Kapingamarangi English

father-in-law

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. pot

n. flatfish (flounder, halibut, etc)

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

save

vt. hew

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

ai. broad space

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

kill

n. eldest child

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. young

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. teacher

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vi. to worry about

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. always late

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. constantly having to urinate

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

adj. forgetful, absent-minded

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

natural mother

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. zenith

cloudy

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

laugh

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,

v. wash self

disk-like sand particle

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

sand

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. hives

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

phrase we roast a fish

place having many depressions (e.g., corrugated surface)

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. smoked fish

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. rocks for pounding

vt. cause to sink, accidentally or temporarily

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. always reluctant

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vi. be similar

vt. to add more coconut meat

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. to squint

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. rock back and forth

vt. get drunk

vi. pout

vt. try to make (something) stand up

vt. seat (someone)

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

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. screaming periodically

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

ai. withered

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. tidy, to keep clean

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

name of coral head in Kapinga lagoon

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

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

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

to accumulate school of fish by feeding them, to attract by baiting

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. move with the extremeties spread out

welcoming feast

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

Wag (a tail)

n. outhouse

Example: Photo by Joel Abroad September 29, 2007 via Flickr License: CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. bath house

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. lionfish in general; red lionfish

Scientific name: Pterois volitans,
Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

phrase good evening

vi. look around

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. tongue

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

Bark

n. beard hair

Obliterate

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

both

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. kidney

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

vt. spreading the news, gossip

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. mirror

lie (down)

boiled

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

vi. heat up

roasted

Run

vi. shake one’s head

Meek in spirit

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

tallest

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

cold

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. hurricane lantern

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. convict tang

Scientific name: Acanthurus triostegus

insect

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

phrase a double hook

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

Source: Buck 1950, Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. frying pan

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

fan

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. chin

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. old or worn out sarong, rag

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. egg

Speaker: Hawortson Heinrich

n. eyeball

Source: Lieber & Dikepa 1974,

n. a knot that unties when pulled

n. maternal grandmother

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. paternal grandmother

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

noise of multiple claps

n a fruit salad made of breadfruit and soursop, mixed with sugar or coconut juice, eaten raw not cooked

Speaker: Howartson Heinrich

n. slipper lobster species

Scientific name: Scyllaridae sp.

n. hungry whine

Box

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

noise of knocking

floating

shouting