Kapingamarangi English

earing

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. windy

phrase I am supposed to be a high school student

father-in-law

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. floor (house)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

maternal grandfather

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

to pluck, earthworms, to shake water off

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

defecate (shit)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

v. dribble

n. basket made with coconut leaves with carrying handle

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

fish species

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. prepared food; raw soft breadfruit mixed with water

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. scallop

n. octopi in general

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

adj. dumb

vi. confused, be

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. lower ridge pole; the very top

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. never enough

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. moorish idol

Scientific name: Zanclus cornutus

roughness

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

poorly balanced

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

to appear unhealthy from overwork

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. coconut husk

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. sand spit

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

tired

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

cloudy

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. spadefish and batfish species

Scientific name: Chaetodipterus sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

copra dried in the wind

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

noun sand

Example: Photo by Matt Kiefer October 6, 2006 via Flickr License: CC BY-SA 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

phrase we roast a fish

bunch of drinking coconuts

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. throwing net

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

noun mud

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

first light of the moon or sun

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. make up your minds

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. think

vi. be similar

boundary of taro plot

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. accumulate goods

vt. rock back and forth

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

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. to seat (e.g., person’s at a feast)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. screaming periodically

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

mother and daughter relation, a mother and her children

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. to approach circumspectly; gingerly

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. to sear (e.g., meat)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

v. be very fast

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

vt. lengthen

to Mash

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. move with the extremeties spread out

fish:white marlin

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. manta ray

Scientific name: Manta alfredi,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

Wag (a tail)

n. evening

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. appendage; fin

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. tongue

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

bark (dog)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. rib

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. carrying

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

boiled

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. tree

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

vi. heat up

n. board

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vi. shake one’s head

drunk, be

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

drunk, get

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

Musky smell of sex

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. short jawed bonefish

Scientific name: Albula glossodonta,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

have fever

Speaker: Hawortson Heinrich

n. embers

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. hurricane lantern

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. throb

n. bird

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

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

first

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. toy

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n flute, whistle

Speaker: Hawortson Heinrich

eat

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

have breakfast

n. chin

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. egg

Speaker: Hawortson Heinrich

n. eyeball

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

louse, egg

n. tin roof

To chew or masticate

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

v. crumple

n. maternal grandmother

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. paternal grandmother

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

an islet of Kapinga Atoll (uninhabited)

Source: Buck 1950, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

bang bang

second coconut stage; small green coconut

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

vomit

n. chest

n. teenage girl

n. ghost crab

Scientific name: Ocypodinae sp.,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

Box

an islet of Kapinga Atoll (one of only two that is inhabited)

Source: Buck 1950, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

burned

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich