P: Kuanua words starting with the letter P

P

Sharing some Kuanua words beginning with the letter P and examples of usage.

Usage Explanation

1. ä is pronounced as the letters er in the pronoun her.
2. n. indicates noun.
3. v. indicates verb
4. var. indicates variation of term in the same dialect or from another dialect.
5. pres cont. indicates Present continuous tense
6. pl indicates plural

pa    n. taro. It is a general term for various species of taro. pl aumana pa; kura pa. Kura pa usually refers to taro bundled together in groups of four to six.

pä v.    1.a. Purchase: Purchase  done with a large amount of tabu ( one fathom or more); 1.b. tip  is used to describe purchase using smaller amount of tabu (less than a fathom). 2. Undo; To undo tabu shells from cane strip. 3. Won’t. Pa una ian? Won’t you eat? Pa una wana? Won’t you go?

pabä n. A species of wood mostly found in secondary growth.

pabeke. 1. Firefly. 2. Flicker; flicker of light far in the distance. pres cont. pabapabeke

pädur  1.n.Roof frame. It is made of wood and bamboo strips before kunai grass or sago palm leaves are woven into it. 2. vb. make a roof frame

pagu Inability in climbing trees, especially palm trees.

päkä Colour. eg., Päkä pua. White coloured.

pakä Body; animal or human body

pakä A species of wood bearing marble size fruits on its branches and main trunk. Fruit bats and flying foxes feed on the fruits during season.

päkit   1.Elapse; eg Itar pakit ra paka na bung. Time has elapsed. 2. Gone by. Pres cont, Papakit

pal    House. Pal is a general term for all types of houses, eg, sleeping houese: pal na wawa; kitchen house; cooking house; garden house pal na uma; men's house; pal na tarai.

pälä 1. Unfold. Unfold a mat. Pala ra kurit. 2. Explain; define. Explain the meaning. Pala ra kukuraina. 3. Skin; cover

päle Spread: to spread. E.g. Spread a mat. Pale ra kurit.

pälai 1.Lizard; commonly used for iguana. 2. Mourning period. It usually starts the day a person dies. The end of it usually starts a series of feasts over a death.This is called kutu palai. A literal translation of kutu palai would be cutting of the lizard. Others call it umawoko. Umawoko is translated as wiping off the dew.

pälao 1. Pebble; a smooth rounded stone. 2. Swelling marks on the body caused by scratching or beating.

pängangä    Agape; open-mouthed

pär   1. Slap; hit; hit with open palm. var. pakat. 2. Beat; beat a drum or kundu.

par End; finish

parä Chicken dropping; usually the watery type.

pärägum Several species of taro some of which grow wild while others are cultivated for consumption.

päräparä      The act of cooking in a pit oven.

päräpäräng Hot, nettlerash ...of the form parang. scald

päräpäräu   1.Hiding place. 2. Present continuous of parau.

päräu   Hide

pärau   1. Ship, coastal vessel or any larger sea transport. 2. a white person; Caucasian.

päre 1. To cook in a pit oven 2. Feel, grope.

paringut      Crunchy

päringutäne   Crunch something, e.g., food. between the teeth.

pärpär Clothing

pärpar depleting

pärpäri A type of traditional female dance.

parupir        A type of hummingbird.

pät   seed; grain

päta no, var. pate; pateku

pätäna                 none

pätäne         Accidently. e.g. I mut patane ra limana. He accidentally cut his hand.

patonoi                Involved; party to.

pätuanä                   Senior; elder; head of the village or church.

peal Many; multitude

pek   Elapse; gone past the time. Time has elapsed. Itar pek ra pakana bung.

pem axe

peng Search; to look for something

perapere                  A male dance that requires wearing a head mask

per   1.Disable. 2. Taking too long to walk, especially babies. 3. Pick up; pick up something 

with the aid of leaves used as glove.

peper  n. Leaves used as glove.

piä    1. Land. 2. Earth. 3. Soil.

piäluk v  Lift up; as in lifting up clothing above the knees. pres cont. piapialuk.

piäm v Disobey; disregard. n. warpiam. pres cont. warwarpiam

piär v. Brush off; remove dirt using the hands. pres cont. piapiar.

pidik 1. Shoot; as in throw a a stone at. 2. bitter. adv warpidik

pidikulä A herbal tree.

pidil Knock; as in knuckle the head.

pidoro Funnel; a water funnel usually made of leaves. Funnel is used for collecting water .

pikao   Mud. pikapikao Muddy

pil     1.Jump.pres. cont. Pipil, 2. Mound; mound of earth prepared for planting.

pilä   Elude; escape from.

piläk v Choose; select; pick pres cont. pilapilak. n.pipilak

piläluk          Turn inside out.

pinädur                vb. The act of making a roof frame;

pinot   Arrival.

pin    1. Roll. 2. Challenge; dare

pinipin         Rolled; rolled parcel.

pinpin Rolled tobacco

pinipit 1. Composition. 2. Harvesting.

pinipir 1. Weaving.2. Art of weaving.

pipiläk Choice; selection

pipin   1. Roll. var. pin. 2. Smash; dent

pir    1. Weave. 2. vb. Story.

pirpir   n. Story. var, akakur

pit    1. Edible reed type plant. Pit is now used as pitpit in pidgin . 2. Advise. Warpit is advice.

pitipit  A wild species of pit.

po 1. nest. eg A bird's nest. A po na beo. 2. Fornicate

pobo   a species of fern with long slender and glossy black stem. It grows to over a meter high.

pobo tuluwe  place upside down; place a container upside down.

pok   1. Crisp; crisp roasted. 2. Favorite eg Your favorite. Amu pok

pokpok      Dry; especially dry food without soup. Also used to describe half-cooked food

ponä nga A rumour. Po na nga may be literally translated as nest of the footpath.

pong Search; especially searching inside a basket

pongo Erectile.

por lame;

poraporo 1. Untidy state;

pore 1. Close off; close of a track. 2. Shut; shut the door

poro 1. Shut. 2. a throng of twigs

potope         Attach; stick on.

pua   1. burst; pop. 2. Pua is also used an exclamation.
.

puär To crack; crack open a coconut. eg. Puar ra lama. var. pelegi

pue   deny. eg. Tolimut denied that statement ToLimut i pue wue nam ra tinata.

puk   1.Rinse. eg. Rinse off the mud. Puk wue ra pikao. 2.Dose off fire with water. e.g Puk doko ra iap mara tawa.

pukä 1.Purple; the colour purple. 2. An edible species of yam that bears round tubers on the vines at the surface. var. tapuka.

pukai   Soar; fly

puku   Suspicious. eg, He is already suspicious. Itar puku.

pul vb roll; to roll something on the ground.

pulu vb.  Cover; to wrap

pun 1.turtle. Pun is general name for all types of turtles According to coastal Tolai folklore when the nigh birds cry at the shore that indicates turtles coming to shore to lay eggs. 2. extinguish; put out. Example: Pun ra iap. Put of the fire.

punupur      Food cooked in a pit oven

pulpulu                    n. Cover;

puongo        vb. erupt, explode. n. punuongo

pupulu         1. parcel; 2. the act of wrapping.

pur   1. Neck wear. 2. Squeeze coconut milk onto food

puringä               Flare up. Sudden burst of flames

Palnapidik

Palnapidik  (Ceremonial House)

Edited 24/5/2017

Palnapidik consists of three words (pal na pidik) put together as one. Pal means house and na means of. Pidik means secret. Translated to English as a phrase it is House of Secret or Sacred House and in Kuanua it should be written out as a phrase as Pal na pidik. Everyday usage amongst many now is changing that to just one word, Palnapidik.

Purpose
The use of Palnapidik is essentially ceremonial and is used in various traditional ceremonies in Tolai communities as part of decorating the ceremonial location.

Comparison with other houses
Unlike sleeping houses, Palnapidik is usually small in size and ornately decorated with traditional designs. Birds' feathers, tagete leaves, fern leaves, palm fronds and other natural items commonly used for decoration. Tubuan designs are also used, especially small carved and decorated tubuans that are usually placed on the roof of the palnapidik completing the conical shape of the roof.

The Past
The current practice and purpose  may not be the same as that of the past, especially before and during the arrival of Christianity and other foreign influences.  Information now surfacing from archives, including old church records, (NGI Historical Society 4/5/2017) points to a traditional ceremony on its own involving the construction of a huge tall structure as the Palnapidik. The disappearance of the original Palnapidik and associated activities most likely linked to the disappearance of the marovot and iniat practice.

Warbat: IaMagit Una Kubu Ramu Midal

Warbat: IaMagit Una Kubu Ramu Midal (Girl Hang Your Pendant)

A Warbat

Traditional love songs in Kuanua are known as Warbat. Some of them have gone into oblivion while others remain and sung from time to time. Most now are not sung for the purpose of wooing a girl but for entertainment. There is one that was sung in a choir during one of the George Brown celebrations at Vunairima years ago. The choir master was the pastor of Walaur United Church the late Iolam ToParaide. I still remember the warbat. The composer of this warbat is most likely from Wuatam Island. The Warbat is titled "IaMagit Una Kubu Ramu Midal".

"IaMagit Una Kubu Ramu Midal"

IaMagit una kubu ramu midal uaii.

IaMagit una kubu ramu midal uaii.

Ma itar tamatamarakan,

Na ra ika matam,

Tanamo ramu ika midal,

Na wawulwul,

Do ra warmur ra biawi.

Ma namo ra beba ik,

Itar pukai lo,op,

Ma ra tulungen na wiruaii,

A bebe warpilane.

Wuaai iauu ma u IaMagit,

U balabala tinangi,

Na wurnunuk na bala marmari mulai uti,

Ra biawi.

ToWarpit

ToWarpit

To Warpit u wana uwe?
ToWarpit i biti,
Ina Wana ra pui.
A kalangar i tangtangi,
Ta ra ula bubukai.


Upi pau ra market,
Ma ra kalangar i ki.
Ma mulai i bitbiti,
ToWarpit una wa,
Ma pa ina bura ba.
Una tikan upi ta kamuk.
Iau pa inaga bura ba.

Iau Kul Kaugu Loko

Iua Kul Kaugu Loko

                             Photo by Esau Mellie, Facebook Timeline 2013. A rooster
                                     and its master sharing peanuts in Kokopo, East New 
                                    Britain.

Iau Kul Kaugu Loko ( I bought my rooster) is a popular song about a rooster that a person bought and kept as a pet. It would wake up its master crowing early in the morning. Roosters crow in the mornings and this song, in a way, is a tribute to their "duty" as time keepers. The second verse of the song is in admiration for the pet rooster's fighting ability using its spurs (tikuluna). It describes its crest (kere) as befitting the look of a chief ( Ia ra luluai ta).The song is written here following the Kuanua dialects of Kabakada and Rakunai. There is a slight variation between these two dialects and Raluana dialect.The variation: Vidir ra lala (Kabakada and Rakunai); Vidir ra lolo (Raluana). Iau Kul Kaugu Loko has been sung for generations in East New Britain. Before you sing this song note that I am not the composer but sharing for Kuanua speakers who may wish to pass on the song to their children of today to keep in touch with Tolai folklore.

1.

Iau kul kaugu loko.

Kaugu tena mono oo.

Kaugu tena mono oo.

Ra mutumut.

Ra kavunvun.

Ra malamalana.

I wangun pa awet.

Mara kakarikuku.

Vidir ra lala.

Vidir ra lala.

Vidir ra lala.

Vidir ra lala.

Ma irukatuka,

Ma irukatuka,

Ma ikakarikuku.

2.

I toke ra kere.

Ia ra luluai ta aa.

Ia ra luluai ta aa.

Ra mutumut.

Ra kavunvun.

Ra malamalana.

I wangun pa awet.

Mara kakarikuku.

Vidir ra lala.

Vidir ra lala.

Vidir ra lala.

Vidir ra lala.

Ma irukatuka,

Ma irukatuka,

Ma ikakarikuku.

Kulinga

Kulinga Kulinga

                                                   Photo of kulinga (rainbow lorikeet) by Judy Lacey, Facebook Timeline 2014.

Kulinga is the Kuanua word for lorikeet and this is a song about the lorikeet. Kulinga Kulinga (lorikeet lorikeet) tells of the noisy lorikeet and how beautiful its feathers are. It ends with the longing to trap one and keep it forever.

1.  Kulinga Kulinga awa tangitangi mat,

    Tangtangi mat.

    Tara ula bubukai.

    Tuk kaboko ina bulit awat.

    Ma awat ta ki watika.

    Kulinga Kulinga awa tangitangi mat,

   Tangtangi mat.

   Tara ula bubukai.

2. Kulinga Kulinga ia ra iwuna ta,

    Iwuna ta.

    A lia na wartumu.

    Tuk kaboko ina bulit awat.

    Ma awat ta ki watika.

    Kulinga Kulinga ia ra iwuna ta,

    Iwuna ta.

    A lia na wartumu.

 

Kakailai

SONGS IN KUANUA (AUMANA KAKAILAI)

The songs appear here are not my compositions but written from childhood memory and intended for sharing with other Kuanua speakers who may wish to pass on to their children. They form part of children's literature in Tolai society. We sang them in primary and high school during my school days.

Photo:  Ismael Isikel

A Kuvur

A Kuvur is a song about the long sea travels that Tolai men undertook in the past to search for shells used in making traditional money. They traveled as far as Nakanai in the west of the island to trade for the shells because it was plentiful at Nakanai. Many times during their travels night birds would fly past above them. They could tell a bird by its chirping and one of them is the Kuvur, also known as Kuk. It is called Kuk because it chirps high pitched kuuuk sound during flight or when perched on a tree..

A kuvur itangtangi tauni avet.

A kuvur itangtangi tauni avet.

Ubara ra lolalolo.

Avet ta takpa ra palatabu.

Akana Towarubu,

Ra kalevovor.

Kongkong Iki Ra Wiliwil

This is about a Chinese riding a bicycle carrying a parcel of vegetables known in Kuanua as pepenge.

Kongkong iki ra wiliwil.

Ikap ra pupulu na pepenge.

Akave kana gunan?

Nat na beo ipukai.

Lawit, lawit, lawit.

Nat Na Tenge

A tenge is a wren and this one is about a wren that was trapped on a rosewood tree.

Iau gire ra nat na tenge,

Iki tara buringai bulbulit.

ToWilem idek wake,

Ma inongonongone.

Una mai Talaigu,

Dora tun ra dor beo.

Ivirua tara bulit, bulit, bulit.

Tenten Maro Malakuna

The rover from Malakuna is an expert hunter and his dog is the best in catching pigs.

Tenten maro Malakuna,

A tena rowarowoi.

Kana pap a tene tuna,

Kana pap a tene tuna.

Ikorot raumana boroi.

Loko ai ra luluai.

Una pam ra likutan.

Am ta wuana magitana.

Una karat ra limana.

Una pam, (una pam), una pam, (una pam).

Am ta wua-na magitana.