W - w

wae   n. a kind of red shellfish.

waelu   n. a kind of soft yam.

wahambuevu   n. inner ankle bone.

wahawaha   n. big rock pools at both high and low tide.

wahonanai tomba   n. guts of crab. See: tine-.

wailu   n. a kind of 'soft' yam.

wake   vt. pinch someone.

walahe-   n. outer ankle bone.

walalaha   n. a kind of small silver-eyed bird.

walalaura   n. a small white, black spotted shellfish about 2 cm, cone shaped.

walanjeajea   vi. on the run. Mole walanjeajea, He's on the run (as with a prisoner).

walasi   vt. spread out something, such as a cloth.

walatusi   vt. go across somewhere.

walau   vi. run. Tovon mo tarutarusaha tina, aka nate walau. When it (the sea) is really rough, the boats don't run.

walawalahi   n. a kind of 'yam roll'; small amount of grated yam or taro folded up in small piece of island cabbage leaf to make a 10-15cm. roll cooked or roasted on top of fire.

walawalau   vi. keep on running.

walisi   n. 1 • small woven mat worn over buttocks, in Kastom dress.

2 • nappy (diaper) for baby.

waluhuluhu   n. small grey insect, eats taro.

wamba   n. 1 • cave. Na vano ana wambara. They went in their caves.

2 • hole in ground, or hole in wood.

wambai bona-   n. nostril/s.

wambai buero   n. earhole.

wambune   n. Red-bellied fruit dove; a small grey-green bird with purplish-red head, with lower breast and wings/tail turquoise--> bright green. Forest habitat, eats fruit, berries and has a loud resonant cooing. Ptilinopus greyii.

wambungbung   n. a kind of edible shellfish; rough textured shell about 3 cm. long, white-grey colour with some crimson marking underneath. Variant: vuambungbung.

wandi   vt. roll a small amount of grated root vegetable (wewe) in island cabbage (havera) leaf. Ka lai na wewe mo mai ka wandia. We bring some laplap (mixture) and roll it up.

wandiwandi   vi. be rolling up laplap mixture in cabbage.

wanduru   n. a sign of special rank, such as armbands, headbands or hair decoration in Kastom times; now can be used for any sign of rank such as a soldier's insignia.

wanju₁   vi. quiet, gentle. Nia tamalohi wanju. He's a gentle sort of man. Variant: vuanju.

wanju₂   adv. slowly, quietly. O sahasaha wanju! Work quietly! Kule hani wanjuhia. I'm eating it slowly.

wanju₃   vt. wring out grated coconut with hands to get milk. Mole wanju na niu. She's wringing out the coconut. Variant: vuanju. See: virisi.

wari₁   n. spur of rooster. Variant: vuari.

wari₂   vi. 1 • stop in one place, remain in place.

2 • gather together. Na wari ana hambu matani na haorahi. They gathered around the fire because they were cold.

3 • stick together like flies.

wariha   vi. having a spur, spurred. Variant: vuariha.

waririhi₂   adj.pl/vi. little (plural). Tamalohi waririhi nale ovi aie hisara duli. Little people used to live there called 'duli'. Variant: vuaririhi. See: vorivori \\lx wariwari.

vi. grow or be crooked. Liwa mo wariwari. The horn's growing crooked. lx wariwari.

be wrong, make trouble.

wasa   vi. speak or talk a lot. Variant: vuasa. Usage: Old word.

wasohe   n. kind of bird.

wasurusuru   n. sweet potato, usually planted around June, with a 3 month growing period. Many different kinds grow on Malo, such as { wasurusuru hao, wasurusuru joriha, wasurusuru lulu, wasurusuru pumken, wasurusuru tumas }. Ipomea batatas.

wati   adv. unable. Ate vano wati. He's unable to go. Kute lol' watia. I can't do it. Usage: Note that this is the only indication of a double negative in Tamambo, i.e. te + wati Variant: vuati.

watitina   adj.pl/vi. big (plural). Mo re ana jarai plen watitina nale volvoli na hinahinau volira mo jivo. She says that in big planes they sell things and the price of them is low.

wawa   n. inside of mouth. Usage: Old word.

wawadaeha   n. Paddletail snapper, an ocean fish that grows to about 35-45cm. Lutjanus gibbus.

wawai sau   n. anchorage, safe place to tie up boat.

wehi   vi. whistle out to attract someone's attention. Variant: vuehi.

wehisi   vt. whistle someone.

wehisilima   vi. whistle loudly, with two fingers to mouth.

wele!   interj. expression of surprise, as in 'Oh look!/ What a surprise!''.

welu   vi. dance. Variant: vuelu.

welua   n. a dance, dances. Variant: vuela.

wenjulima   vi. snap fingers together. Variant: vuenjulima.

wenu   vi. whistle a tune. Variant: vuenu.

wenuwenu   vt. be whistling a tune. Variant: vuenvuenu.

weru   vi. infertile (used about people). See: tara.

wewe   n. laplap, 'pudding' mixture, grated from root vegetables or banana.

wi    See: ui.

windi   n. tail.

woharoharo   n. white crab.

wombatu   n. ridgepole. See: vuombatu.

wonda   n. fence made of stones. Variant: vuonda.

wosi   n. vagina. Variant: vuosi.

wota    See: vuota.

wotowoto   vi. aim straight and not miss, as in a game. Kale wotowoto. Let's play targets.

wotowotongi   adv. straight in front of something, be facing something. Mo turu wotowotongi na vutavoa atea. He stood right in front of a Java almond tree.

wowaromba   n. a kind of soft yam.

?wambunei ramasa