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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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NG

ng

B ng 
  int expressive of dissent or displeasure
O ng 
  or nng
  intj of displeasure, disagreement

nga

B nga 
  adv where? in what place
  n one distant by birth
  ex ngan tarire
B nga 
  a thousand
  suf a numeral suffix following the digits in counting fathoms
O nga 
  adv (1) e nga? where is it?
  ex a nga? where are they?
  n (2) a fathom
  ex te ngana, ua nga: 1 fathom, 2 fathoms.
  vt ngaea: (irr.) to measure by fathoms (arm's length).
  na (3) thousand, a thousand
  ex te ngana, uanga: 1,000, 2,000.
  n (4) portion of pandanus which is chewed.
  n (5) family of origin, relations
  ex ngan tarire, an tarire: relations in very wide sense

nga n tarire

O nga n tarire 
  see nga
  n branch of family (distant), multiple or extensive relatives

ngabingabi

B ngábingabi 
  n a mat used as a spread or container for food
  n a species of eel, the
O ngabingabi 
  n (1) a small mat used as plate.
  n dish for food.
  n (2) an eel with black spots

ngabu

O ngabu 
  and toro ngabu: matoru-ngabu
  n numerous posterity.
  a having many descendants

ngae

B ngæ/e 
  va satiated
O ngae 
  n (dipth.) satiety.
  a satisfied, satiated, having enough, refusing because satisfied.
  fig to have had enough.
  vca ka-ngae: satiating, filling, irksome, tedious.
  vc ka-ngaea: to satisfy, to satiate, to glut

ngaea

B ngáea 
  n a fathom
  vt to measure by fathoms

ngaeau

B ngáeau 
  a mussed as the hair not oiled
O ngaeau 
  for ngeau, kangaeau

ngaengae

B ngáengae 
  a frequentative of ngae

ngai

B ngaái 
  pron plural of ngaia
  bk Genesis 30:32
B ngái 
  pron I (often emphatic)
O ngai 
  pron that this (when speaking of several things).
  pl of ngaia
O ngai1 
  pron I
  ex boni ngai: myself

ngaia

B ngáia 
  pron he, she, it
  ex ngaia : yes, thats it
O ngaia 
  pron he, she, it, that
  ex boni ngaia: himself, herself, itself
O ngaia1 
  pron they, them
  ex boni ngaia: themselves

ngaiangaia

B ngáiangáia 
  adv yes, yes, that's he
O ngaiangaia 
  adv that's it. yes, yes

ngaina

B ngáina 
  n daytime
  a being light or daytime
O ngaina 
  n day, daylight.
  a daytime
  ex e ngaina: daybreak
  ex e a kani ngaina: it is nearly day.
  adv ni ngaina: by day
  ex ni moani ngaina: very early
  ex ingini ngaina, ewa ni ngaina: day dawn.
  vt ka-ngaina: to wait till day, to stay up all night to ... (play, fish, keep watch). adv.
  ex ni kangaina: until day.
  n te karangaina: dawn, sunrise.
  adv ni karangaina: at dawn

ngaira

B ngáira 
  pron we, us (generally in the nominative and emphatic)
O ngaira 
  pron us, <we>
  ex boni ngaira: ourselves

ngake

B ngáke 
  n the spermatic cord
O ngake 
  n (1) membrane joining two parts.
  n (2) web of feet. ex. crotch of trousers

ngako

B ngáko 
  n phlegm, mucous matter
  va having catarrh
O ngako 
  n mucus, snot, glair, phlegm.
  va to have a cold in the head.
  v ongiri ngako: to blow one's nose.
  vc ka-ngakoa: to cause mucus, to soil with ...

ngan

B ngan 
  va having side sprouts as babai
  n a sucker or side sprout of the babai
O ngan 
  n a shoot, a sprout (taro, onions, bulbs)

nganga

B ngaánga 
  vi to engage in measuring fathoms
O nganga 
  n food poisoning (esp. by fish).
  va suffer from poisoning.
  vca ka-nganga: which causes ..., poisonous.
  vc ka-nganga: to poison

ngangae

B ngángae 
  va frequentative of ngae

ngangarake

B ngæ/ngarake 
  n the roof of the mouth
  n suffering occasioned by food entering the nasal passage
O ngangarake 
  n the passage between nose and throat.
  v to snuffle <sniffle> through this ...
  vt ngangarakea.
  vc ka-ngangarakea: to make ...

ngangareuke

B ngæ/ngareúke 
  vi frequentative of ngareuke

ngangau

B ngæ/ngau 
  va unable to restrain one's desire, eating without waiting for others
O ngangau 
  n voracity, gluttony, a glutton.
  a gluttonous.
  vt ngangaua: to cram, to stuff.
  vc kangangaua: to make ...

ngao

B ngáo 
  va in confusion, mixed or piled up without order
  n a nest
O ngao 
  n nest, birds' nest
  ex aea ngao: to build nest
O ngao1 
  na entanglement, jumbled up, in disorder.
  vc ka-ngaoa: to entangle

ngao ni moa

O ngao ni moa 
  n hen's nest

ngaongao

B ngáongao 
  n wire
  n branches of bushes cut to be burned in the clearing of land
  a covered over with cut brush ready for burning
O ngaongao 
  n branch, twigs without leaves, sprigs, dry branches, wire, barbed wire, spokes of bicycle wheel

ngare

B ngáre 
  n laughter
O ngare 
  n laughter, smile.
  v to laugh, to smile.
  n ngaren te nao: white foam on waves
  ex e ngare te nao: there is white foam on the waves
  ex mate ni ngare: to die of laughter.
  a mata ni ngare, matangare: smiling, smiling face.
  va kangare, kaka-ngare: to cause laughter, to amuse, comic
  vc ka-ngarea: to make laugh, to amuse.
  n te kangare: pleasantry, jest, joke, making fun.
  n te bai ni kangare: something funny, buffoonery, joke.
  nv io ni ngare: burst of laughter

ngare banna

O ngare banna 
  n the laugh of a sick person (skeleton)

ngare be

O ngare be 
  n a wicked laugh, insolent, untimely
  ex kangare be, manikangare be: to make laugh, wicked joke, to annoy

ngare iotaua

O ngare iotaua 
  n loud laughter.
  v to laugh loudly

ngare ke

O ngare ke 
  n a short laugh

ngare n take

O ngare n take 
  nv a long, loud roar of laughter

ngare ngenge

O ngare ngenge 
  n a forced laugh

ngare roro

O ngare roro 
  v to laugh till black and blue

ngare uatao

O ngare uatao 
  n prolonged laughter

ngare uke

O ngare uke 
  nv to laugh till breathless

ngare uoua

O ngare uoua 
  n false, hypocritical laugh

ngareakina

B ngáreakina 
  vt to laugh at
O ngareakina 
  vt to laugh at ..., to make fun of ..., to ridicule

ngarebe

B ngárebee 
  vi to laugh loud and sneeringly, or improperly

ngarei

B ngaréi 
  n fish, the
O ngarei 
  n deep water shark, sort of tababa

ngarengare

B ngárengare 
  vi frequentative of ngare, to laugh
  vi to shake as a sail in the wind
  n laughter

ngarentake

B ngarentaáke 
  vi to laugh coarsely and long
B ngarentaáke 
  n coarse and prolonged laughter

ngareuke

B ngáreuke 
  vi to laugh with a wide-open mouth
  n laughter with a wide-open mouth

ngaro

B ngáro 
  n the gum
O ngaro 
  n (1) gums.
  n (2) a dish made with tou

ngarobata

B ngárob'ata 
  a having discolored gums
O ngaro-bata 
  n dark coloured gums

ngarongaro

B ngárongaro 
  a toothless
O ngarongaro 
  na (1) toothless gums.
  vc kangarongaro: to make ...
  vc ka-ngarongaroa: idem.
  syn (2) blunt-edged

ngaruru

O ngaruru 
  n muffled noise of quaking and rolling.
  v to quake, to roll.
  n noise as of thunder or breakers.
  vc kangarurua: to make ...

ngata

O ngata 
  n ngatangata, nanongatangata: covetousness, cupidity.
  n ngetangeta, nanongetangeta: cupidity, desire, etc. (Butaritari and Makin) other islands:
  nv kangata, kangeta, kanano kangeta: to excite ..., to give ...

ngati

O ngati 
  a clothes or mats covered with dirt or stains, soiled, dirty, disgusting (N.)
  and ngatu (S.)

ngatingati

O ngatingati 
  a ngatungatu: very dirty, filthy.
  vc kangata: to soil, to make dirty

ngau

O ngau 
  n a sort of sea slug
O ngau1 
  n gluttony, voracity.
  a gluttonous, voracious, greedy.
  sup ngaungau, ngautata, mangaungau: very gluttonous, voracious.
  vc ka-ngau, ka-ngau, ngau: voracity.kangaua, kangaungaua: to make ...

ngaun

B ngáun 
  a ten used in counting bong, ririki, ritoro, inaki, atao, wa, and whenever a digit is followed by a numeral suffix, ai, ung, man, nga, kai, kora coconut are counted by bunches of ten
  see tengaun
O ngaun 
  an ten, tens. 100 <hundred> coconuts

ngaungau

B ngáungau 
  vi to eat voraciously
O ngaungau 
  vt ngaungaua, ri ngaungaua, ngangaua: to ingurgitate, to gulp down, to cram, to devour.
  vc ka-ngaungaua: to make or treat as glutton.
  vt ngauta: to devour, to cram, to gulp down

ngawa

B ngaáwa 
  va having a fish-bone in the throat
O ngawa 
  n choking, suffocation from fish bones or other ... throat.
  v to choke oneself, to suffocate from obstruction in throat.
  vc ka-ngawa: to strangle, to put harpoon in throat
  ex te kai ni kangawa: a spear used to kill sharks

ngawata

O ngawata 
  n mucus obstructing throat.
  v to have throat obstructed by ...

ngea

B ngéa 
  n a tree, the
  n a large fish hook made of ngea
  a firm, stiff, hard as a wet rope
O ngea 
  n (1) bush of very hard, gnarled wood
  sn Pemphis scidula
  a hard, strong like ngea
  a ngea ngeangea: hard, strong like ..., abounding in ...
  vc ka-ngea, ka-ngeangea: make hard.
  n (2) large fish hook made formerly of ngea used to catch shark.
  n circular fish hook of iron for shark fishing with hook of ngea.
  n (3) te Ngea: constellation in form of fish hook (Austral Crown)
  ex ngea n arabo: a very old ngea such, the inside of which is beginning to rot.
  n essence got from this inside.
  nv ngeangea
G ngea 
  sn Pemphis acidula Forst. (z)

ngeaiarabo

B ngeáiarábo 
  n a tree, the

ngeangea

B ngéangea 
  a very strong and firm
  a abounding in ngea trees

ngearuru

O ngearuru 
  sup superlative of ngea
  a very hard, stiff, rigid

ngenge

B ngÉnge 
  vi to beg for food by one's looks, to be covetous of food
  n the begging for food by one's looks
B ngeénge 
  n what remains of the kernel of a coconut in a shell after it has been scraped
  a scraped, without much kernel
O ngenge 
  orig sup. ngaro
  n (1) te ngenge, te maungenge, te nano ngenge: envy, covetousness of food, drink, tobacco, etc.
  na ngengeroroko: irresistible envy of food, inveterate habit of begging.
  n te tia ngenge, te ngengetaia: beggar (always begging).
  va ngenge, maungenge, ngengetaia: to show covetousness for food, tobacco belonging to others, covetous, avid.
  vt ngengea, maungengea, ngengetaia: to show one's covetousness, to cast envious eyes on ...
  vc kangengea: to cause ..., to provoke ..., to make ..., to treat as ...
  n (2) te kangenge, te kangengewi: emaciation, phthisis, consumption.
  v kangengea wina: gnash or show teeth.
  ex e ngenge te ora: the beach is uncovered (low tide)
O ngenge1 
  n the remainder of coconut kernel in shell after it has been scraped out

ngengen ri

O ngengen ri 
  n nothing but skin and bone.
  a very emaciated, a living skeleton.
  vc kangengenria: to make ...

ngengenri

B ngengen/ri 
  a thin in flesh

ngengetaia

B ngEngetáia 
  vi to beg much for food by one's looks
  n much begging for food by one's looks
O ngengetaia 
  sup superlative of ngenge
  n great covetousness of food.
  v to have ..., to show ...
  vc kangengetaia: to find, to accuse of being ..., to treat as ...
  vc ka-ngengeta: to excite to envy, to entice, to attract

ngeri

B ngéri 
  a curled, frizzled, curly
  n a person with curly hair
O ngeri 
  a curly, frizzled, curly-headed.
  sup ngeringeri, ngeringeritaua
  vc ka-ngera: to curl, to make frizzy.
  vc ka-ngeria: to comb ...
  n te aki ni kangeri: ancient comb of one or two prongs

ngeta

O ngeta 
  n concupiscence, immoderate, desire, disorderly envy.
  a envious, immoderate, greedy, passionate.
  sup ngengeta, nanongetangeta: very...
  vc kangeta

ngio

B ngío 
  a dizzy
O ngio 
  n dizziness.
  v to fall into a swoon, to sink down, to grow faint, to fail, to be carried off quickly.
  vc kangiongioa, kangiongionakoa: to make numb, to faint, to carry away, etc.
  sup ngiongo, ngiongio, ngionako, ningioningio: tired, sleep, drowsy

ngiongio

B ngióngio 
  a frequentative of ngio

ngira

B ngíra 
  vi to groan audibly or in spirit
  n a groan, groaning
O ngira 
  n a groan, moan.
  v to groan in abnormal effort so as to overcome pain. <grunt>.
  sup ngirangira
  vt ngira marakina, ngiraia: to moan with ..., to control one to keep back one's cries.
  vc ka-ngirangira: to make ...

ngirangira

B ngiræ/ngira 
  vi to groan audibly or in spirit

ngirataua

B ngiratáua 
  vi to groan as when under a heavy burden
O ngirataua 
  nva freq. of ngira

ngka

B ng/ka 
  vt give me (used in the imperative)
  n food to be chewed for the juice (used only with the suffix pronoun)
O ngka 
  or nka
  intj ngka!
  syn kamai
  intj give me, pass it!
  ex ngka te mangko! give me the cup
O ngka1 
  n portion of pandanus which is sucked.
  ex ngkau, ngkam, etc. (N.)
  or nga (S.)

ngkae

O ngkae 
  idiom adv. for ngkai e

ngkai

B ngkái 
  adv now
O ngkai 
  adv now.
  idiom adv. now that, since.
  ex kamai te amarake ngkai I a roko: give me to eat now that I have arrived

ngkainaba

B ngkáinaba 
  a new
O ngkainaba 
  adv at once, just now.
  sup ngkainabanaba
  a recent, fresh, new
  ex te bai ae ngkainaba: something new

ngkam

B ngkam/ 
  vi I don't know, I am not supposed to know
O ngkam 
  or nkam
  int I don't know! I have nothing to say, I can't answer

ngkami

B ngkámi 
  pron ye, you, emphatic in the nominative, a plural suffix in the objective after v.t. usually connected by i
O ngkami 
  pron you.
  ex boni ngkami: yourselves.
  note used in the objective it is joined to the verb.
  ex e tangiringkami: he loves you

ngkana

B ngkána 
  adv when (future) if
O ngkana 
  adv when, at the time (for the future), if (fut. cond.)

ngkangka

B ngkángka 
  n a %tou<#+a>">.htm#%tou">%tou or %bunia<#+a>">.htm#%bunia">%bunia set aside for chewing
O ngkangka 
  see ngka
  n kaka (S.)

ngkanne

B ngkan/ne 
  adv at the present time, at the time and place spoken of
O ngkanne 
  adv then, in that case, at that time.
  ex n na aki kawariko ngkanne: in that case I won't go to see you

ngke

B ngke 
  adv when (referring to past time)
O ngke 
  adv when, then (past)
  ex ngke tairiki, ngke e tairiki: yesterday evening
  ex ngke e bong: last night

ngkebong

B ngkébong 
  adv last night

ngkekei

O ngkekei 
  adv at that time, then (past)
  ex ao ngkekei a mananga: then they set out

ngkerimoa

B ngkérimoa 
  adv formerly

ngketairiki

B ngketáiriki 
  adv last evening

ngkoa

B ngkóa 
  adv before, formerly
O ngkoa 
  adv formerly, in the past, in ancient times, a long time ago.
  sup ngkoangkoa: long ago.
  ex ngkoa! ngkoae! ao ngkoa! ao ngkoae!: of course! naturally!

ngkoae

B ngkóae 
  adv indeed, of course, used in response

ngkoananoa

B ngkóananoa 
  adv yesterday
O ngkoananoa 
  adv yesterday
  ex i main ngkoananoa: before yesterday

ngkoangkoa

B ngkóangkoa 
  adv long ago, formerly
O ngkoangkoa 
  sup superlative of ngkoa
  adv long ago
  ex ten Ngkoangkoa: one of the first beings created with Riki (myth.)

ngkoe

B ngkóe 
  pron thou, you, usually emphatic
O ngkoe 
  pron you, thou
  ex boni ngkoe: yourself
  ex ko tiku, ngkoe? you're staying?

ngo

B ngo 
  vi to murmur or complain in a low voice
  n subdued complaint, murmuring
O ngo 
  n talk, speech.
  red ngongo (more used)
  ex te niba ni ngo: a grumbler
  ex te ngo tau: noise made by a crowd or by a medley of things (rain, waves, crowd of people)

ngoa

B ngóa 
  vt to scratch what itches
O ngoa 
  vt to scratch oneself, to scratch (rarely used),
  red ngongoa (more used)

ngoe

B ngoé 
  pron naka (preceded by nei) (But.)

ngongo

B ngoóngo 
  vi to talk sub voce
  n frequentative of ngo
B ngòngo 
  vi to itch
  n the sensation of itching
O ngongo 
  n itch.
  v to itch.
  vc kangongo: which causes itchness kangongoa: to cause ...
  n te kai ni ngongo: a back scratcher, a scratcher
O ngongo1 
  red of ngo
  n speech, noise of voices, murmur of voices, indistinct ... to make one's voice heard, to speak
  ex ao e ngongo ngkekei: he spoke then
  ex ko aki ngongo? have you nothing to say?
  vc kangongoa: to make speak, to question

ngongoa

B ngóngoa 
  vt to scratch

ngongongo

B ngongóngo 
  vi frequentative of ngongo

ngore

B ngóre 
  n a young infant
  adj small in stature and weakly as a sickly child
O ngore 
  a feeble, weak, puny, sickly, debilitated (person, plant or fruit of stunted development).
  sup ngorengore, niningore, ningorengore, ngoretaia, ntangore, ntangorengore, ngoretaua, bingore, tingore, mingorengora: very...
  vc kangorea, katingorengorea, ka-ningongorea, ka-binongorea, ka-mingongorea: to debilitate, to weaken

ngungurengure

B ngunguréngure 
  vi to complain, to murmur
  vi frequentative of ngurengure

ngure

B ngúre 
  vi to complain, to murmur
O ngure 
  n murmur, grumble, grouse.
  v to murmur, to complain
  ex niba ni ngure: grumble, always complaining.
  sup ngurengure: frequent complaints.
  vt ngurea, ngurengurea: to murmur, to grumble against.
  vt ngureakina ...: to complain of, to murmur about ...
  vc kangurea, kangurengurea: to make ..., to make grumble, complain, etc.

ngurengure

B nguréngure 
  i to complain, to murmur n a murmuring, a complaining, a subdued groaning

ngurengurea

B nguréngurea 
  vt to complain about a borrower or express misgivings concerning something loaned

ngutu

B ngútu 
  n a movable sight of a gun
O ngutu 
  n Nei te Ngutu: a star
O