K - k

ka   pron. we (1Plural inclusive/ exclusive subject pronoun). Ka soari na heletu. We saw the pig/s.

kailaho   n. kind of traditional long fighting stick (manja).

kakau   v. reach, arrive somewhere. Mo kakau ana bwatuliu. He reached the hill. Ravavine na tele kakau aimo. The women haven't yet reached home.

kala   n. green lizard, 20-30 cm. long, supposed to be bad luck. Kala le hao ana lovuhai aulu moiso atano. Green lizards live up hign in trees and also on the ground. If a kala is sighted in the house, as on the roof rafters, children are frightened, and adults uneasy.

kalai tarusa   n. sea lizard.

kalakala   n. an oath sworn on someone's name (by women on their brother's name, by men on their sister's name), a serious formal promise. A large fine is imposed is such an important oath is broken. See: kalakalahi₃.

kalakalahi₁   vt. praise, honour, appreciate someone, 'lift' someone up with praise. Tamalohi na kalakalahia matana nona silesilea. The people praised him for his gifts.

kalakalahi₂   vt. curse someone. Usage: Old word See: sorasasati.

kalakalahi₃   vt. solemnly promise to do or not to do something by swearing on someone's name. Mo kalakalahia matan ate jivo Vila. He swore that he would not go to Vila. Usage: Regarded as a 'strong' word.

kalakalaia   n. praise, honour, appreciation, rejoicing. Ombo viti na nomam kalakalaia teleia, You will tell him of our appreciation. See: kalakalahi₁.

kalati   vt. lift something with tavukala (tongs) especially when taking out stones from earth oven.

kamam   pron. we, us, but not you (1 Plural exclusive independent pronoun and object pronoun). Kamam ka vano. We are going (but not you). Na soari kamam. They saw us. Kamam mai Nancy kambo mai. Nancy and I will come.

kamim   pron. you (2 Plural independent pronoun and object pronoun). Kamim no sahe aulu! You all go up (to the gardens)! Ku soari kamim I saw you (all).

kamue   vt. break or destroy something. Hambu hani mo kamue na batui vanua. The volcano destroyed the village. Mote boi ambo kamue nona sorae. He didn't want to break his word. Variant: kamwe.

kamuekamue₁   n. froth, foam.

kamuekamue₂   v. cut apart or joint sections of meat, as when cutting up a cow for food.

Kanal   prop.n. Luganville.

karai   n. flying fox (general term). See: vondai; manu.

karai   n. flying fox (general term). See: vondai; manu.

karakara   n. White-bellied Swiftlet; a kind of tiny black and white bird about 9 cm. with wide wings; swoops and glides, feeding on insects in flight. Collocalia esculenta uropygialis..

kari₁   n. garden for strong yams (productive garden in use). See: alolona.

kari₂   vt. 1 • comb something. See: ikari.

2 • scratch at s.t. Voi mo mandi karia. Mum just scratched at it.

karu   vi. wade in water. Mo karu mo jivo mo turu ana tarusa. He waded down there into the sea.

karu-   n. leg, the front part of the calf of the leg and/or the front of the foot.

kastom   n. traditional custom, used to refer to traditional ways of doing things, including behaviour, stories, music, dance, clothes, etc. From: Bislama.

kau   vi. get stuck. Mo kau ana tahatahasi. It got stuck in the stones.

kavi   vt. dig up or loosen the ground with stick or hands; at yam planting time with a stick to loosen the soil around holes where yams are to be planted. Na kavi na tano. They're loosening up the ground.

kavikavi   vi. be loosening the ground, scratching at ground like a dog. Vuria niala mo kavkavi. That dog is digging up the ground. Variant: kavkav.

kawawa   vi. open one's mouth, be open-mouthed like a clam.

kekei   vt. mock someone in a cruel way.

kele   vt. pay back someone.

kelekelea   n. 1 • payback, for good or bad.

2 • vengeance. Kelekelea ambo mai teleia. Vengeance will come to him.

kere   n. point, pointy end of something. kereindam pointy end of a yam. See: kereindam.

kereimata-   n. outside corner of eye.

kereindam   n. a kind of edible shellfish; pyramid shaped, about 4cm. high, round base is white and translucent.

kete   vi. squawk. Tovon nale sevu, na kete. While they were hanging, they squawked.

kilau   vi. look behind. Ole kilau! Look behind you!

kinakina   vi. be untamed, wild, as in undomesticated.

kiri   n. rain. Moiso kiri mo mai. Then rain came.

vi. be raining. Mo kiri/mo usa. It's raining.

kiri tawohawoha   vi. rain heavily, big drops of rain, be pouring rain. Mole kiri tawohawoha. It was pouring rain.

kirisi   vt. rain on something.

kirombosi   vt. turn over something, such as a bucket.

klasi suvusuvua   n. snorkelling.

koa   vi. bark like a dog. See: vururu.

kolo   vt. carry something heavy or awkward, often needs two people. Tamalohi na kolo na boe mo sahe. The men carried up the pig.

kolokolo₁   vi. be carrying something heavy, such as a pig, tied to one stick,with a man at either end of the stick, and with the stick over shoulders.

kolokolo₂   vi. be flowing, as with water, blood. Reu mo kolokolo ana tarusa. The water is flowing in the sea.

kolokolo₃   n.prop. Orion's belt, a star constellation.

koma   vi. roll in mud, like a pig.

komi   v. hold something in one's mouth.

komo₁   vt. destroy s.t., as with a cyclone. Mo komo na vanua. It destroyed the house.

komo₂   vt. split open coconut with knife. O lai na simba a mai ku komo na niu. Bring me the knife to cut open the coconut.

komo₃   vt. throw away recklessly, chuck out. Ote komo na nom manea. Don't throw away your money.

komokomoa   n. destruction, punishment. Noku komokomoa mo tawera tina. My punishment is very severe.

kore   vt. lie to someone. Tamalohi mo koreau. The man lied to me. See: tau kore.

korekore   vi. tell lies.

koretahi   vt. deceive someone, trick them in a bad way.

korokorota   vi. cluck, make the sound as of a hen calling chicks.

korovu   v. cherish or look after someone.

koru₂   n. things which were owned by a person, now dead. Nian nia koruni tawaina. This is the property of his (dead) brother. Usage: Same in East dialect

koru₁   vi. dry, dying, as with a tree, plants. Ku taia mo eno mo koru. I slash it off there and it dries out. Usage: Same in East dialect

korukoru   vi. dying back or drying out, where some branches are dry, some not.

kou   vt. keep something and take care of it.

kova   1 • vt. kick something, as with a ball or stone.

2 • vi. play soccer.

kue₁   n. dolphin. Usage: Same in East dialect

kue₂   n. a kind of game.

kukua   n. cooking.

kula   vt. dodge something.

kumala   n. sweet potato (waesurusuru). From: Bislama.

kunikuni   vi. laugh inwardly to oneself, hold in laughter. Variant: kunkun.

kurai   n. kind of container made from a length of bamboo, often with centre divisions removed. kurai reu container for water. Such containers were used to carry water in olden times.

kurohi   vi. harden, or become solid, as with salt when the saltwater dries, or grease sticks in the saucepan. Tovon mo mahariri asena, iwati ana ramesmesu mo kurohi, asaku Canberra. When it's very cold, the dew on the grass goes solid, at my place in Canberra.

-ku   pron. my (1SG possessive pronoun). Nira tamaku mai tinaku. They are my father and mother.