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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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n

n

B n 
  pron his, her, its, always written as a suffix, much resembling of
  pron I (never alone but always with verb, or predicate)
  prep in, at, to, by, with, of n
  note becomes ni before m, b, k, and the word ne
O N 
  pron (capital) replaces I before na, nang, the future tense.
  ex N na kawariko: I will call on you
O n 
  pref to certain words to indicate the nature, natural custom.
  ex ntorotoro, from torotoro, etc.
O n1 
  and ni
  prep of, in, at, by, for, with, as.
  ex e aki toki ni karongoa: he doesn't stop (in) making noise
  ex e roko ni kawarai: he came to see me
  ex e mena n au auti: he is in my house
  ex ni makana: by his power
O n2 
  prep is used before vowels and n, r, t it becomes ni euph. before b, k, m, ng, p, w. Before w it becomes nu in many islands.
  ex tabonuwai for taponiwai.
  note in Butaritari and Makin n is put between the negative and the verb.
  ex I aki n ataia: I don't know
O n3 
  and ni
  and na
  suf poss. adj. for his, her, its (n. euph.).
  ex baran te tei: the child's hat
  ex barani Betero: Peter's hat.
  and na for ana.
  ex barana: his hat

na

B na 
  n loose rocks or stones on a flat
  aux sign of the future or imperative
  pron suffix euphonic particle
  ex bongina, terana?, tebwina
  pron possessive suffix, his, her, its
  vt spit out
O na 
  suf (1) for one (teuana).
  ex te barana: one basket.
  ex terana? for tera teuana: one what?
  part (2) aux. sign of future tense.
  ex a na nako: they will go. <shall>
O na1 
  and nang
  and nan te
  art the. before certain proper nouns (masculine), names of species, qualifications. a kind of title used in Makin and Butaritari corresponding to Te in other islands.
  ex Na Kaiea: Mr. Kaiea
  ex Na Kauki: crab
  ex Na Katama: cat.
  note Na is used before ka and ke, and nang before ki, ko, ku

na bawe

O Na Bawe 
  n Na Pawe: name of an ancient dweller of the first maneaba

na boua

O Na Boua 
  n a star

na kabanei

O Na kabanei 
  n a star

na kabibi

O Na kabibi 
  n a star

na kabiri

O Na kabiri 
  n a star

na kamoto

O Na kamoto 
  n a star

na karanga

O Na Karanga 
  n (who plays at karanga). a constellation

na karinaba

O Na karinaba 
  n (the big ant) a constellation

na nu ware

O Na nu ware 
  n a constellation near Canopus

naba

B nába 
  adv also, too, in addition
O naba 
  adv also, as well, included, inclusively, with, as well as.
  ex are ko taku naba: as you say; are ko taku: which you said.

nabanaba

O nabanaba 
  adv at once, forthwith.
  syn ngkainaba
O nabanaba1 
  n ancestors' home in the west (unknown) <land>

nabangkai

B nabángkai 
  a recent
O nabangkai 
  a recent, actual
  adv recently, lately, newly

nabawe

B nabáwe 
  adv formerly, before
  see ngkoa
O nabawe 
  n antiquity, old things.
  a old, antique, out of date, desuetude, archaic.
  idiom roron Na Bawe: as old as ..., a veteran

nabe

O nabe 
  red nabenabe
  v to be attached to, devoted to ...

nabea

B nábea 
  vt nourish tenderly, as a child
O nabea 
  vt to cherish, to pamper, to take great care of.
  red nabenabea: to idolize, to care for tenderly.
  n te nabenabe: particular attachment, tender love, care

nabenabe

B nábenabe 
  vi nourishing

nabenabea

B nabenábea 
  vt frequentative of nabea

nae

B náe 
  pron this little boy right here

naei

B náei 
  pron that little boy yonder
O naei 
  for Na-aei
  pron this little fellow; naene: that ...
  ex naerei: that other ...

naene

B náene 
  pron that little boy near by

naerei

B náerei 
  pron that little boy yonder

naeta

B náeta 
  n serpent, snake (HEB)
O naeta 
  n serpent. <snake>. (HEB)
  a nanaeta: full of ...
  fig bad person

naewa

B náewa 
  pron mr. what's his name
O naewa 
  pron Ten Naewa: Mr. So and So

nagarei

G nagarei 
  n sandshark, said to be dangerous (ll) <shark>

naiabu

B náiabu 
  n the milky way, the galaxy
O naiabu 
  n Nei Naiabu: the milky way

naibi

B náibi 
  n knife, a long knife (ENG)
O naibi 
  n (Eng.) knife

naibunaki

B naáibunaki 
  n name of a false god
O Naibunaki 
  n name of an anti-aomata, spirit (Myth.). his wife, Nei Bakatorotoro

naikamawa

B náikamawa 
  n name of a false god
O Naikamawa 
  n name of anti-aomata, spirit (myth.)

nainai

B náinai 
  n hoop of a scoop net
  vt provide a scoop-net with a hoop
  vi adjusting the hoop of a scoop-net
O nainai 
  n a circle, hoop (scoop net, sieve, spokes of bicycle wheel).
  vt nainaina: to put a circle around

nairo

O nairo 
  or nera
  n nail, tack (ENG)

naita

B náita 
  n nitre (ENG)

naka

B naákaa 
  pron these men and women, or boys and girls who, these women who, these girls who, (right here)
B naáka 
  pron a word to call the attention of two or more women or girls or a man and woman or men and women, or a boy and girl, or boys and girls.
O naka 
  pron (1) for calling several women or men together. ladies! gentlemen! ladies and gentlemen! singular Neiko! Nao!
  pron (2) naka a ...: those who (women); naka a ...: those who (men and women)
O Naka 
  n an ancient who came first from Samoa to the Gilberts

nakai

B naákai 
  pron these women or girls, these men and women, or boys and girls,
O nakai 
  pron these (masc. and fem.)

nakana

B naákanaa 
  pron those women or girls who, those men and women who (near by)
O nakana 
  pron nakana a: these who ... (masc. and fem.)

nakanne

B naákanne 
  pron those women those girls, those men and women those girls and boys
O nakanne 
  pron those ... (masc. and fem.)

nakara

O Nakara 
  n a star (Regulus)

nake

B naáke 
  pron that man and woman yonder who, that boy and girl yonder who, those girls yonder who, those men and women yonder who, those women yonder
  pron who, the word is followed by a
O nake 
  pron those who ... (masc. and fem.). used for persons remote in space or time

nakea

B nakéa 
  vi to go where?
  ex ko nakea where are you going?
O nakea 
  for nake ia
  int used in interrogation only.
  ex te nakea?: to where?
  ex ko na nakea?: where are you going?kam nakea?: where did you all go?
  adv nakea? where? <whither>

nakekei

B naákekei 
  pron those men and women yonder, those women yonder etc
O nakekei 
  pron for nake-kekei. those over there (masc. and fem.)

nakibaina

B nákibáina 
  a palsyy>ied
  n a paralyzetic
O nakibaina 
  for n akea baina
  a without limbs, paralysed in one or several members.
  n paralysis, paralytic

nakiniwae

B nakíniwae 
  n the name of a female goddess
O nakiniwae 
  or nakinuwae (n akea waena: without legs or feet)
  n female spirit, stirred up against canoes she will stir up a tornado to engulf everything
  note esp. in Butari
O nakiniwae1 
  n waterspout, tornado, cyclone, magic spell to ward off cyclone, hurricane, etc.

nakirua

O nakirua 
  from kiruwe
  n Nei Nakirua hurricane, cyclone personified
  syn preceding.

nako

B náko 
  vi to go
  pre to go to
  ex E nako Tarawa. He went to Tarawa.
  adv away, off
  a all, all in succession
  bib Gen 41:34
O nako 
  prep nakon, nakoni: to, towards, against, more than; nakoiu, nakoim, nakoina, nakoira, nakoimi, nakoia: towards me, etc.
  ex nako karawa: towards heaven; nako eta: upwards
  ex nako mone: (without article) downwards, the depths
  ex nakon te kawa: towards the village
  ex e rietata nakoni kai: it is higher than trees
  ex e un nakoiu: he is cross (to) with me
O nako1 
  a each, every, all
  ex te bong nako: each day
  ex bongi nako: every day
O nako2 
  v to go, to depart, to go on, to go away.
  red nanako: to go often.
  ex E nako Tarawa: He went to Tarawa
  ex Tai nako!: Don't go!
  ex Nako!: Go away, Be off ...
  n the act of going, leaving, walking, departing, moving
  see nakonako
  ex I uringa nakom: I remember your departure
  ex Akea nakona: It won't go again.
  nv nakoiang, nakoaiaki, nakomainiku, nako maeao: to go to the north, to the south, ... east, ... west
  ex nakomai, nanakomai: to come, to approach
  ex nakoati, nakowati: to go towards the one who calls.
  a kai nako, kakai nako: quickly gone, easily taken off, easy to take off.
  vc kanakoa: to make go, to send, to cause to depart, to send away, to expel, to banish, to dismiss, to discharge, to let go, to let escape.
  red kananakoa: to make go often, regularly, to loosen little by little.
  v kanakoianga: to send towards the north
  ex kanakomaia: to make approach ..., come towards
  ex kanakowatia: to make go towards kanakomaiaka: to make go or come south
  ex kanakomeanga: to make come northkanakomaeaoa, kanakomainikua

nakoa

B nákoa 
  n employment, office, profession, calling
O nakoa 
  n profession, trade, employment, charge, duty.
  vt nakoana: to have for ..., to make profession of ...
  ex te nakoa ae tabu: Holy Orders

nakoakina

O nakoakina 
  vt (1) to go, to go constantly to, ... towards, to have as reason, end, term of one's goings and comings.
  vt (2) to carry news, information, rumours, messages

nakon

B nákon 
  pre to
O nakon 
  prep (1) nakoni (before pr. nouns and names of inanimate things).
  ex nakon Tauro: to Tauro; nakoni Petero: to Peter.
  suf (2) to many verbs meaning to prolong distance in time or space, usually joined to verb, but may be separate if it does not change meaning of word.
  ex e a mauna nako: it disappears in space

nakonako

B nákonako 
  vi to walk
  n walking, going
O nakonako 
  red of nako.
  n walk, stroll, displacement, voyage, movement, to publish, to make known ...
  vc ka-nakonakoa: to make ...
  vc kanakonakon: act of ...

nakoni

B nákoni 
  pre to (nakon with the euphonic i)

nam

O nam 
  n smacking of tongue, tasting, gustation, suction.
  v to smack lips, to taste, to suck. red. namnam: (to count)
  ex te namnana, ua namnan, etc.
  vt nama, nanama: to taste to see ..., to taste, to suck.
  see namta

nama

B næ/ma 
  n lagoon
  vi enter a snare noose as a bird
O nama 
  n lagoon, lake (diff. from namo)
O nama1 
  n the act of tying, stringing together (fish, pearls, etc.).
  fig liaison, attachment, agreement, understanding, unanimity, fraternity
  ex namau, namam: my friend, your friend, etc.
  ex nei te Namau or Nei Namau: the one I get on well with.
  n te namnama: sort of magic to attract affection with wearing of charm, amulet
  ex (kakoko, korotabuki, nimaerere).
  va nama, namanama: to thread on to string, to make sorcery to gain affection.
  fig namanama, namaraoi: to agree, to have affection for.
  see namata

namakaina

B namakáina 
  n moon, month
O namakaina 
  n the moon (no article).
  n Ten namakaina: (Mr.) moon.
  n te namakaina: month, lunar month.
  ex te namakaina ae Tianuare: the month of January.
  note different phases of the moon:
  ex 1st <first> day: e ba n uri
  ex 2nd <second> day: e buti n ika
  ex 3rd <third> day: e oti, e koran
  ex 4th <fourth> day: e aomata
  ex 7th <seventh> day: e itibong
  ex 8th <eighth> day: e kare ao e bongina
  ex 9th <ninth> day: e kare ao uabong
  ex 10th <tenth> day: e kare ao tenibong
  ex 12th <twelvth> day: e renaba
  ex 13th <thirteenth> day: e toka, e eremao
  ex 14th <fourteenth> day: e toka n rin, e tabanin
  ex 15th <fifteenth> day: e tanimainiku
  ex 16th <sixteenth> day: e rin tebongina ... uabong
  ex 17th <seventeenth> day: e rin tenibong
  ex 21st <twenty first> day: e kaitibong i an tari
  ex 25th <twenty fifth> day: e unabong, e kaiti
  ex 26th <twenty sixth> day: e unabong naba, e kaiti
  ex 27th <twenty seventh> day: mata-oiaki
  ex 28th <twenty eighth> day: e neve roro
  ex 29th <twenty ninth> day: e anti.
  idiom e amoua namakaina: a thin cloud cuts it in two (a sign of good fishing)
  ex e katea maneaba: a halo round the moon

namakin

O namakin 
  n impression, sentiment, sensation.
  v to feel, to perceive.
  vt namakina: to feel, to perceive.
  vc kanamakina or karamakina: to have a presentiment, suspicion, to surmise

namakina

B námakina 
  vt feel of

namanama

B namæ/nama 
  vi performa certain incantation
  vi bind fish with namata for convenience in cooking

namanamata

B namæ/namata 
  vt frequentative of namata

namaonga

B næmaónga 
  vi swallow a portion of the food which is being masticated for a little child
  n the act of swallowing a portion of the food which is being masticated for a little child
O namaonga 
  vt to taste a little portion and chew it for a baby

namata

B namæ/ta 
  vt manipulate the bunna
  vt bind or wrap a fish with a namata
B námata 
  n leaf with which a torch is tied, or a fish for bakeing
O namata 
  n fibre pulled from palm used to tie torches made of leaves, to string fish, beads, shells, necklace, string of ...
  vt namata (namatia), namatamata: to pass through the loop.
  vt namatana: idem. to thread, to tie with a namata, to put a loop on.
  ex namata am rin: tie your torch with ...
  ex namata te bong: fig. to name, to fix for a favourable day

namata ni bure

O namata ni bure 
  n a string of bure shells, a bracelet of these shells worn as armlet.
  n a measure (from end of fingers to armlet)

nambauia

L nambauia 
  sn Charcharhinus albimarginatus (charcharhindae)
  n requiem shark

namnam

B næm/næm 
  vi eat up the remnant of soft or liquid food as molasses with the finger

namnamta

B næmnæm/ta 
  vi frequentative of namta

namo

O namo 
  n a small lagoon, small lake, shallow water forming lake at low tide in certain parts of lagoon.
  va namo raoi. fig. well placed, nestled
  vc kanamo: make lake in form of lagoon.
  vn namo i eta: a pond of water near beach at low tide
  ex te kanamonamo: a small namo, forming ...
  n namo ni keang: a namo where sea-weed grows

namoa

O namoa 
  vt to surround with ..., to plant trees around

namokare

O namokare 
  n opercule of nimatanin shell

namoro

O namoro 
  v nnamoro: to dribble continually

namta

B næm/ta 
  vt taste of a liquid or soft food
  n portion of coconut molasses to be taken with the finger or a brush
  n sharp knife
O namta 
  n a pointed knife.
  a sharp as a razor
O namta1 
  n a draught, a sup, a sip
  ex te namtana, etc.: one, two, three ...
  vt namta, nanamta: to sip, to taste, to suck, to inhale

namtea

O namtea 
  vt sup. of namta: to suck, to inhale, to sip noisily, ravenously.
  red namtetea (fig.) to touch everything but finish nothing

namtete

B næmteéte 
  va still relishing, craveing more
O namtete 
  a syn. with preceding word.
  fig greedy, insatiable (said of spirit inhaling tobacco smoke).
  vc ka-mtetea

nana

B næ/na 
  n cocoon
  n half of a coconut shell
  a content to reside in one place, domestic
O nana 
  n shell, cocoon, pod, husk, carapace.
  n a vessel made with half of coconut shell, vase.
  n te nana ni kanei, te kuo n aine: a vessel for making oil in.
  n te nana ni mae: vessel to soak flowers in oil.
  n te nana maung: slut, sloven (insult)
O nana1 
  n food (a homely word used without article, employed to designate food for children),
  ex nanau, nanam, nanana, etc.
O nana2 
  a used to, accustomed to, acclimatized.
  ex e aki nana iai, e tuai n nana iai: he is not used to, has not yet got used to
  vc kanana: to inure, to accustom

nana ni mata

O nana ni mata 
  n eye socket

nanaboi

O nanaboi 
  n evil smell, bad odour

nanaeta

B nanáeta 
  va abounding in serpents or snakes

nanai

B næ/nai 
  n herd, brood
  a relishable
O nanai 
  n herd, flock, clutch, flight, mob.
  a to form a group, form a herd.
  ex nanai ni moa: flock of hens, chickens
O nanai1 
  a delicious, tasty, sweet, appetizing, savoury
  vc kananaia: to make ..., to flavour, to make tasty

nanako

B næ/nako 
  vi frequentative of nako

nanakonako

B nanákonako 
  vi frequentative of nakonako

nanama

B nanáma 
  vt taste of, or test the taste of food
O nanama 
  red of nama; see this word. to taste food

nanamakina

B nanæ/makína 
  vt frequentative of namakina

nanamaonga

B nanæ/maoónga 
  vi frequentative of namaonga

nanamta

B nanæm/ta 
  vt frequentative of namta

nananamaka

B nanæ/nam'aka 
  a frequentative of nanom'aka

nananamatoa

B nanæ/namæ/toa 
  a frequentative of nanomatoa

nananga

B næ/nanga 
  va stripped of its bark or skin
O nananga 
  na scratch, graze, skin chafed, skin rubbed off.
  vc kanananga: to scratch, to scrape bark or skin

nananikanei

B næ/nanikánei 
  n large coconut shell cup for receiving boiled oil

nananimae

B nanæ/nim'ae 
  n half coconut shell for holding oil for besmearing a wreath for the neck

nananimata

B nanæ/nimæta 
  n rim of the socket of the eye

nananoanga

B nanæ/noanga 
  a frequentative of nanoanga

nananobitaki

B nanæ/nobítaki 
  a frequentative of nanobitaki

nananobuaka

B nanæ/nobúaka 
  a frequentative of nanobuaka

nananokawaki

B nanæ/nokaáwaki 
  a frequentative of nanokawaki

nananokokoraki

B nanæ/nokókoraki 
  a frequentative of nanokokoraki

nananomaraki

B nanæ/nomæ/rak 
  va frequentative of nanomaraki
B nanæ/nomæ/rak 
  n frequentative of nanomaraki

nananoraoi

B nanæ/noráoi 
  a frequentative of nanoraoi

nananorinano

B nanæ/norinæ/n 
  a frequentative of nanorinano

nang

B næng 
  a well filled with babai plants, as a patch
  n cloud
  adv about to, near to, presently
O nang 
  na four (when counting by two's
  ex tera (1), ua (2), ten (3), nang (4), nim, etc.
O nang1 
  adv aux. part. of na, future tense. very near, about to happen.
  ex ti nangi mananga: we are just about to go
  ex e nangi mauna: it is going to disappear
O nang2 
  n (1) a cloud.
  a nanginang: with a few clouds, cloudy.
  fig hindrance, annoyance, obstacle, veil, worry.
  ex e tei nang, e tei nangina: there is an obstacle, a barrier
  ex e katei nang: it puts obstacle, it is too far distant, too difficult (e makinaki)
  ex katea te nang, katea nangina: to put obstacle, to keep off
  ex tae nang, e tae nangina: the hindrance or obstacle has been taken away
  ex e tae nangu: I am free, disencumbered
  ex kataea nangina: to take away the ..., to have done with ..., to be rid of ...
  na (2) taro (pit) too closely planted

nangananga