S - s

saha   vt. fix or repair something.

saha vahoro   vt. make a taboo. Mo saha vahoro na vanua. He's put up a taboo on the house (as with ramwele leaf).

sahalausi   v.tr. drop something by accident. Ku sahalausia I dropped it. See: toro.

sahamba   vi. reach out, stretch out. Mo sahamba mo hisi na uranji. He reached out and touched the child.

sahasaha   vi. work at something. Ote sahasaha tina! Don't work too hard!

sahasahae   n. work or job. Mote iso nona sahasahae. He hasn't finished his work.

sahe   vi. go in 'up' direction. Na sahe aulu moiso. They've already gone up to the gardens. Variant: Often abbreviated to sa.

sahesahe   vi. go in 'up' direction in quantity; lots of people/ animals go up.

sahi   vt.

sai   vt. search, hunt, or look for something. Mo saia moiso mo soaria. He searched for it and then he found it. Ulurani na teterahi na vano na sai hatou. In the morning they got up and went crab hunting.

sako   vt. hold something.

sakosako   vi. get rid of, throw away rubbish, such as leaves (not food).

sala₁   n. pathway, small road.

sala₂   n. idea, way of doing something.

sale   vi. 1 • float.

2 • travel by boat, not plane. Ka sale tolu ana bot. We travelled together by boat. See: avu.

salehi   vt. 1 • set something afloat. Buili no sahe moiso mo salehi na aka tawera. The muddy water rose up and set the boat afloat.

2 • 'carry someone away' with bad words, overwhelm someone with abuse.

salera   n. rotten liquid that comes off something rotting.

salesale₁   vi. be light in weight.

salesale₂   vi. a way of fishing where one sits and waits in a boat, watches water to look out for fish, and then dives for them.

salo   v. slice, cut up finely, as of meat, cabbage; also cut with sharp bamboo, razor blade.

salotusi   vt. slice across something.

samburu   n. magic, especially to do with the weather or with Kastom medicine. See: mwania.

samburuhi   vt. use kastom medicine (samburu) on someone.

sambusambuti   vi. weed out, pull out big weeds. Nale sambusambuti ana tano. They are pulling out the big weeds in the garden. See: hulihuli.

sambuti   vt. pluck or pull out something, such as grass, feathers, tooth.

sangarangara   vi. be rough, bristly, like hair. See: ngandingandira.

sangari   vt. close something, shut in something or someone. O sangari na matesia! Close the door! Mo sangaria aie. He shut him in there.

sangavulu   num. ten (10).

sangavuluna   n. tenth one.

saovi   vt. 1 re watch s.t. • watch something.

2 • wait for something or someone.

saovitohia   n. announcement/s.

saovitoho   vt. announce something. Mo saovitoho te hinau. He announced some things/.

sara   vi. shine, be shining. Usage: Same in East dialect

sarani   vt. shine on something. Alo mo sarani na diloi uita. The sun shone on the octopus' bald head.

sarengrengi   vi. be shiny. Variant: sarengreng.

sari   vt. spear something or someone.

sarisari   vi. go spearing.

saritiu   vt. complete one part or section of something, usually a part of one's work.

sarosaroi   vi. grate coconut.

vt. bake, on stones in earth oven, food cut up with coconut milk added.

sarusaruhi   vt. bake root crops or meat on stones in earth oven, usually a large quantity for feasts. See: tavu.

sasati   vi. bad, selfish. Nia tamalohi sasati. He's a selfish man.

sasatina₁   n. disadvantage/s, worst one/s. Sasatinai sahasahae rindi nia sohena. The disadvantages of the job are the same. Ne sasatina mo mai tovoni bongi helhelia. But the worst of it came when it was harvesting time.

sasatina₂   private parts of one's body.

sasavurahi   vi. funny, makes people laugh.

sasavurahia   n. fun.

sati   vi. bad, no good. Ku rongo mo sati. I felt bad. Unduku mo sati. My teeth are bad.

sau₁   vt. 1 • hook (as of fish).

2 • swing up, lift up, as with a child onto one's shoulder lf SynD=hau.

sau₂   vt. 1 • pull up, as with water from pump. Ole sau reu? Are you pumping water?

2 • build up, as with building up the strength of the church. Ka sau na skul. We built up the church.

sausau   vi. go fishing. Na boi na jivo na sausau. They wanted to go down fishing.

sausaua   n. fishing. Sausaua ana balangdura mote duhu. Fishing on the rocks is not good.

sautuhi   vt. lift up something out of the way.

sauvi   vt. wait for something or someone. Na sahe aulu na sauvia. They went up to the bush and waited for him/her.

sava   n. what? Ole loli sava? What are you doing?

savai   interr. when?

savai bong?   what's the time?

savi₁   vt. 1 • mash, as with breadfruit.

2 • pound something, as on a rock.

savi₂   vt. throw something at someone.

savsav   n. breadfruit cooked over fire, and then mashed. Variant: savisavi.

savuhalehi   vi. be dropping off to sleep, with head nodding.

savusavura   vi. be brave, courageous.

savusavurae   n. courage, bravery.

savutahi   vi. be surprised. Na soaria na savutahi tina. They saw it and were really surprised.

sawana   n. kind of a traditional Kastom dance, performed by women for the opening of a new meeting house (rombu).

seha   vi. work very hard, work until exhausted, make a big effort. O seha! Try very hard!

sere₁   vi. blow, as of wind. Langi mole sere. The wind is blowing. See: soro.

sere₂   n. grass skirt, as worn by women on Tanna island.

seresui   vi. arrive. Ana ulurani muende mole seresui mo mahariri. The morning that he arrived was cold.

sesere   vi. look for different kinds of food in garden.

seserehi   vt. give food from garden to someone.

sevu   vi. hang down from something.

sevuliliu   vi. hang upside down.

sevuti   vi. go down to the ocean.

siala   vi. slip.

siasiala   vi. be slippery.

siho   n. White-collared kingfisher, a bird about 23 cm with a white breast, bright blue-green above, and a white 'collar'; eats beetles, grasshoppers, lizards. Halycon chloris.

sike   vt. open out something, such as the leaves of laplap when taken out of earth oven, or pages of a book. Mo sike na bembe moiso. He's already opened the letter. See: vokati.

sikiti   vt. peel skin off, as with banana. See: simbasimba; joli.

sile   vt. give something to someone. Na silea teleiau. They gave it to me.

silembimbirihi   vt. be mean or selfish to others, give out only small amounts when one has plenty, for instance, of money. Mo silembimbirihiau. He's mean towards me.

silesile   vt. give something to many people, give to everyone.

silesilea   n. gift, present, offering.

silimbahi   vt. carry bag over shoulder by the strings, such as a garden basket carried by a man.

silivi   vt. sew something.

simba   n. knife. Nona simba mo hase taia. Her knife accidentally cut her. (lit. Her knife by itself cut her.) Originally the term for a stone knife.

simbasimba   vi. peel skin off root vegetable. See: sikiti; joli.

simbiti   vt. dig out the top of coconut. O simbuti na vusa! Dig out the top of the coconut!

sinaha   n. island food, traditional food.

sinahi   vt. deny something.

sinde   n. catapult, slingshot.

singdare   vt. split something in two.

singoro   n. moustache.

siri   vi. fart.

sise   n. shellfish, edible; small oval-shaped shell, about 2 cm. long, dark and smooth on top, white underneath, with small half-moon opening about 1 cm. across.

sisi   n. rib/s.

sisi aka   n. rib structure of a ship.

siva   vi. do what. Ole siva? What are you doing?

sivahi   vt. do what to s.o. or s.t. O sivahi tasiku? What did you do to my little brother?

sivani   vt. cause to happen, do what with s.o. or s.t. Kumbo sivaniho? What will I do with you?

sivo   limiter. just, only. Atea sivo mota mai. Just one came again. Avisasi na mai. Just a few came. Mo toviasi, mo tete. He just called out to her (but) nothing. Usage: Can be abbreviated to -si, -s.

sivoa   n. mist.

soari   vt. see something or someone.

soasoari   vi. look around at many things.

soasoari vitu   v.phr. menstruate, time of menstruation.

soasoaria   n. viewing ceremony, especially of a new baby.

sobe   Usage: East dialect See: sombe; sombue.

sohahi   vt. push something into something. Ka tau na wewe ana ratalaua moiso ku sohahia ana buhuru. We put the laplap mixture into the talaua leaves and then we pushed it into the bamboo cylinders.

sohasoha   Usage: East dialect See: tiotio.

sohe₂   vi. one generation goes past.

sohe 1   vt. push up something.

sohen   prep. like, similar to, the same as. O lolia sohen vavine rindi le lolia. Do it like that girl did it.

sohena   n. the same. Vanua nian nia sohena. This house is the same.

sohena sava   interr. how?

sohi   vi. 1 • hide. Na re na vano na sohi ana wamba atea. They said they were going to hide in a cave.

2 • be hidden or kept secret. Nia sorae sohi. It's a secret story.

sohisohi   vi. play hide and seek. Variant: sohsohi.

sohoni   vt. put something inside something.

sohosohorahi   vi. go quietly.

sohoti-   n. older brother/ father's father/ mother's sister's son/ father's brother's son. Usage: Female speaker.

soi-   n. penis.

sola₁   n. large clump. solai vetai big branch of bananas.

sola₂   n. sore, as on leg.

solombu   vt. swallow something whole without chewing, in one gulp. Baheo mo solombu na uranji rindi. The shark swallowed that child whole.

sombe₁   vt. 1 • follow. Avuho o sombe tawaim no sahe aulu. Tomorrow you follow your big brother up on top.

2 • go with someone as partner, thus for a woman to marry someone. Mo sombe na tavonavu. She married the Malakula man.

sombe₂   v. roast the food, covered with leaves on an open fire.

sombe suri   vt. follow in someone's footsteps. Kule sombe suri tinaku. I'm following after my mother (as in the family line, tradition, etc.)

sombesombe-   n. offspring, descendants.

sombevono   v. come for nothing.

sombue   n. piece of something. sombuei vuhai branch (lit. piece of tree). Variant: sombwe.

sombusombu   vi. do clothes washing. From: English: soap-soap.

sondo₁   vt. count something.

sondo₂   adv. maybe, perhaps. Sondo kambo jivo Vila. Perhaps we'll go to Vila.

sondo₃   vi. be forbidden. Sondo o hisi na virai vuhai. Forbidden to touch the fruit of the tree. Usage: Old word.

sondosondo   vi. count, be counting.

sondotahi   vt. join up something. Variant: sondosondotahi.

songi   vt. push something hard, as with a stick. See: toni.

sora₁   vi. talk. Mo sora teleiau. He talked to me.

sora₂   vt. send something or someone. Mo sora kamam mue kambo vunihia. He sent us in order to destroy it. Mo sorau. He sent a message to me.

sorae   n. words, language, story, talk (as in a presentation). Tamanatuku ambo sile sorae ana fraere. My husband will give a talk on Friday.

sorae damvuotovuoto   n. greetings, enquiry after someone. Sorae damvuotovuoto teleiho hina hisan Iesu Kristo nonda Moli Greetings to you in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Variant: sorae damwotowoto.

soraetauhia   n. promise/s. nona soraetauhia teleira his promise/s to them.

sorahi₁   vt. 1 • talk about or tell of something. Kumbo sorahi na sumbwe atea. I am going to talk about a chief.

2 • read out something.

sorahi₂   vt. criticise someone.

soramatuahi   vt. speak strongly to someone, command someone.

soranduhu   vi. speak well of someone, bless someone. Mo soranduhu hinira. He spoke well of them.

sorasasati   vt. curse someone.

sorasora   vi. chat, have a talk.

soratauhi   vt. promise something.

sorawanjuwanju   vt. comfort someone.

soro₁   vt. 1 • blow on something (such as blowing the flames of a fire). See: sere.

2 • spit out with force.

soro₂   vt. shoot something.

soru   vi. snort.

soso   n. insect, soft black and round like a beetle, lives in the ground, eats taro and yams; regarded as a pest.

sosovahi   vt. persuade someone to do something.

sova   vi. cough or wheeze as with asthma.

sovasova   vi. have asthma, be asthmatic all the time.

sowa   n. pawpaw fruit. See: vusowa.

suba   Usage: East dialect See: sumba.

sube   Usage: East dialect See: sumbue.

sudu   Usage: East dialect See: sundu.

suhumbutu   n. kind of shellfish, about 4 cm, cone shaped.

suhurinji   v. spread out coals evenly on a fire.

suhusuhu   1 • n. corner/s. Suhusuhuna avati. It's square/oblong. (lit. its corners are 4).

2 • vi. become square or oblong.

suhu-   n. elbow.

suiha   vi. 1 • strong, as with a person, customs, buildings; hard, as in participation in an activity. Tinam ole suiha? Is your mother feeling strong? Tamalohi nale sahasaha mo suiha. The men are working very hard. See: dira.

2 • plentiful, as with food. Tuai, ris mote suiha. In olden times, rice was not plentiful.

suihenja   n. Humphead or Giant wrasse, a kind of ocean fish to 190cm. Cheilinus undulatus.

suikele   vi. waves break against each other, as when the tide goes back and a wave is coming in.

sui-   n. bone/s.

sula   vi. grow. Dam na sula mo duhu. The yams grow/grew well.

suli₁   v. burn off garden, ready for clearing.

suli₂   n. centipede.

sulihanhantoa   n. scorpion, poisonous.

sulisulia   n. clearing and burning time for new gardens. Na lolia sohena matai sulsulia mana lavolavoa. They did it the same way for the clearing and planting times. Variant: sulsulia.

sumba₁   n. replacement. Kuta lai te sumbana. I got a replacement for it.

sumba₂   vt. repay something or someone. Mo sumbae. He repaid him.

sumbue   n. 1 • system of social rank, characterised by ceremonial killing of pigs of a certain number and worth, and eating at a particular eating-hearth level (buru) according to many different ranks; practice obsolete as of approx. early 1980s.

2 • chief of various rank, according to Kastom eating-hearth level; now used to refer to any important, respected man in community e.g. pastor, chief, boss.

sundu   vt. learn something. Vauranji na sundu inglis ana skul. The children learn English at school.

sundusundu   vi. be learning, practise. Mole sundusundu. He is practising.

sura   vt. 1 • carry something on top of head, such as a bundle of leaves.

2 • carry someone, as with a child sitting with legs around shoulders.

surasura   vi. head covered with a leaf or umbrella, as protection against sun or rain; head covered over with wedding mat. Mole surasura. He's under the umbrella/ She's under the wedding mat.

suri   vt. follow.

suru   n. 'sweet yams' or lesser yam; planted at same time of years as soft yams (dam malulum). Dioscorea esculenta.. Twelve different kinds identified on Malo.

suru bahura   n. a large sweet yam with white flesh.

suru horoi rara   n. a sweet yam with white flesh.

suru malandam   n. a purple sweet yam with pink flesh.

suru manjunusi   n. a very big sweet yam with white flesh.

suru sowa   n. a sweet yam with white flesh.

suru tanumue   n. the biggest of the sweet yam varieties, with white flesh.

suru tavonavu   n. a small, red sweet yam.

susanahi   vt. take control of someone. Hae mo susunahia. Kava has taken control of him. Tanume sati mo susunahira. The bad devil has taken control of them.

susu   vi. suckle, feed from breast, nurse a baby.

susu mautu   vi. be weaned. Moiso uranji mo sahe mo susu mautu. Then the child grew and was weaned.

susu-   n. breast.

suvi   Usage: East dialect See: suvu.

suvu   vi. 1 • dive, go under the surface.

2 • set, as with sun.

suvuruhu   vi. go inside, go in under something.

suvusuvu   vi. be diving.

suvutoho   vi. hurry. Nale suvutoho matan na mule. They were hurrying to go home.

-si   limiter. See: sivo.