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A Combined

Kiribati-English Dictionary

based on the works of

Hiram Bingham, D.D.
and
Father Ernest Sabatier, M.S.C.
(translated by Sr. M. Oliva)

with additional scientific material from Luomala, Goo & Banner.

B -Bingham, Hiram. 1908, 1953. A Gilbertese-English Dictionary. vii, 179 pp (8vo). American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, Boston.
O -Sabatier, Ernest. 1954. Dictionnaire Gilbertin-Français. xii, 984pp, duplicated. Mission Catholique, GI, Abaiang, Tabwiroa. 1971. Gilbertese-English Dictionary. translated by Sr. M. Oliva. x, 426pp, Sacred Heart Mission, Tarawa. South Pacific Commission Publications Bureau, Sydney.
G -Goo, Fannie C.C. & Albert H. Banner. 1963. A Preliminary Compilation of Gilbertese Animal and Plant Names. 2, 2, 55, 10, 26cm. prepared under contract SA-43-ph-3741, National Institute of Neurological Diseas. UH - Haw. Marine Lab., Honolulu.
L -Luomala, Katharine. 1953. Ethnobotany of the Gilbert Islands. Bishop Museum Bulletin 213, v, 129pp, map, bibl 122-4, index, 26cm. Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu.

compiled by
Stephen Trussel and Gordon W. Groves,
University of Hawaii, 1978

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i

i

B i 
  suf I, me.
  note In the objective it is preceded by a which unites it to the root of that transitive verb
  suf them, neuter, to root of transitive verb
  note always followed by a predicate
  pre at, in, by, with
  n native of a place ( prefix used with a hyphen)
  adv one another (reciprocal)
  intj exclamation of dislike or disgust
B i: 
  vi sink
O I 
  pron 1st per. sing. (must be written with capital letter).
  ex I tiku: I stay.
  note before na sign of future it is replaced by N
O I1 
  pref to names of places or categories.
  note It designates persons originating or living in those places or members of these categories. Always a capital letter in this case and separate from the word.
  ex te I-Buranti: a Frenchman
  ex te I-batabata: a Negro.
  adv indicating reciprocation, reciprocally.
  ex te i tangitangiri: mutual love
  ex te i buobuoki: mutual help
  ex ti i buobuoki: we help one another.
  prep in, at, with, by (not followed by article.
  ex i taberan te ni: at the top of the tree
  ex i an: under
  ex i nano: below
  ex i main: before
  ex i etan: above
O i 
  intj excl. of displeasure, pain, fear, disgust
  note (either long ii or short i.)
O i1 
  n te i or te ti: tea
O i2 
  n a kind of onomatopoeia showing the prolongation, continuity, intensity (i...i...i...).
  see ia, iakiaki
  ex e ia, e iaki te karau: it is raining heavily
O i3 
  v to diminish, to fade away, to disappear
  ex i nako: to sink in, to go down.
  vc ka-ia: to make ...
  vc ka-inakoa: to make sink, disappear.
  ex e a i te tibu: the swelling has gone down
O i4 
  vt to pulverize, to grind, to grate finely
  ex te bai n i: the mill, the grater, the grinder

i main nanoa

O i main nanoa 
  adv before yesterday, yesterday
  for i main ngkoananoa.

ia

B i:/a 
  adv where? (interrogative)
  vt grate, grind
B ía 
  n gray hair
  n vein
  n state of tide
  pron them, often a suffix pronoun and often connected to verbal root by i, indicated by i' their a suffix pronoun
O ia 
  from i
  vt to grind, to grate, to pulverize.
  v falling abundantly as in the following.
  ex e ia te karau: it is raining and raining
O ia1 
  adv where (interrog.).
  ex ko maeka ia?: where do you live?
  ex ia abam?: what country do you belong to? what nationality are you?
  ex ko nako ia?: where are you going?
  ex ko nako mai ia?: where do you come from?
O ia2 
  n a vein, an artery
  ex ian te rara.
  ex e bure te ia: the vein is distorted (varicose) cramped, spasm>
O ia3 
  n nerve, muscle, tendon.
  ex e tiki te ia: the nerve is strained
  ex e bure te ia: a cramp <spasm>
  ex ian te korakora: the nerve of strength
  ex iaia: to have cramps
  ex taka iaia: to shiver, to tremble, teeth chattering
  vc ka iaia: make, cause ...
  ex ka iaia mangaina: to move the jaws
O ia4 
  n grey or greying hair.
  ex e a teke te ia: the hair is beginning to go grey
  ex e a koro te ia, e takaiaia te atu: altogether white
  ex iaia
  vc ka-iaia: to make or let grow gre
O ia5 
  adj poss. suff. of 3rd per. plur. their.
  ex atuaia: their God
  ex atuia: their head
  ex taekaia: their reputation.
  note see compound words below --
O ia 
  n tide, flow, flux, ebb.
  ex te moan ia: beginning of spring tides
  ex te o n ia: spring tides at highest point
  ex te iara: neap tides
  ex te kabi n iara: neap tides at lowest ebb-tide
  ex te ia kamate: half tide (between neap and spring)
  ex te ia n ora: lowest point at time of spring tide.
  syn oratangetange, te toki n ia: last of spring tides (taitoki).
  vc ka-iarakea: wait for the tide, the ebb.
  vc ka-ia n ora: wait for ...
O ia7 
  suf to tr. verbs followed by animated plural object.
  ex ko na batiboia: you must beat them
  ex N na tuangia: I will tell them
  ex a angania te batoro: they gave them the bottle

ia ni mama

O ia ni mama 
  n spring tide at full moon.
  vc ka-ianimama: wait for ...

iababa

B iabába 
  a very high as the tide
  n very high tide
O iababa 
  n spring tides at equinox.
  syn o-baba
  vc ka-iababa: to cause ..., to wait for ...

iabuaka

O iabuaka 
  see n.v. teiabuaka

iabubuti

B iabúbuti 
  a very high as the tide
  n very high tide

iabuti

B iabúti 
  a high as the tide
  n high tide
O iabuti 
  n high tide, rising or not yet very low (enough to float a canoe).
  vc ka-iabuta wam: wait till the canoe floats, or put the canoe to float
  vc ka-iabubuta: let the tide rise or wait till ...
  n ia-bubuti: tide coming in or going out but still very high

iai

B iái 
  adv then, nearby
  v there is, there are (affirmative particle)
O iai 
  adv there, here, on account of, because of, by (there is, or, to have, if it begins a sentence).
  ex katikua iai: leave it there
  ex akea te bai iai: it doesn't mattere buti iai: it goes there, it goes by ...
  ex ti bane n tang iai: we all cried because of it
  ex iai au boki: I have a book
  ex iai irouna te nanokawaki: he is sad
  ex iai te ika: there are fish

iaia

B iáia 
  n tendon, sinew
  bk Phys p 16
  a gray-hairred
  n gray-haired person
  intj exclamation beginning a sentence uttered by a number about to pull together
O iaia 
  n ligament, tendon
  see ia
  na white hair, white haired.
  sup superlative of ia:
  syn takaiaia, takamainaina
  v to flutter before speaking, to tremble
  usu takaiaia

iaiarake

B iáiarake 
  vi frequentative of iarake

iaka

B iáka 
  vi spring or start suddenly from surprise
  vi shiver
  vi start in
  ex iaka ni karakinna ba ti na ongora start in to narrate that we may hear the news
  n shivering or tremor through fear or cold
O iaka 
  red iakaka:
  v to tremble nervously (with or without screaming and wailing) from fear.
  n fright, sudden cold, surprise.
  vc ka-iaka, ka-iakaka: to make ..., to cause to cry out in fear, to surprise, to alarm, to frighten, to startle

iakai

B iaákai 
  a afflicted with stiffness of body or limbs
  n stiffness of limb or body
O iakai 
  n stiffness, numbness of limbs or muscles (ia).
  a stiff, numb
  ex akai (S.).
  v ka-iakai: to cause...
  vc kaiakaia ...

iakamate

B iákamæ/te 
  n neap tide
  a in the state of neap tide
O iakamate 
  n tides half-way between spring and neap tides

iakamawa

G iakamawa 
  sn Scarus pectoralis (y)
  n ikamaawa (k) parrot fish (sm)

iakebokebo

B íakébokebo 
  a very high as the tide
  a full of water as a rua or canoe
O iakebokebo 
  n very high tides at equinoxes.
  vc ka-iakebokebo: to cause ..., to wait for ...

iaki

B iaáki 
  vi cleaning up, freeing from litter
  n cleaning or freeing from litter
O iaki 
  v iaiaki: to sweep, to clean.
  n sweeping, cleaning.
  vc ka-iaka: to make (sweep).
  n te kai n iaki: brooms (all kinds)
O iaki1 
  v to pile or heap in tens or hundreds of things for ex. karababa, fish;
  ex te iakina, ua-iaki, ten-iaki, etc.

iakiaki

B iákiaki 
  n strugglee>ing and kicking as a child
  n great activity in work
  vi struggle to free one's self from the grasp of another
  vi be in spasms
  vi strike again and again on a shoal when tossed by the waves
  vi pound
O iakiaki 
  v to struggle, to be agitated, to stamp feet, to roll on the ground, to work feverishly.
  n agitation, stamping of feet.
  vc kaiakiaka: to make ...

iakina

B iaákina 
  vt clean up, free from litter, sweep
O iakina 
  vt to sweep ... to clean, to disencumber ... to tidy up, to do quickly, rapidly

iakio

O iakio 
  intj i aki oki o!: frightened exclamation of children about to punished in order to cajole the punisher

iam

B iam/ 
  n yam (ENG)
O iam 
  n yam (ENG)

ianena

B iánena 
  n stranger, native of another country
  a not familiar with, unacquainted with

iang

O iang 
  n north
  ex nako iang: going north

iangatoa

O iangatoa 
  n repast in company where food is exchanged.
  syn ioki

iango

B iángo 
  vi reflect, consider, ponder, meditate
  n consideration, deliberateion
O iango 
  n thought, idea, consideration, reflection, imagination, deliberation, plan, solution, fable, fairy tale, fiction
  ex au iango, am iango, etc.: my thought, etc.
  n karakin te iango: fable, story (invented).
  v iango: to think, to meditate, to reason, to reflect.
  vt iangoa: to consider, to meditate on, to think about, to imagine.
  n iangoraoi: wisdom, intelligence.
  v iangobuaka: to think in a confused way, wicked way, badly.
  v iangoi baika buakaka: to have bad thoughts, impure thoughts, wicked thoughts.
  v iango n aomata: to think in a serious way, reasonably
  ex iango ni kewe: to plan to decieve.
  vc ka-iangoraoi, ka-iangobuaka: to make ...
  vc kaiangoraoa, kaiangobuakaea.
  v iangomaka: to meditate, to reflect well, to calculate well, to arrange well one's plan
  ex iangororoko: idem. to reflect at length so as to formulate good ideas.
  vc ka-iango: to make reflect, to give food for thought, to alarm.
  n bain te iango: the fruit of thought, invention, discovery, intelligent finding

iangoa

B iángoa 
  vt think about, consider, ponder, meditate on

iangoraoa

B iangoráoa 
  vt consider well

iangoraoi

B iángoráoi 
  vi consider well
  n careful consideration

iangoraraoi

B iángoraráoi 
  n show of knowledge by much talk
  vi converse, make a show of knowledge by much speech

ianimama

B iæ/nimáma 
  n moonlightt tide
  a being a moonlight tide

ianna

B iæn/na 
  n one long resident in or native of a place
  n native, long resident
O ianna 
  n te I-anna: a stranger, a person from another island, from another land.
  syn te I ru wa (irua)
  see anna

ianono

B ianóno 
  vi crave fish

ianora

B iæ/nora 
  a very low, as the tide
  n very low tide
O ianora 
  n ebb of spring tides at lowest point.
  vc ka ...

ianoro

B iæ/noro 
  n moonless tide
  a being a moonless tide

ianriringa

B iaan/rirínga 
  n scented oil made from scraped coconut exposed to the sun and boiled
B iaan/riríngaa 
  vt prepare a scented oil for anointing
O ianriringa 
  n a sort of perfumed oil
  note made as follows. ranniben is put in aubunga and mixed with flowers and left in the sun for several days and is transformed into oil by the heat.
  syn te katararake

ianro

O ianro 
  n tide at time of new moon

ianti

O ianti 
  n a species of shark, having large head and long slender body (ugly appearance like anti)

iaokiri

O iaokiri 
  n mixture of kabubu and coconut milk

iaonimata

O iaonimata 
  n a mode of tabunea to attract attention, to draw notice

iara

B iára 
  a in neap tide
  n neap tide
O iara 
  n weak tides of the 7th and 21st days of moon
  ex kabi n iara: lowest neap tides
  vc ka-iaraa, kaiaraaea: wait till ...

iarake

B iárake 
  vi come in as the tide, be on the flood
  n flood tide
O iarake 
  n rising tide.
  vc ka-iarakead to wait till the tide rises

iari

B iaári 
  n yard (ENG)

iaro

O iaro 
  n (Pseuderanthenum carruthersii)
  n plant, two species

iatebi

B iátebi 
  n jasper [quartz variety] (ENG)

iati

B iaáti 
  n yard, three feet (ENG)
O iati 
  n a yard (measure) (ENG)

iba taburimai

G iba taburimai 
  sn Carpilius maculatus l. (i)
L iba taburimai 
  n crustacean

ibaba

B íb'ab'a 
  n fish
  vi draw near to, because enamored
O ibaba 
  a saturated by ...
  ex e ari n ibaba: it is impregnated with gall, full of bitterness (flesh of fish).
  fig to be in love with ..., to be taken with ..., smitten with
G ibaba 
  sn Chaetodon (ll)
  n ib'ab'a (k) butterfly fish (sm)
G ibaba1 
  sn Chaetodon auriga (y)
  n butterfly fish (sm)
G ibaba2 
  sn Chaetodon bennetti (y)
  n butterfly fish (sm)
G ibaba3 
  sn Chaetodon ephippium (y)
  n butterfly fish (sm)
G ibaba4 
  sn Chaetodon lunula (y)
  n butterfly fish (sm)
G ibaba5 
  sn Chaetodon ornatissimus (y)
  n butterfly fish (sm)
G ibaba6 
  sn Chaetodon vagabundus (y)
  n butterfly fish (sm)
G ibaba7 
  sn Heniochus acuminatus (ll)
  n angel fish (sm)
G ibaba8 
  sn Heniochus permutatus (ll)
  n angel fish (sm)
L ibaba 
  sn Chaetodon auriga
  sn C. bennetti
  sn C. ulietensis
  sn C. pelewensis
  sn C. quadromaculatus
  sn C. recticulatus
  sn C. trifasciatus
  sn Heniochus
  sn all Chaetodontids, Pomacanthids, and Zanclus cornutus
  n butterfly fish
L ibaba 
  sn all Pomacanthids (angelfish)
  sn Pygoplites diacanthus (pomacanthidae)
  n angelfish
L ibaba 
  sn Zanclus cornutus
  n moorish idol

ibabakoi

O ibabakoi 
  from papa breast and ko to press.
  lit clasp to breast.
  v to embrace, to embrace mutually.
  vt ibabakoia. idem.

ibabannang

O ibabannang 
  v to lose one's head, to forget, not to know which way to turn

ibabanrotuma

B íb'ab'anrótuma 
  n fish
O ibabanrotuma 
  n lagoon fish (disk-shaped)
  and ibabataranga, ibabataburimai
  sn Chaetodon
L ibaba-n-rotuma 
  sn Platax orbicularis (ephippidae)
  n spadefish

ibabarotuma

G ibabarotuma 
  sn Chaetodon sp.
  n butterfly fish; large (sm,ll)

ibabataranga

G ibabataranga 
  sn Chaetodon falcula (y)
  n butterfly fish (sm)
G ibabataranga1 
  sn Chaetodon sp. (ll)
  n butterfly fish; large (sm,ll)
G ibabataranga2 
  sn Chaetodon trifasciatus (y)
  n butterfly fish (sm)
G ibabataranga3 
  sn Zebrasoma veliferum (y)
  n sailfin tang (sm)
L ibabataranga 
  sn Chaetodon ulietensis
  sn Chaetodon trifasciatus
  n butterfly fish
L ibabataranga 
  sn Zebrasoma veliferum (acanthuridae)
  n surgeonfish, unicornfish
  sn Siganus (?) (acanthuridae)
  n surgeonfish, unicornfish

ibabu

O ibabu 
  v to struggle, to be agitated, to strive (with hollow noise); (babu).
  vc kaibabua: to make ...

ibe

B íbe 
  a packed hard as kabubu [preserved pandanus fruit] or earth
B ibe 
  n clod
  bib Hosea 10:11
O ibe 
  a compact, tightly packed, stuffed tightly, huddled together, growing thickly.
  n a sod of earth, something compact.
  vc ka-ibea, ka-ibeibea: to pack tightly, to stuff (to crown a piece in chess )
O ibe1 
  pref root of many compound words

ibea

B íbea 
  vt break open as a coconut, break up as bait
O ibea 
  vt ibeibea: to break, to smash (hard matter)

ibeabure

O ibeabure 
  v ibeibeabure. to embarrass a crowd of people by going into the middle of their group.
  syn ibeibeariba

ibebure

B íbebure 
  vi try to throw into the shade another's skill
O ibebure 
  n injurious threat.
  v to threaten to break top of skull (bure), to insult, to provoke by insult
  ex N na ibea burem: I'll break your head.
  syn N na ibea atum

ibeibe

B ibéibe 
  vi breaking up or open
  n fishing in which cracked bait is used
O ibeibe 
  v te ibeibe. to pound, to break.
  n mode of fishing where shells are broken and thrown in to attract fish

ibeibea

B ibeibea 
  vt frequentative of ibea crack

ibeibeariba

O ibeibeariba 
  from ibe and riba
  vca same meaning as ibeabure (above)

ibeka nako

O ibeka nako 
  vt to throw, to knock down

ibeki

B íbeki 
  vi struggle violently
O ibeki 
  v ibekibeki to stamp feet, to scuffle, to struggle.
  or ibeku, ibekubeku:
  vt ibeka, ibeka nako: idem.
  vc kaibekua, kaibeka, kaibekuia, ka-ibekia: ... to make ...

ibekibeki

B ibékibeki 
  vi frequentative of ibeki struggle

ibekoko

B ibékoko 
  va crowded as a room, crowded together as persons
O ibekoko 
  or bekoko (S.)
  a tight together, heaped up, packed tightly, crammed (persons or things)
  ex te ibekoko, ibekokon: accumulation, crowded together, compactly put, huddled together.
  vc kaibekokoa: to cram, to pack tightly

ibeku

O ibeku 
  v ibekubeku.
  syn ibekekibeki: to struggle, to stamp.
  vc kaibekura ...: to make ..., to set in motion, to activate

ibekuri

B ibékuri 
  vi move about restlessly as a crowd
  n moving about of a restless crowd
O ibekuri 
  n ibekurikuri. accumulation in big quantities.
  a crowded, packed

ibenano

O ibenano 
  n constipation.
  a constipated.
  fig emotionally affected.
  vc kaibenanoa: to affect deeply (esp. with sad or bad sentiments)

ibenao

O ibenao 
  na thick hard crust, evil spell, one who can't get a lover, can't find a wife (or husband), who has no luck at fishing (the fish didn't want them).
  vc kaibenaoa

ibengungu

B íbengúngu 
  vi discussing in a low voice, as a group of persons
B íbengungu 
  n low sound of voices in quiet discussion carried on nearby
O ibengungu 
  or ibengongo: hum or din of a crowd.
  n hubbub, uproar, din.
  v ibengungu, ibengongo: to make an uproar, a din, to speak in the midst of the uproar ...
  vt ibengungua: idem.
  vc kaibengungua: to cause ...

ibengungua

B ibengúngua 
  vt talk over or discuss in a low voice as several people gathered together

ibenono

O ibenono 
  sup superlative of ibe
  a crammed tight, very compact, very crowded.
  fig to be ready to cry, have a lump in the throat.
  vc kaibenonoa: to cram, to stuff, to irritate, to enrage interiorly

ibentano

B íbentæno 
  a thickly covered over with grains of sand or soil
  n clod of earth
O ibentano 
  n a sod of earth.
  a covered with ...
  vc ka ...

iberiki

O iberiki 
  from ibe:
  v to break, to smash, to smash to smithereens, to pound, to crush.
  vt iberikea: idem.

iberikia

B ibérikia 
  vt break into many pieces

iberoro

B ibéroro 
  a very firm or hard, as something closely packed
O iberoro 
  sup superlative of ibe
  and beroro (S.)
  a very compact, very hard, very thick, indigestible.
  vc kaiberoroa

ibetangatanga

B ibetángatanga 
  va closely packed
O ibetangatanga 
  na a dense crowd -- packed like sardines.
  vc ka-ibetangatanga

ibetaninga

O ibetaninga 
  v to be moidered by noise, by repetition, to be irritated

ibetao

B íbetao 
  n bivalvular shell
  n game of children in which one tries to break his neighbor's half-shell with his own half-shell
O ibetao 
  n a bivalvular shell

ibetaotao

B ibetáotao 
  va thrown together and piled up in a confused mass
O ibetaotao 
  a stacked up, piled up, heaped up, compact, sta