L - l

lahao   vi. lift leg over, climb over. See: hao.

lahaotu   vt. lift leg over something, climb over something.

lahi   vt. marry someone. Tamalohi mo lahia tauni le vano. The man married her last year.

lahia   n. wedding, marriage.

laholaho   n. Green-winged Ground Dove, a brown dove with turquoise-green wings. The dove has a short tail and legs, and a bright orange-red beak. Chalcophaps indica sandwichenis.

lai   vt. take or get something. Tamaku mo laia mo vano. My father took it away.

lai matavuete   v.phr. sing a special or secret song. Variant: lai matawete.

lai mue   adv. just at that moment. Lai mue mo donosere hinia, mo vuru mo hasori hina tarusa. At the very moment that he choked on it, he coughed out the saltwater. Variant: tovon lai mue.

lai toho   v.phr. understand quickly, catch on, 'get it'. Mo dira matan a lai tohia. It's hard to catch on quickly.

lai vuete   v.phr. sing. Kumboi ku lai vuete. I like singing. Variant: lai wete.

lailai matavuetehi   v.phr. sing a special or secret song to someone. Variant: laiali matawetehi.

lakarai   n. strong-willed or obstinate person. Usage: Old word. See: buatundira.

lako   vt. decorate someone or something.

lakolako   vi. be decorating.

lakolakoa   n. decoration/s.

laku₁   n. wooden pins fixed into outrigger.

laku₂   n. long tail feathers. lakui toa rooster's long tail feathers.

lala   n. trochus shellfish.

lalao   n. hibiscus.

lalate   vt. lean on heavily, add weight to something. O duma lalate na vanua! Put some extra on the roof!

lalihi   adv. 1 • one after the other, in turn. Na sora lalihia. They talked one after the other.

2 • here and there, to and fro. Ka vanovano lalihi. We walked about here and there.

lambiti   n. buttressed roots of a tree.

langalanga   n. scales of fish.

langalau   n. winds from off coast, generally westerly.

langi   n. wind.

langilangi   vi. windy. Barindi mo langlang. It's windy today. Variant: langlang.

langilosu   n. hurricane.

lango   n. fly (insect).

lango bua   n. big blue fly.

lanje   n. coral, one piece.

lanjelanje   n. an area of coral as on the shore. Tamalohi mo mate mo eno an lanjelanje. The man died there on the coral.

lasa   n. bowl or cup.

lasi   vi. tie up something with rope. O lasi na heletu! Tie up the pig!

laso-   n. testicles. See: tolu.

latulatu   n. small black ant, lives in wood.

lau   vt. trick someone.

laulau   vt. trick each other, trick many people. Na laulaura hinia. They tricked each other about it.

lavo   vt. plant something.

lavue-   n. benefit of someone; affect, responsibility or rights. O lolia! lavuem! Do it! it's your responsibility! Mote malulum lavuem. It's not easy for you. Moiso mo silera lavueni Abraham. Then he gave them to Abraham (for his benefit). Variant: lawe-.

le   gramm.part. 1 • imperfective marker, indicating an ongoing state or an action in progress. Nale sorasora. They are chatting.

2 • past sense, with 3SG only. Ku soari na tamalohi muende le rovi na heletu. I saw the man who stole/had stolen the pig.

le toho   adv. inside, as inside a basket.

leho   vi. dirty. Usage: Originally from East dialect, not used a great deal in west. See: vuriha.

leholeho   vi. be dirty, mottled with black, blackish-grey.

leleo   vi. wake up. Uranji vorivori mo leleo. The little child woke up.

leleosi   v. go directly to a place, no sidetracking.

lengalenga   vi. be acting strangely, crazy. Tamalohi niala mo lengalenga. That man is acting crazy. See: malamala.

leo aulu   n. loud voice.

leo matua   n. law/s. Ale iau Prime Minister, kumbo bosimbos' na leo matua. If I was Prime Minister, I would change the laws.

leo tawera   n. deep voice.

leo vorivori   n. high voice.

leoleo   vi. peer, gaze. Nale leoleo mo jivo atano. They were peering down to the ground.

leo-   n. voice.

lesi   adv. try. Mo loli lesia. He tried to do it. Na tau lesihi nambo na mule. They tried to find a way that they would get home. Variant: lesihi.

lesulesu   n. a kind of strong yam.

lete   gramm.part. never. Na lete skul. They never went to church.

levai   adv. almost. Mo levai a vuai. It's almost bursting.

lia   n. game played with two teams by throwing wild canes (litu).

liho   1 • vt. tie up something.

2 • vi. hang oneself.

liholiho   n. Cardinal Honeyeater; small red bird up to 12 cm in length with a curved long beak. Male has black wings, female has brown wings. Usage: Same in East dialect. Myzomela cardinalis.

likolikomahi   vt. swish something around in mouth.

lilibirijihi   n. Usage: East dialect See: avusi buru talaua.

lilitahi   vt. turn something end to end.

lima-   n. hand/s.

limbo   adv. pretend. Votambaluhina mote vano Alotu, ne tamalohi mo limbo vaia. His wife had not gone to Santo, but he pretended it.

lingi   vt. carry or take something by boat. Mo lingi na ravavine rindi arua. He carried away those two women in the boat.

lingilingi   n. driftwood. Variant: lingling.

linjo   n. seed. linjoi baeho seed of breadfruit. See: vira; vero.

lisa   n. nit/s (louse egg).

lito   vi. spit.

litu   n. reed, wild cane.

litu-   n. backbone. Mo ronjo matan lituna mana bangena na hanjia, He's not well because his backbone and knees are hurting him,

liu   v. win, exceed something. Kule boi 'volley' le liu. I used to like volley ball the best. Heletu nian mo tawera mo liu. This pig is bigger. Vui mo duhu ana skul mo liu tahisana. Vui is better than his friend at school.

livelive   vi. bent, bending over as with tree branch.

livua   n. horn, as of bullock. Variant: liwa.

livuha₁   n. middle part of something. Ku soaria ana livuhai sala. I saw it in the middle of the path.

livuha₂   n. kind of short traditional fighting stick (manja).

livuha₃   n. a kind of strong yam.

livusi   vi. move up to the rank of livusi in the sumbue system.

loa₁   n. sea cucumber, beche-de-mer.

loa₂   vi. ripe. Baeho mo loa. The breadfruit is ripe. See: jea.

lokoloko   vi. lazy.

lokolokoa   n. laziness. O teritiua matan nona lokolokoa. Forgive her for her laziness.

loli₁   vt. make or do something. Ambo loli 'Year 11' Vurias. He will do Year 11 at Vurias (High School).

loli₂   vi. quarrel, have a little fight, especially like children. Vaimuera nole loli. The boys are fighting.

lolo   n. inside part of something. Mo taua ana loloi hete. She put it inside the basket.

lolokorukoru   vi. cross, angry. Nia vavine lolokorukoru. She's a cross sort of woman. Usage: Same in East dialect.

lolomatua   vi. be brave.

lolombu   vi. on heat. Heletu/buluk/ busikat mo lolombu The pig/cow/ cat is on heat. Usage: This term lolumbu is not used of dogs. See: daendae.

lolonjivo   vi. patient, be patient.

lolonjivoa   n. patience.

loloso   vi. wash oneself, bathe. Ku loloso moiso. I've already washed/bathed.

lolovunga   vi. be angry.

lolovungae   n. anger.

lolovungahi   vt. be angry at someone.

lolovungavurohi   vi. be bad-tempered.

londo   vt. break something. Karuna atea mo londoa. She's broken one of her legs.

losovi   vt. wash or bathe someone. O losovi na uranji vorivori! Bath the baby!

losu₁   vt. strike or hit something. Tamara mo teterahi mo losu matei na tanume. Their father got up and struck the devil dead.

losu₂   1 • adv. forever. Ambo le turu losu. It will be standing there forever.

2 • vi. everlasting. Nia soraetauhia losu atea. It is an everlasting promise.

lo-   gramm.part. plural prefix for trees. lovuhai; lovuniu trees; coconut trees.

lua   vi. vomit.

luae   n. vomitus, what is vomited.

luasi   vt. vomit on something or someone. Mo luasi ana turana. He vomited on his back.

luhu   vi. hide, seek refuge, as when very afraid.

luhua   n. refuge, hiding place.

luhuluhu   vt. fold up underneath one's body. Mo luhuluhu na karuna. He folded up his legs.

luhuluhunalima-   n. inside of arm at elbow joint.

lulu₁   n. Barn owl, a kind of large white bird, about 31-34cm, eats rats, mice. Tyto alba.

lulu₂   vi. white, be white.

lulungi   n. ocean wave. O tinerani hina lulungi watitina! Watch out for the big waves!

lulungi butu   n. high ocean waves, swelling but not breaking.

lulungi butui tarusa   n. ocean swell.

lulusi   adv. all around, over everything. Na wala lulusi. They ran about all over the place. Hambuhani mo lai lulusia hina banoi. The volcano covered over everything with ash.

lumahi   vt. roll up something such as a mat, fold up something such as clothes.

lumlum   n. 1 • moss, lichen.

2 • a kind of seaweed. Usage: Same in East dialect

lumtaha   vi. be mossy, as of a damp stone.