It's
night-time, light the
lamp.
okok
crow
.
ol
chew betelnut
.
Lehi ta ol. Let's chew betelnut.
ol
crush
.
Kabole ta ol. Let's
crush the sago to powder.
ola
like, same
.
Maninina ana awa i ola te tamana. Her
face is like her father's.
No nuwatu i olaolaek ya. My thoughts are the
same.
olal
witchcraft, sorcery
.
Evenak olalina i gan. The woman has the
power of sorcery.
open
wing
.
Kamkam opena chicken wings
opop
valley
.
os
wrap, wrapping, bandage
.
Kabole u osiya lamwa elana ta umun. Wrap the
sago in leaves and we
will bake it in a stone
oven.
owa
you (singular)
.
Nau na egon, owa u mina. I'll
go, but you stay.
oya
mountain
.
P - p
pa
make or cause to happen
(prefix)
.
pakenu put to
sleep
pwabwata increase
pabolu
put out (fire), stop (an
engine)
.
paan
behaviour, way of life,
63
behave
.
Wana pagan i waisi. His behaviour is
good.
pain
close (eye)
.
Matala ta pagin, nau na awanun. Close your eyes, and I
will pray.
pai
westerly direction
.
Hi lok pai. They went in a
westerly direction.
paiya
underneath, down there
.
Na misiyo paiya. I'll sit
on the floor.
pakekeisi
small (to make)
.
Kusai u tomwa pakekeisi. Cut the kusai
up small.
palahikan
endure, patient
.
Lagona wana pagan nana-kina i palahikan ya. She just puts up with
her husband's bad
behaviour.
pali
shopping, sell, sale
(things for)
.
Kabis hi papalian. They are
selling cabbages.
Wana pali i ahem Bwagaoia. She did her shopping in
Bwagaoia.
palo
put down, unload (things,
people from truck etc.)
.
Hi paloma Havahaval yaka abwe ha nawanawa ha nem panuwaa. They put us
down at Havahaval then
we walked and came to
the village.
palul
weave
.
Egowa ana palupalul u atena? Do
you know how to weave
baskets?
palut
awaken, start an engine
.
Ya palupalut ee, nige i lulut. I was trying to
waken him, but he did
not get up.
pan
agemate, colleague
.
Wana pan totuwalali nige mola-na i aahe. His
workmate did not get
paid.
pana
language
.
Tab pana dim- dim u atena? Do you
understand English?
panayawi
world
.
Panayawi bebena esopali The four
corners of the earth
pani
climb
.
Ebwakil i pani. He
climbed the tree.
pankite
teach
.
Wawayau hi pankitel. They taught the
children.
Wana panpankiti i mwananal wawayau elal. Her
teaching was clear to the
children.
panuwa
place, village, land,
home
.
Nige nuwau na tatanawanawa, nuwau na miminaa ya te no panuwaa. I don't want to
go to different places, I
just want to stay in my
own place.
pap
stick
.
Wewel u luvi bubun ligaliga kaiwena, eba laesi ni pap sospan guni-naa. Measure the
water for cooking
carefully, or the rise will
stick on the bottom of the
saucepan.
64
pasapu
straighten
.
U pasapu ya, bahi tatagena. Go
straight, don't move from
side to side.
pasikal
return (something),
give back
.
No bugul binimala nu pasikal elau. It would be good if
you would return my
possessions.
pat
stone, rock
.
patalelu
run
.
Hi patapatalelu ee, abwe wawaya etega i gaisogu. They were
running, then one of the
kids fell over.
pati
stack up, roll into large
rolls (e.g. of pandanus
leaves), roll of pandanus
.
Laewa hi patipati. They
are rolling the pandanus
leaves.
patotoya
hurry up, hurry (to be
in a)
.
Patotoya kaiwena, bugul enuna i nuluwan. Because of the hurry, he
forgot some things.
patuna
vine with gourds, lime
pot (used as)
.
patuna
send
.
Wama leta abwe hi patuna ge ha pwawa. They sent us a letter, and
we received it.
pavan
hook for fishing line
.
pek
give
.
Iyaka ya pewa elam, nige molana. I
have given it to you,
there's no cost.
pelpel
plant yams(or sweet
potato)
.
Lamolamol i mowasi yaka pelpel ana sauga. When the clearing
(of gardens) is finished
then it's time for planting.
pi
squeeze, wring out
clothes
.
Niu hanina u pi, yaka aanan u tam. Squeeze the coconut
scrapings, and cover the
food with the cream.