N
na
[definite article, plural] the.
sg: te.
\*
naa #1
(from PPN ^na).
[demonstrative pronoun] that, there, in sight, but on other side of listener. In conversation, a statement recently spoken as part of the present conversation.
sa: laa#4, nei.
do: ikinaa <there, in sight, but away from speaker>.
\*
naa#2
[nf] a fish species, ‘buma’.
\*
nnaa (nana)
[no] loud noise; he nnaa!, ‘do not make noise!’.
ca: hakannaa <to make noise, to be loud>.
\*
naenae
(from PPN ^nae).
1.[vs] to be tired, weary from work.
2.[vs] to be lazy.
opp: malooloo.
ca: hakanaenae <to make weary, to be a pest>.
\*
Naha
[n] a song type that recounts the events during the Tongan invasion under Vaeoma about 8‑12 generations ago.
ge: mako.
\*
nahenahe
[vs] a feeling of emptiness in the stomach.
ca: hakanahenahe <to suck in the stomach>.
\*
nahoa
[no] a seat carved from local materials, for one person.
cn: nohoana.
\*
naihi
(from Eng ‘knife’).
[na] a knife, a machete or bush knife.
\*
nainai
[nf] a variety of taro {haahaa} with a greenish root.
ge: haahaa#1.
\*
naiuhi
[nf] a small crayfish species.
\*
nnaki
1.[vt] to lift up.
ps: naakina.
2.[vt] to exaggerate; nnaki tona maki, ‘to exaggerate his/her sickness’.
do: nakinaki nniu <to exaggerate>.
\*
namo
[n] the area inside the reef; the lagoon {moana} and surrounding shallow area.
\*
namu
(from PPN ^namu).
[nf] generic term for mosquito. Two varieties are distinguished: namu, a dark species; namu paala, a large white species.
do: maki namu <malaria>.
\*
nanei
[address] the term of address used between people who are in a respect relationship; usually used for in‑laws {hunaonaa, maa}.
\*
naniu
[vs] large, big.
ca: hakananiu,
pl: nniu.
\*
nanu helo (nanu felo)
1.[nf] yellow lip mother of pearl shell.
ge: tiha.
2.[na] a type of dart.
sa: tikatika.
\*
nanu maka
1.[nf] a white lip mother of pearl shell.
ge: tiha.
2.[na] a type of dart.
sa: tikatika.
\*
nanu takku
[nf] black lip mother of pearl shell.
ge: tiha.
\*
nanue
[nf] a fish species, tarwhine.
\*
naoaa
[n] a heap of rubbish.
\*
naopo
[vs] to be collected together, of any item.
tr: hakananaopo.
\*
napa #1
1.[vs] to be embarrassed, to be ashamed.
ca: hakanapa,
ps: napaatia <to be ashamed (emphatic)>,
pl: nnapa.
2.[no] shame, embarrassment.
\*
napa #2
(from Eng ‘number’).
[np] the number of the day; \s te aho nei, te napa tolu, ‘today, is the third’.
\*
nape
[v] to engage in the action of sexual intercourse.
ps: napea,
rp: napenape.
\*
nasu
[nf] a plant species (salt bush?). Can be used as a medicine for scabies, also for decoration.
\*
nasue
[vs] to shake, to vibrate, pulsate, spasm.
ps: nasuelia <to be shaken>,
rp: nasuesue,
ps: nasuelia.
\*
naatahi
(from tahi ‘one’).
[vs] to be the same.
ca: hakanaatahi.
\*
natala
[nf] fish species, coral trout. Varieties include: n. kuaulani,
n. kkena, n. kohu, n. poo.
\*
nataataa
[vi] to make an effort, to engage oneself in some activity; he nataataa, ‘not to care about something, not to do what one has been told to do’.
\*
natu
[nf] a fruit that is eaten on Sikaiana. Varieties include: natu ppuku, roundish variety; natu tono, elongated variety; natu kita, a small variety.
\*
nau
[1st person singular pronoun] I, me.
\*
nnau (nanau)
[vs] to be tough to eat, of food.
\*
nnauka
[np] the stick for the heddle string {ukaamalo} of the loom.
wh: mea tau,
syn: palonu likiliki.
\*
navali
[vs] to be bent, or curved, usually from warping.
rp: navalivali.
\*
nnee
(from PPN ^nene ‘orgasm’).
[no] a gasp, moan, or sob, either of sorrow or pleasure: tuu tona nnee, ‘she moaned’.
do: tikinne, mannenene.
\*
nnehu (nenehu)
[vs] to be misty, unclear, blurred.
\*
nei
(from PPN ^nei).
[demonstrative pronoun, follows noun or verb phrase] this, here, near speaker. Tama nei, ‘this person’; te talatala nei, ‘this speech’; ikinei, ‘here’; i te tulana nei, ‘at this time’; i te mokoaa nei, ‘now’.
sa: laa#4, naa#1.
do: ikinei.
\*
nneke (neneke)
(from PPN ^neke).
1.[vi] to move from one place to another, of people.
2.[vt] to move some item from one place to another.
For both senses:
st: maneke,
ps: neketia.
\*
nevaneva
[vi] to sway from side to side.
ot: neva.
\*
neve
1.[na] a string used for tying a basket around the back.
2.[vt] to tie a basket around the back.
\*
ni #1
[indefinite article] some.
sg: he#1.
\*
ni #2
[Tense Aspect; past perfect]. was, did. I mua maatou ni nnoho i Honiara, ‘before, we lived in Honiara’.
\*
niapu
1.[nf] a shell species (vase shell?).
2.[no] an adze used for cutting out the inside of a canoe, traditionally made from the above shell.
3.[vt] to clear land that is possessed in perpetuity by the descendants of the clearer. (Exact rules of possession are disputed).
syn: kai taa.
\*
nnie (ninie)
1.[nf] a plant species, its wood is very strong.
2.[n] a person who always tries to have his opinion prevail. (Figurative).
\*
niho
(from PPN ^nifo).
[no] tooth.
\*
niho tui
[nf] a species of caterpillar.
\*
niilo (niiloa)
[exclamation] an exclamation meaning that the speaker does not know the answer or reason for something.
sa: iloa.
\*
nimo
1.[vi] to move slowly, to delay.
ps: nimosia <to be delayed by someone>.
2.[vi] to slowly circle an area.
rp: nimonimo <to *walk around without purpose>.
\*
nnini
[vt] to pour, to capsize.
sa: llini,
ps: niinia.
st: manini.
\*
nniti (niniti)
1.[vs] to be closely packed together, to be tight.
2.[vs] to be crowded; te ata ola ni nniti i te tama, ‘the movie was crowded with people’.
ps: niitia.
\*
niu
(from PPN ^niu).
1.[nf] a coconut tree.
2.[nf] a green coconut. The stages of growth for a coconut are: kaaile, mukamuka, mata, mata maalo, mata hili. Upon maturity when it falls to the ground it is termed kamatuu. Types of coconuts include: lii, a sweet coconut; kita, a small coconut; niu mmea, a reddish variety; niu uui, a green variety; niu kehu, a white variety.
sa: kamatuu, matapona, popoiniu, hakaeniu, mosana, kaleve, paakele, tulana, kauloloa, ttao#1, lito, taume, hua#2, kaka#2, motu#2, poupou, kaulama, haa#3, tupallaha, poupou.
\*
Niua
[pln] a clan house {hale henua} associated with the Saakava clan.
\*
nnoo (nonoo)
[vt] to tie a knot.
cn: onoono, tia.
rp: noonoo,
ps: nootia.
\*
noa #1
(from PPN ^noa).
1.[vs] to be weak or tired from work; tona huaitino ku noa i te hekau, ‘his body is weak from the work’.
cn: nnoa#1.
2.[vq] ordinary, purposeless, aimless: hahaele noa, ‘to walk around without any destination in mind’; talatala noa, ‘to speak without really knowing the truth about what is being said’; lono noa, ‘to hear a story but not know its truthfulness.’
3.[nq] ordinary, common: te hale noa, ‘an ordinary house’; te tama noa, ‘an ordinary man’.
\*
noa #2
[na] string made from pandanus {paku, hala}.
\*
noa #3
[nf] a fish species.
\*
nnoa #1 (nonoa)
[vs] to be weak from drinking, disease or inactivity; tona huaitino ku nnoa i te unu tahi, ‘his body is weak from constant drinking’.
cn: noa #1.
\*
nnoa #2
[nf] a bird species.
ge: kivi.
\*
noho
(from PPN ^nofo).
1.[vi] to inhabit, to stay at, to dwell, to remain; koe e noho i hea?, ‘where are you staying?’. Idiom: noho pouli, lit., ‘to live in darkness; to be a pagan, live in the traditional religious life’; noho hakalaoi, ‘to inhabit an area without quarreling with neighbors’.
ps: noholia <to be inhabited, of an area>,
pl: nnoho.
2.[vi] to be alive; oo maatua koi nnoho?, ‘are your parents still alive?’.
3.[vi] to sit, to be seated.
tr: hakanoho <to help someone be seated>,
pl: nnoho,
do: noho paamu <to sit without talking>.
\*
nohonna (noholana)
[na] a chair, a place for sitting for several people.
cn: nahoa.
\*
nohu
(from PPN ^nofu).
1.[nf] a fish species, stonefish.
2.[n] a worthless man who does not work. (Demeaning, figurative).
\*
nono
[nf] a bird species.
\*
Nono Kai
[nv] a ceremony similar to the mautolotolo, in which the adoptive parents of a child are asked to give gifts to prove their love for the child they adopted.
sa: mautolotolo.
\*
nnoto (nonoto)
1.[vs] to be deep, of space. Te kiona laa e nnoto haeko, ‘that is a very deep place’.
2.[vs] to have a complex meaning. Te hakateletele o te mako nei e nnoto, ‘the meaning of the song is very deep’.
\*
nuku
[np] a small island within the reef. (Rare).
syn: motu#1.
\*
nnumi (nunumi)
(from PPN ^numi).
[vt] to wrap, to parcel.
ps: nuumina.
\*
nunu#1 (nnu)
(from PPN ^nguu).
[vi] to make a low grunting sound.
\*
nunu#2
[vt] to grate a substance to extract juice or sap.
\*
nunu#3
[vt] to gnaw, to bite.
ps: nuutia.
\*
nutumea
[nf] a fish species.
\*