V
vaa‑
(from PPN ^waa).
[prefix followed by noun] space, land: vaapia, ‘land for planting the arrowroot plant’; vaahuti, ‘land for planting bananas’; vaahale, ‘the space along the side of a house’; vaasao, ‘a free or open space’.
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vae
(from PPN ^wa’e).
[no] the leg of an animal or human, legs of a table or chair, hands of a clock.
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vvae (vavae)
[vt, vs] to divide, to be divided.
ps: vaaea,
rp: vaevae.
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vaea
[n] the places in the lagoon or ocean where the water starts to get deep and the bottom of the ocean can no longer be seen.
sa: mmana.
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vaea o te lani
[pln] the division of the sky. A term mostly found in fairy tales {tala}that refers to places that are far away and inhabited by legendary creatures.
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vaaea
(from vvae ‘to divide’).
[ps] to be separated, especially of lovers or friends.
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vaemuli
[np] a part of the hand held net {kautoko} where the net is attached to the frame.
wh: kautoko.
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vaaena
[pln] a ridge across the bottom of the lagoon that divides the main island of Sikaiana from the western islands {Muli Akau} of the atoll.
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vahi
1.[no] side, part: te vahi atamai, ‘the right side’; vahi vvale, ‘the left side’; te laa vahi, ‘the other side’.
2.[no] a person’s prerogative, his decisions to make. Hano pe tama laa e tini ki aavana ma te tama uli, te naa ia tona vahi, ‘if that person decides to marry a Melanesian, that is his decision to make’.
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vahi huaavaka
[np] a plank of a canoe, formerly used for short distance sea travel.
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vai #1
[na] water, juice, liquid, sap: te niu laa e he hai vai, ‘that coconut tree does not have any sap’; vai taha, ‘fresh water for drinking’; vai kkala, ‘sweetened water’; vai kamaimai, ‘water mixed with coconut molasses’.
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vai #2
[na] a water jug, pottery. (Introduced).
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vai saele
[vi] to walk about aimlessly, without purpose, to go from area to area. (Demeaning).
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vai taha
[na] fresh water.
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vaihale
1.[np] the area in front of a house facing the sea.
2.[np] the land from the front of the clan houses {hale henua} running down to the seashore. Most clan houses are associated with a vaihale.
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vainipu
[n] a pool of water.
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vaisoa
1.[vi] to be friends, to be companions, to be lovers.
2.[no] a friendship, a romance.
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vaitai
[na] saltwater.
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vaka
(from PPN ^waka).
1.[no] a boat, a ship, a steamship, a canoe.
2.[no] a group of people who are living together or cooperating; a team of players in a card game.
3.[no] a spirit medium who is possessed by the spirit of his dead ancestor {aitu mate}. (PCR).
sa: aitu mate.
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vaka alo
[no] a type of outrigger canoe about four to five fathoms long and suitable for carrying three people. Good for bonito {atu} fishing. (No longer built).
ge: vaka hai ama.
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Vaka Avusu
[psn] the name for one of the patrilineal clans {hale akina} which claims descent from one of the founder heroes of the island, Tehui Atahu; therefore, has the right to succeed to the chieftainship.
sa: hale akina, heto aliki, mataaliki.
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vaka hai ama
[no] an outrigger canoe. The traditional mode of sea transport, but no longer made. The parts of a vaka hai ama are: haha, kauolo, heliana, kautuu, kautakoto, ppama, ama, halo, kau uiui, hono, pane mua, pane muli, tukulu, tuki, kiato, kiato motu, tino vaka, hakatuu, pallama, manu, laa. Types of outriggers from smallest to largest are: moisuki, vaka hakatali ika, vaka alo. Of these, the last was about five fathoms long, could carry three or four people and was suitable for long distance voyaging {holau}.
See a diagram of a vaka hai ama.
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vaka hakaani
(from hakaani ‘dedicate’).
[no] an outrigger canoe that has been dedicated to the spirits and can be taken for long distance voyaging {holau}.
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vaka hakatali ika
[no] an outrigger canoe about three fathoms long and suitable for carrying two people.
ge: vaka hai ama.
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vaka kauhau
[n] a toy canoe.
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vaka lele i anna
[no] an airplane.
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vaka uku i lalo
[no] a submarine.
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vaakai
[vt] to encircle.
ps: vakaia.
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vakavaka
[no] the ribs of a person or animal.
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vakili
[vt] to open a wrapped material bit by bit.
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vaku
[no] a mat made from wide strips of pandanus that is used for many purposes, including protection from the rain.
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vaakule
[vt] to delouse.
ps: vakulea.
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vaalana
[n] a saying that is true, a proverb, a vow; tau tona vaalana, ‘to vow’. Idiom: vaalana ki paa, to try in vain, to be impossible.
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vvale (vavale)
(from PPN ^wale).
1.[vs] to be crazy, stupid, insane, peculiar, unusual.
tr: hakavvale <to make someone crazy>,
cp: hakavalea <to be driven insane>.
2.[nq follows noun] left, left side.
opp: atamai.
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valea
[vs] to be slimy, of food that is one day old.
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valevale #1
[vq] to be in an unsure manner: talatala valevale, ‘to be unsure about what one is talking about’; kite valevale, ‘to be unsure that one really saw something’.
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valevale #2
[no] the phlegm in the throat.
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valo #1
[no] a shout, a scream.
do: uvalo.
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valo #2
[nf] a sea animal that hides in sand.
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valovalo
[nf] a tree species.
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valu #1
(from PPN ^walu).
[cardinal number] eight.
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valu #2
[nf] white fin tuna.
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valuvalu
(from PPN ^walu).
[vt] to scrape, to plane a surface.
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vana
[nf] a sea urchin species.
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vvana (vavana)
(from PPN ^fana).
[vt] to spear fish with a rubber sling, to shoot a bow and arrow.
ps: vanasia.
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vvani (vavani)
[n] a curved stick used by women to feel for fish that are hiding under stones. Used in the fishing technique, hakavoika.
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vao
(from PPN ^wao).
[na] brush, low plants and bushes: taa vao, ‘cut brush for fertilizing gardens’; kkoti vao, ‘strip off brush for fertilizing gardens’.
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vaona
[n] a heap, a large amount.
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vasa
[no] a hand woven sleeping mat made from pandanus {kie}: llana te vasa, ‘weave a sleeping mat’. Types of vasa include: vasa hhati, a mat with two sides and a fold in the center; vasa vahi siaoa, a large mat suitable for two people; vasa vahi hokotahi, a mat made for only one person.Types of weaves used include: llana, hatu, pei, sikisiki. See pictures of making a vasa.
sa: soe, kie, pookai, vau, hetuhetu.
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vasa huli manu
[no] a sleeping mat made from different colored materials.
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vaasao
(from sao ‘free’).
1.[no] a free space in time or place; an unoccupied time or empty place.
2.[no] the place of someone, his role, job, responsibilities. Te tisa ni hhao i te vaasao o te mama, ‘the catechist took the place of the priest’.
3.[np] the area between swamp gardens {taluano} where it is possible to stand up.
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vasi
[vt] to cut off the root {uli} of taro {haahaa} in preparation for cooking and replanting.
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vaasina
[na] a recipe; taro pudding mixed with coconut cream.
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vati
(from Eng ‘watch’).
[n] a wristwatch, clock.
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vato
[nf] a shell species, cone shell.
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vau
[np] the decorated edges of sleeping mats {vasa}. Colored cotton is woven into the mats along the edges.
wh: vasa,
syn: vausana.
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vausana
[np] a lashing, as the lashings of an outrigger canoe.
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Vavaa (vvaa)
[no] noise; he vvaa!, ‘shut up!’.
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vave
(from PPN ^wawe).
[vq] quickly, fast. Vave atu, vave mai, te talatala a Tona e tasi, ‘go quickly, come quickly, a Tongan speaks once’ (reported to have been said by Vaeoma to Semalu at Taumako).
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veisoni
[vp] to kiss, especially by rubbing noses.
ps: veisonilia.
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vekuveku
[vt] to stir.
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vela
(from PPN ^wela).
[vs] to be destroyed by fire: te hale ni vela i te ahi, ‘the house burned down from the fire’.
do: velania.
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Vvela (vevela)
[vs] to be hot; te tii e vvela, ‘the tea is hot’; ku vvela, ‘it is hot’.
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velania
(from vela ‘destroyed by fire’).
[ps] to be charred, to be burnt but not destroyed from a nearby fire.
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vvele (vevele)
[vt] to garden, to weed, to sweep an area, to cut grass.
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velena
[na] a garden.
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velevele
[nf] a spider.
do: hale velevele <a spider’s web>.
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velovelo
[nf] a yellow fin tuna when caught on a hand‑held deep sea fishing line.
sa: ppaa, takua.
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veniveni
[nf] a large clam species (?Tridacnacea maxima).
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vesili
[vp] to ask, to inquire, to question.
ps: vesilinia, vesililia <to be asked about>.
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vete
[nf] a fish species, goatfish species.
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vvete (vevete)
(from PPN ^wete).
[vt] to untie a knot.
ps: veetia.
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veve
[na] sedge, grass, moss.
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vii
1.[vs] to be sour, of taste, as a lemon.
2.[nf] orange, the fruit. Rarely grown on Sikaiana, but eaten in other parts of Solomon Islands.
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vii kata
[vi] to deceive, trick, mislead: a koe e vii kata, a nau e vii kata, ‘if you mislead, I will mislead’. (Rare).
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viki
(from Eng ‘wick’).
1.[np] the wick of a candle.
2.[np] batteries.
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vili
[vq] quickly, rapidly.
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vini
[vi] to whistle. On Sikaiana, people are called by distinctive whistles.
rp: vinivini.
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visi
1.[vs] to be tangled up, as a fishing line.
rp: visivisi.
2.[vs] to be crowded, full of people.
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vvisi
1.[vt] to tug lightly on a fishing line, of fish.
2.[vt] to touch, to brush.
ca: hakavvisi <[vi] to intentionally rub against someone as if in a crowded area>.
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viiviitai
[nf] a bird=species.
ge: kivi.
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voea
(from Eng ‘wire’).
[na] steel *wire.
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vvolo #1 (vovolo)
[vt] to spear a person or an animal.
ps: volosia <to be speared>.
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vvolo #2 (vovolo)
[vt] to push out, as pushing a canoe out to sea.
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vulisana
[vi] a traditional ceremony in which the patrilineal clan {hale akina} of a bride prepares food for the clan of her future husband {aavana puluna}. The bride walks to one of the clan’s gardens {tuu} in the bush decorated with food which is collected by her future husband’s patrilineal clan. (PCR).
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vusi
[n] the bush, the inland area of an island. (Archaic).
syn: loto ao.
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vvusu (vuvusu)
[vt] to punch with a closed fist.
cn: ppatu.
ps: vusukia.