Kapingamarangi English

n. fence, wall of a house

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. brilliant (used only with the color red)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

phrase I am supposed to be a high school student

blood clot

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

father-in-law

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. blue sky

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

v. dribble

n. basket made with coconut leaves with carrying handle

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. mahi mahi or common dolphinfish

Scientific name: Coryphaena hippurus

mollusk (nerita polida)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

tooth brush

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. red snapper

Example: Photo by Florida Fish and Wildlife Center April 3, 2012 via Flickr License: CC BY-ND 2.0

Scientific name: Lutjanus vaigiensis,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

to gossip about someone

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

kill

n. eldest child

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. shark sucker

Example: Photo by NOAA Photo Library September 12, 2013 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Echeneis naucrates,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. constantly having to urinate

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

which

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

which one

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

adj. knotty (wood), having many bumps (of a tree)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. scissors

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

angelfish species

Scientific name: Pomacanthidae sp.

vt. to kindle (a fire or lantern)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. zenith

n. coconut husk

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. dragonfly

Example: Photo by Klaus Stiefel January 5, 2008 via Flickr License: CC BY-NC 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. climb

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. whimbrel

Scientific name: Numenius phaeopus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

thin cloth

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. young children

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

soft meat of green cocount

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

copra dried in the wind

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

fish innards

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. coral pebbles

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

level ground

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

bunch of drinking coconuts

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. mud

reef flat

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. filthy, disgusted (with smelly objects like feces)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. drive a school of fish

vt. make up your minds

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vi. stumble

vt. sink or submerge (purposefully)

vt. to add more coconut meat

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. rock back and forth

vt. get drunk

vt. to purposely sink or submerge (and leave submerged for some time)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. try to formulate

vt. make up (after fighting)

mother and daughter relation, a mother and her children

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vi. be quiet

vt. to dry out under sunshine (by hanging)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

school of flying fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. manta ray

Scientific name: Manta alfredi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

Wag (a tail)

find

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. bath house

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. shooting star

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. skinny

n. evening

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. appendage; fin

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. flower of the Clerodendrum inerme

Example: Photo by Lauren Gutierrez February 4, 2012 via Flickr License: CC BY-ND 2.0

Scientific name: Clerodendrum inerme,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. rib

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. spreading the news, gossip

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. sea green wrasse; dragon wrasse

Scientific name: Novaculichthys macrolepidotus; Novaculichthys taeniourus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. flame

vi. run

escape

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

drunk, be

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

fast

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

Musky smell of sex

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

Meek in spirit

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

name of coral head in Kapinga lagoon

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. six-blotch hind

Scientific name: Cephalopholis sexmaculata,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

adj. early (for an appt)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. short jawed bonefish

Scientific name: Albula glossodonta,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. mimic octopus and similar species

Scientific name: Thaumoctopus mimicus

n. starfish

Example: Photo by NOAA Photo Library September 24, 2010 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. starfish

Example: Photo by NOAA Photo Library September 24, 2010 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Asteroidea sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

kind

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

going any direction

n. bird

Example: Photo by tropical.pete September 28, 2007 via Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

insect

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

once upon a time, first time

an islet of Kapinga Atoll (uninhabited)

Source: Buck 1950, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. toy

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

have breakfast

n. old or worn out sarong, rag

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. mumble

n. maternal grandmother

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

breadfruit pancake, grilled on a fire

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

noise of multiple claps

clam shell, used for ornament or for scraping off burned outer shell of cooked breadfruit

Example: Photo by genjitsu / iNaturalist, License: CC-BY-NC via inaturalist.org

Scientific name: Asaphis violascens,
Source: Buck 1950, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

second coconut stage; small green coconut

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

vomit

n. slipper lobster species

Scientific name: Scyllaridae sp.

Skirt

happy

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

tongue

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

youngest sister

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich