Kapingamarangi English

adj. brilliant (used only with the color red)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

earing

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

phrase I am supposed to be a high school student

n. white-edged lyretail; yellow-edged lyretail

Scientific name: Aetobatus narinari; Variola louti,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

defecate (shit)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

grown soft

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. basket made with coconut leaves with carrying handle

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. mahi mahi or common dolphinfish

Scientific name: Coryphaena hippurus

raise

basket for serving portions at a feast

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

mollusk (nerita polida)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

trumpet shell

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

a coconut whose meat is dry without having been opened

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

kill

n. sorcerer

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. unsuccessful

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. constantly having to urinate

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. unceasingly, always

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. to grow poorly, unable to grow

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

bosom/breast

Speaker: Hawortson Heinrich

natural mother

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vi. blood, to bleed

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

Peck

vt. to kindle (a fire or lantern)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

school of surgeon fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. sand spit

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. ladder

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

cloudy

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. young children

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. soft meat of green coconut

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

soft meat of green cocount

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

copra dried in the wind

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

white sand

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

disk-like sand particle

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

phrase we roast a fish

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,

v. be somewhat fast

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

noun mud

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

vi. to limp

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

chest

Speaker: Hawortson Heinrich

n. rocks for pounding

n. limestrone strae below soil

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. cause to sink, accidentally or temporarily

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. drive a school of fish

vt. sink or submerge (purposefully)

vt. add more coconut meat

vt. get drunk

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

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. always lying (someone) on a pillow

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. form a crowd

name of coral head in Kapinga lagoon

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

at. to put coconut cream into (e.g., food)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

help

welcoming feast

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. manta ray

Scientific name: Manta alfredi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

v. surf

v. hurry

carving/scraping noise

n. lionfish in general; red lionfish

Scientific name: Pterois volitans,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. shooting star

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

phrase good evening

n. fish fin

n. tongue

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. armpit hair

n. rib

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. carrying

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

boiled

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. sea green wrasse; dragon wrasse

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

roasted

n. shouting wood used for making houses on Kapinga atoll

Run

drunk, get

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

vt. sizzle

Meek in spirit

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. nipple of breasts

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. six-blotch hind

Scientific name: Cephalopholis sexmaculata,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. small-toothed jobfish

Scientific name: Aphareus furca

have fever

Speaker: Hawortson Heinrich

phrase a double hook

an islet of Kapinga Atoll (uninhabited, reserved for use by fishermen only)

Source: Buck 1950, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n flute, whistle

Speaker: Hawortson Heinrich

have breakfast

n. chin

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. rectum

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. old or worn out sarong, rag

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. tin roofing

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. mumble

sit down

n. a three pronged fishing spear

n. slipper lobster species

Scientific name: Scyllaridae sp.

n. chest

n. blue boxfish

Scientific name: Ostracion meleagris

Skirt

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

Source: Buck 1950, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

sister

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. post supporting a house

n. mollusk sp.

Scientific name: Nerita picea,
Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

burned

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

noun bark

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

shouting