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 want to

father-in-law

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

maternal grandfather

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

defecate (shit)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

raise

n. prepared food; raw soft breadfruit mixed with water

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. mollusk sp.

Scientific name: Atactodea sp.,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. dumb

n. rabbitfish

Example: Photo by Jan Messersmith November 29, 2006 via Flickr License: CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Scientific name: Siganus puellus,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. embrace

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

trumpet shell

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

Goodbye

cough

Speaker: Hawortson Heinrich

n. sorcerer

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. box

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vi. to worry about

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. never flies (e.g. a kite)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. stuffed full

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

which one

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. wind around

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. moorish idol

Scientific name: Zanclus cornutus

n. sister

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. to kindle (a fire or lantern)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

poorly balanced

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. octopus ink

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. sand spit

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,

n. ladder

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

thin cloth

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

v. wash self

wash hair

wash someone

type of turtle

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. coral pebbles

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. broad, open place

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. plant

Example: Photo by Forest and Kim Starr February 12, 2001 via Flickr License: CC BY 2.0

Scientific name: Fimbristylis cymosa,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

reef flat

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. outrigger float connecting stanchion

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

chest

Speaker: Hawortson Heinrich

vt. to feed workers

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

greedy

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. rock back and forth

vt. get drunk

vi. pout

vt. screaming periodically

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

ai. withered

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. manta ray

Scientific name: Manta alfredi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

noun bird nest

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,

very near

n. armpit hair

n. kidney

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. rib

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. spreading the news, gossip

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

lie (down)

boiled

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

Stick used for pushing the boat out

n. sea green wrasse; dragon wrasse

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

plywood

n. shouting wood used for making houses on Kapinga atoll

Run

escape

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

drunk, be

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. a lure for trawling

vt. sizzle

fast

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

Meek in spirit

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. perfume

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

v. shake

n. six-blotch hind

Scientific name: Cephalopholis sexmaculata,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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

n. embers

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. mother

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

vt. throb

n. bird

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

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

once upon a time, first time

phrase a double hook

have breakfast

To chew or masticate

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

v. mutter

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. a knot that unties when pulled

sit down

bang bang

second coconut stage; small green coconut

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

vomit

n. slipper lobster species

Scientific name: Scyllaridae sp.

low tide

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. black-banded snapper

Scientific name: Lutjanus semicinctus,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. kawakawa tuna or mackerel tuna

Scientific name: Euthynnus affinis,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

personal name of a Kapinga man who lived in the first half of the 20th century.

Source: Buck 1950, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

v. to hit

tongue

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

youngest sister

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

elder sister

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

wooden pounder for pounding breadfruit

Source: Buck 1950, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. post supporting a house

floating