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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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w

w

O w 
  note The Gilbertese w differs from the English w. It more like the sound of v especially if followed by e:
  ex kewe, keve, wete, vete, vene, wene ...

wa

B wa 
  n a canoe
  n sleepers of a floor
B wa 
  vi to move along in a company as persons or fish
O wa 
  n te wa, to wa (N) any vehicle, any means of conveyance: canoe, boat, bicycle, cart, toy ..., pawn in chess, ... checkers
  ex wam te baitika: your bicycle
  ex te wa ni kiba: aeroplane <airplane>.
  fig e maninga wau: my head forgets
  see v.t. wana
O wa1 
  pref of waki in compound words.
  see wa-puaka, wa ni kangare, wanraea
  note in the sense of, to be doing. corresponds to manibuaka, manraoi, manikangare, manrea: to be in a state of ... (slight nuance)
O wa2 
  suf wawa to go, ... move.
  see au wa, a wawa
O wa3 
  n beam, joist
  ex te wa n nano: lower beam, floor beam
  ex te wa n anti: scaffolding, horse or trestle
O wa4 
  n species, kind (fish, birds), category of ...
O wa 
  n te wa n Tarawa: a dance, manner of procedure, ceremonial <ceremony> for different rites, composition or performance following a method
O wa6 
  nv wawa, wanako: to go, ... move, ... displace oneself, to flow, ... flow away
  ex a wa nako ika: the fish are going off, travelling
  ex a wawa ranni matana: his tears are flowing.
  vc kawaea, kawawaea: to make flow.
  n te bai ni kawawa: guttering, spouting
  ex ikawawa: to wander around in mobs, gangs, etc., vagrancy of number of persons together
O wa7 
  n te Wa: a constellation
O wa8 
  pref or suf. of wawa, waki, waanga

wa buaka

O wa buaka 
  n bad comportment, ill behaved in society or family, to be in an awkward situation for taking action.
  ant wa-raoi

wa n anano

O wa n anano 
  n joists, lower beams in a building

wa n ei

O wa n ei 
  n supporting cross piece (as in scoop net)

wa n o

O wa n o 
  n small canoe, moved along by pole.
  see o, oa

wa n ra

O wa n ra 
  na untowardly behaviour, unlucky.
  vt wanra: to bring disappointments, ill luck.
  vc kawanra: to disagree

wa n tabakea

O wa n tabakea 
  nv to swim on back, face upwards.
  syn uaua n tararake, wa-tangaina, wa n tararake

wa n tabea

O wa n tabea 
  na a canoe in danger, unbalanced kite, person in danger, at the end of strength

wa ni banga

O wa ni banga 
  n a native dance.
  v to dance ...

wa ni kangare

O wa ni kangare 
  n pleasantry, jocularity, teasing, light banter, humorous ridicule, smutty talk, humbug, jest.
  vt wanikangarea te koraki: to make laugh, amuse the audience.
  syn manikangarea
  vt waningarea: to make fun of, ... to joke about ...

wa ni matang

O wa ni matang 
  n foreign manners, behaviour, systems.
  v to behave like a stranger, to follow the manners, fashions, systems of

wa ni mate

O wa ni mate 
  nva to be dying with ..., smitten with ..., passionately in love with ...
  fig wanimate, bakanimate: importunate person

wa ni ngare

O wa ni ngare 
  n laugh, joke.
  v to be amused

wa ni ngarea

O wa ni ngarea 
  vt to laugh at, to make fun of, to tease

wa ni were

O wa ni were 
  v to fish for were.
  syn werewere

wa ririki

O wa ririki 
  n a well-made canoe of average size

wa tangaina

O wa tangaina 
  n wa n tangaina: lying <lie> down face upwards <supine>.
  v to swim on back

wabobo

B wábobo 
  vi to engage in nourishing or bringing up
O wabobo 
  and wabwebwe, waboboa, wabwebwe to have a good system of culture, upbringing, educating <educate> children.
  note pron. wabwebwe
  vt wabwebwea: to know how to cultivate, ... care for, ... bring up with skill and success, to bring up well

waboboa

B wabóboa 
  vt to bring up, to nourish, to raise

wabuaka

B wábuaka 
  a inhospitable to relatives

wae

B wáe 
  n a leg, a foot
  n a shriveled, undeveloped coconut including the husk
  a blighted, as a coconut
O wae 
  n feet <foot>, leg;
  see ranga
  a waewae: having fat legs, thighs.
  idiom katei wae, katea waena: to refresh oneself, to take refreshments, ... restore energy.
  vt aoniwaea, aniwaea: to place under leg or foot
O wae1 
  n (1) te wae: a freak coconut with no kernel, barren woman, impotent man, dried up fruit, freak, good for nothing.
  n (2) this freak coconut used as skittles by children, as support under canoes.
  nv karewae: to throw a skittle between legs, to play game of ...
O wae2 
  n te Wae: name of a constellation

wae bubura

O wae bubura 
  na (1) fat legs.
  n (2) large rain drops (large as wae, freak coconut)

wae kiekie

O wae kiekie 
  a limp, halting, lame, hobbling.
  v to hobble, to walk with a limp, to walk lamely

wae kirere

O wae kirere 
  n hopping on one leg.
  v to hop

wae kororo

O wae kororo 
  a one leg shorter than the other

wae maranga

O wae maranga 
  n long steps.
  v to take ...

wae mwere

O wae mwere 
  n a slow walker.
  v to go very slowly, to be late.
  vc kawaemwerea: to retard the progress of ...

wae n noko

O wae n noko 
  n spindle shanks, spindle legs.
  see noko

wae n rongo

O wae n rongo 
  n a sitting position with one leg bent backwards

wae n uea

O wae n uea 
  na sitting with legs crossed like tailor.
  see kabara n uea, bari

wae ni baka

O wae ni baka 
  syn bai ni baka, tara ni baka, taera-baka, taera ni baka
  n approaching downfall, loss of position, rank, charge.
  a wae baka: fallen, destitute, outcast

wae ni kaba

O wae ni kaba 
  na long legs

wae ni kinouta

O wae ni kinouta 
  vt to approach furtively, with furtive steps stealthily <stealthy>

wae ni kinouti

O wae ni kinouti 
  nv to walk, or go with light tread

wae ni koroa

O wae ni koroa 
  n stilts.
  v to walk with ...

wae ni kun

O wae ni kun 
  nv to walk like kun, dance step, small quick steps with sudden stops on one leg, walk like crane m

wae ni ma

O wae ni ma 
  n (1) arm of fish trap, low stone wall which gathers fish towards ma (fish trap) in form of V.
  n (2) idem. temporary barrier made of dry palm leaves
O wae ni ma1 
  v to go, to swim in single file (as fish along wall of trap)

wae ni makauro

O wae ni makauro 
  n a mat with design resembling crab's feet

wae ni maku

O wae ni maku 
  v to walk backwards, through fear or respect, to beat a retreat, to withdraw on tip toe

wae ni were

O wae ni were 
  nv to walk with poise, with precaution (as when looking for were shell fish)

wae ributata

O wae ributata 
  see wae rebutata

wae tuairoa

O wae tuairoa 
  na having bandy legs, knock kneed <knee>

waea

B wáea 
  vt to sew, to pierce, to stick
  vt to interrupt
  n a coconut leaflet for extracting from a bottle a small quantity of oil adhering
O waea 
  from wai:
  vt (1) to thread on to ..., to prick, pierce through, run through, put on skewer, stem.
  ex waea te ika: thread fish on to ...
  v (2) to show, or point to with finger, to designate
  ex waea matan te: point towards someone's face.
  ex (3) counterbalance ..., opposition to ...
  ex waea nimam: mix your drink, dilute with water.
  fig waea te taeka: to interfere, to intervene, ... criticize, ... contradict, ... thwart, ... oppose, ... put a spoke in the wheel
  ex waea rarikin te ...: to cavil, to give broad hints by allusions, to allude to ..., indirectly.
  n chicanery.
  n te waewae: criticism, objection, contradiction, opposition.
  v waewae: to interfere, to criticize, to object, to contradict, to thwart
O waea1 
  n (1) a thin stem, or twig used to attain to things out of reach.
  n (2) an outsize mat.
  n (3) a contradictor, opposer, objector, vis-a-vis rival.
  n (4) sorcery using small roasted coconuts
O waea2 
  n wire.
  syn kaukamea (S.)

waeai

B wáeai 
  a new, fresh
  n a new article, a fresh article
O waeai 
  a waeaituatua (sup.) young, fresh, tender (plants), fresh, new, recent (general).
  syn menai (mena-aii)

waeana

B wáeana 
  vt to extract or draw out oil with a waea

waebabaro

O waebabaro 
  na bandy legged

waebaka

O waebaka 
  a fallen away, destitute

waebatiraku

O waebatiraku 
  na calf of leg of abnormal thickness, enlarged

waebeka

O waebeka 
  na knock kneed <knee>.
  syn tiribubua

waebua

B wáebua 
  a having a large calf
  n the thumb
O waebua 
  n big toee
  ex waebua ni bai: thumb.
  syn ukinaba
  a beautiful legs, thick calf of leg

waebuangi

B waebuángi 
  a having well developed legs
  n a person having well proportioned legs
O waebuangi 
  from buaki:
  na perfectly moulded legs, well built ...

waebuatake

O waebuatake 
  sup superlative of waebuangi
  na elegant legs, symmetrical ...

waeirariki

O wae-irariki 
  a thin legged, thinnish, puny (legs)

waekiekie

B waekíekie 
  vi to walk with a springhalt
  n a springhalt gait

waekirere

B wáekirére 
  vi to hop on one foot
  n hopping on one foot

waekoa

O waekoa 
  n wawae: haste, hurry.
  v to go quickly, to walk briskly, to hurry, to hasten.
  vc kawaekoa: to hurry, to hasten
  ex kawaekoako! hurry up!

waematoa

O wae-matoa 
  a waematoa: regular, punctual.
  v to go regularly to

waemwere

B wáemwere 
  vi to walk slowly, to be slow in arriving
  n slowness in arrival, slow walking

waena

O waena 
  from wae
  vt (use for legs)
  ex waena te batika: use a bicycle

waenibaka

B wáenib'áka 
  a in a defeated position, politically ruined
  n one defeated and consequently becoming a serf

waenikaba

B wáenikaáb'a 
  a long-leggged
  n a person with unusually long legs

waenikoroa

B wáenikóroa 
  n stilts
  vi to walk on stilts

waenima

B wáenim'a 
  vi to swim as fish in long lines
  n a low stone wall running toward the shore from a ma by which to run fish into it

waenimakauro

B wáenimakáuro 
  n a mat with figures resembling the tracks of a crab

waenimaku

B wáenimaáku 
  va retreating through fear
  n a cowardly retreat

waeniman

B wáenimæn 
  vi to walk rapidly
  see waetata

waenronga

B wáenrónga 
  vi to sit a la mode Kusaie
  n a sitting on a mat with the feet and lower part of the legs turned back and nearly parallel with the thigh

waenuea

B wáenúea 
  vi to sit on the ground with one leg crossed above the knee of the other
  n a sitting on the ground with one lig crossed above the knee of the other

waerake

B wáerake 
  vi to go east
O waerake 
  v to go ashore, to go eastwards
  vc kawaerakea: to steer, or direct upwards, towards ..., to make ascend

waerakea

B wáerákea 
  vt to approach near to
O waerakea 
  vt to ascend towards.
  ex e waerakeai: it came up towards me

waerebutata

B wáerebutæ/ta 
  vi to be constantly going from place to place
  n a constant restless going from place to place
O waerebutata 
  v to walk, or go with quick steps. .
  or wae riputata:
  fig a street walker.
  vc kawaerebutata: to make ..., to walk briskly

waeremwe

B wáeremwe 
  vi to go or walk slowly
B wáeremwe 
  n slow walking, late arrival
O waeremwe 
  n slowness, tardiness <tardy>.
  v to dawdle, to arrive late.
  a slow.
  vc kawaeremwe, kawaeremwea: to slow down the movement, to retard
  vc he movement, to retard

waerena

O wae-rena 
  n (stretching foot) one who keeps coming back to the same place.
  vt waerena: to come back again to, to frequent assiduously (place, person)

waeribeu

O waeribeu 
  na deformation of toes, adhering ..., etc.

waeribono

B wáeribóno 
  vi to visit repeatedly and frequently, to take short steps
  n a frequent visitation
O waeribono 
  nv to walk with short steps, close steps
  fig (more used), multiplying one's visits, coming back at short intervals, faithful in coming often.
  vc kawaeribonoa: to make ...

waerio

O waerio 
  or wairio:
  v to go downwards ..., towards the lagoon, towards the west.
  vc kawairioa: to make ...
  ant waerake, kawaerakea

waero

O waero 
  n a species of crab with black claws (ro)
O waero1 
  syn kawai n ro, kawinroa:
  v v.t. waeroa. to go by night, to travel about ..., to go to ..., stealthily <stealthy>, secretly (for good or bad end).
  syn kimoa ni bong: marauder, robber, scrounger.
  v to maraud, to rob, to scrounge by night

waeroa

O waeroa 
  a having long thin legs (like fishing rod).
  v to walk with long steps

waetata

B wáetata 
  vi to go or walk rapidly
  n a rapid gait
O waetata 
  n general word for: haste, hurry, promptitude.
  v to hurry, go quickly, do quickly, promptly, smartly.
  vc kawaetata, kaka ...: to make haste, to hurry, to hasten
  ex ti kawaetataira: we are hurrying, we hurried
O waetata1 
  n waewaetata ... rapid pace, accelerated movement.
  sup superlative of waetata:
  v to hurry, go, ... do smartly, ... rapidly.
  vc kawaetatawe, kawaetatawea: to do ..., to make do ...

waetatawe

B wáetatáwe 
  vi to walk rapidly
  n a rapid gait, brisk walking

waetebe

B wáetebe 
  va afflicted with springhalt as a man
  n a springhalt gait
O waetebe 
  nv waetebetebe: to lift one leg and throw it forward when walking.
  syn waeteme

waetebetabe

B waetébetabe 
  va frequentative of waetebe

waeteke

B wáeteke 
  a nimble, active, quick in motion
O waeteke 
  na waeteketeke: rapid in pursuit, ... to catch

waetemeteme

O waetemeteme 
  syn n.v.a. waetebe

waetoka

B wáetoka 
  vi to walk briskly
O waetoka 
  n rapid walk, haste.
  v to hurry, to go quickly, to do rapidly.
  a to be prompt, ... smart.
  syn waetata

waeuai

B waeuaái 
  n a miniature racing canoe with two sticks holding the outrigger
O wae-uai 
  n toy canoe for makei racing <race>;
  ex wae-kaina: idem. another kind

waeura

B wáeura 
  n a shell-crab, the
O wae-ura 
  n a crab with red claws

waewae

B wáewae 
  a having large feet, large footed
B wáewae 
  n an interruption or checking of one who is speaking
O waewae 
  na having stout legs
O waewae1 
  from waea:
  n obstruction, opposition <oppose>, contradiction, objection, criticism.
  v to make ..., to object, to contradict ...
O waewae2 
  freq of waea:
  nv inf. to point out, to designate
  ex e waewae te aomata: person stretching arms to attain something out of reach.
  see tawaewae

waewaea

B waewáea 
  vt frequentative of waea

wai

B wái 
  vi to blow as the wind
  vi to engage in spearing as fish, to engage in seine making
  n the spearing of fish, seine making
B wái 
  a oblong
O wai 
  a oblong, long, elongated, tapering, pointed.
  fig e wai ubuna, e wai: he has a long face, crestfallen, ashamed, disappointed, taken in
O wai1 
  rad of waea or waia:
  pref to harpoon fish, whales, etc.
  ex wai ika, wai baiku, wai bainamu, wai kua, wai rereba
O wai2 
  a coming on well, making way through
  ex e wai te ang: the wind is blowing up.
  vc kawaia te ang: to wait till the breeze blows

wai itua

O wai itua 
  vt to thread on, to string by piercing <pierce> with needle, etc.

wai kakang

O wai kakang 
  na pointed, sharp, tapering

wai karaun

O wai karaun 
  nv waea te karaun: to make mesh net

wai keke

O wai keke 
  na wai keke rake: going to a point, a cape

wai ki

O wai ki 
  to prick the back (of loser to make advance)

wai maranga

O wai maranga 
  v to pierce, or sew too far apart (thatch, etc.).
  vt waimaranga: idem.

wai marena

O wai marena 
  nv v.t. waimarena: to put, prick, place, or pass between, at intervals

wai n ang

O wai n ang 
  idiom (1) e wai te ang: the wind comes up,... blows, gusts of wind.
  idiom (2) a refreshing drink, agreeable ...

waia

O waia 
  vt to pierce, ... prick, ... skewer, ... harpoon, to thread on to ...
  see waea

waiananau

O wai-ananau 
  a long, lengthy, lengthening, stretching, prolonged

waibakarere

O waibakarere 
  nv v.t. waibakarerea: throwing dart, to throw and pierce

waibana

B waibæ/naa 
  vt to pierce with a sharp-pointed stick
B waibæ/na 
  vi to engage in piercing with a shar7 pointed stick
O waibana 
  vt to pierce the body, to pierce through

waibora

O waibora 
  v to pierce, sew (thatch, etc.) in irregular faulty manner

waibua

O waibua 
  na sore throat, having ..., which irritates throat

waiki

B wáiki 
  n the taking of another's place in a game when required

waikia

B waikía 
  vt to succeed another in taking his place in a game when two are needed

waimata

B wáimæta 
  n a disease of the eyes, the
  vi to engage in reproving or chiding
B wáimataa 
  vt to reprove
O wai-mata 
  n sore eyes, ophthalmia.
  v to have ...
O wai-mata1 
  nv v.t. waea matan te ... wai mataia: to point to with finger, to make ashamed, to blame by pointing at the face of culprit

wain

B wáin 
  n wine (ENG)
O wain 
  n wine (ENG)

wainang

B wáinang 
  n very sweet and fresh karewe
  a very sweet and fresh as karewe

wainekeneke

B wainékeneke 
  va having a rash like prickly heat
  n a rash resembling prickly heat
O wainekeneke 
  and unekeneke:
 <