U Dictionary

U

 

uu #1

[nf]  a crab species, coconut crab.

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uu #2

(from PPN ^huhu).

1.[no]  the nipple or breast, of female.

2.[vt]  to suck a breast.

ca: hakauu <to breast feed>,

ps: uumia.

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uua #1

[no] neck.

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uua #2

(from PPN ^’uha).

[n]  rain.  Te uua ku too, ‘the rain is falling’; te uua e tani tele, ‘to be a short rainfall from a single cloud’; te uua e llotu, ‘to rain hard’; te uua e too kisikisi, ‘to rain lightly, a sprinkle’.

do: uuatia <[vs]  to be met by a very hard rain; to be rained upon before arriving at one’s destination>.

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uua loto

[n]  the edge of the reef on the laggon side.

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uua tai

[n]  the shore, near the sea.

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ualani

[no] nicotine juice.

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uuea

[vi]  to move, of waves in the ocean.  (Archaic).

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uhe

[vt]  to masturbate, of males.

ps: uhea.

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uhi #1

(from PPN ‘uhi).

[nf]  a plant species, yam; eaten occasionally.

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uhi #2

1.[vt]  to cover an object.

2.[vt]  to cover the swamp gardens {taluano} with leaves in mulching.

For both senses:

ps: uhia.

3.[np]  the lid or cover of something.

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uhu

1.[vi]  to depart, to leave.  Te vaka e uhu i te poo nei, ‘the boat is departing tonight’.

2.[vt]  to pull out, to separate out. Te tama laa ni uhu na hili o te hale, ‘that person took out the walling planks of the house’; te tokita ni uhu tona niho, ‘the doctor pulled out his tooth’.

st: mauhu,

ps: uhukia <to be pulled out, also to be excommunicated from Holy Communion in the Christian Church>.

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uui #1

[vs]  green or blue, the colors.

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uui #2

1.[vt]  to change something dangerous into something harmless through ritual.  I teika lle, te aliki ni uui te ika laa, ki hakalaoi, ki he hakkinokino, ‘during the teika lle, the chief changed the fish, to make it good, so it would not be harmful’.  (PCR).

2.[vt]  to replace something that is hanging; to change a shoulder garment {puipui} or the bottles that hang from trees collecting coconut sap.

ps: uuia.

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uiki

(from Eng ‘week’).

1.[n]  week.

sa: aho #1.

2.[no]  a reservation of a piece of land for collecting coconuts for one week by a single person to make copra; tona uiki, his time for collecting coconuts.

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uiki hakamalooloo

(from hakamalooloo ‘rest’).

[n]  a week’s holiday instituted by the missionaries.  During this time songs were composed that had similarities with those composed during the puina.  No longer practiced.

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uila

(from PPN ^’uhila).

[n] lightning: llapa te uila, ‘the lightning flashes’.

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uka

1.[no]  the veins and arteries of animate beings.

2.[na]  string, cord, fishing line that is held in the hand.

cn: aho#2.

3.[np]  the strings of a guitar or ukalele.

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uka a Mautikitiki

[nf]  sea plant that is long and slender.

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ukalele

[na]  an ukalele; introduced in 1930s to Sikaiana.

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ukaamalo

[np]  the heddle string used in setting up the loom mat {mea tau}.  The string serves to separate the warp threads for weaving.

wh: mea tau.

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ukeuke

[n]  rough waves or rough sea.

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ukohi

[vt]  to surround.

ps: ukohia.

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uku

[vi]  to swim under water.

cn: sepu.

do: vaka uku i lalo <submarine>.

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ukui

[vt]  to rub with force, as in washing clothes.

ps: ukuia,

rp: ukuukui.

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ula #1

1.[vs]  to burn with a flame.

cn: kka.

tr: hakaula.

2.[vs]  red.

syn: ulahaa, mmea.

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ula #2

(from PPN ^’ura).

[nf]  a crayfish.

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Ulahaa (ulafaa)

[vs]  red.

syn: ula, mmea.

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ulaki

[vt]  to move objects from one place to another.

ps: ulakina.

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uli #1

(from PPN ^’uli).

[vs]  black, the color.

do: tama uli <dark skinned people, Melanesians>, uli pallai.

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uli #2

[np]  a shoot or root of taro {kapulaka, haahaa}.

\n

sa: vasi.

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uli pallai (uli palalai)

[vs]  to be very black.

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ulu

[vi]  to enter, to go into.

tr: hakaulu,

ps: uluhia, ulufia <to be entered>.

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ulu henua

[n]  the top of an island as seen from a very far distance.

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ulua

[nf]  a large species of trevally.

ge: malau seli.

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ulukau

[na]  a recipe; taro {haahaa} pudding mixed with taro leaves.

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ulumate

(from ulu ‘enter’ + mate ‘dead’).

[vp]  to attempt something in the face of adversity or danger, especially in courtship or theft.

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uluna

1.[no]  a traditional wooden headrest, an European style *pillow.

2.[n]  a payment made to the midwife {ssiki} after a child’s birth.  (PCR).

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ulunaa honu

[nf]  a starfish species.

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uma

[np]  the breast of a bird or chicken where there is a lot of meat, preferred for eating.

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umatani

(from matani ‘wind’).

[vs]  to be a very strong wind.

ps: umatanilia <to be met by a very strong wind>.

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ume

[nf]  a fish species, leatherjacket.

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umiti

see kiliu miti.

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umiumi

1.[vt]  to suck, as in sucking candy.

2.[vi]  to kiss with the mouth.

cn: veisoni.

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umo

[vt]  to pinch.

ps: umotia.

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umu

1.[na]  an earth oven.

2.[n]  a mound of earth, especially for planting root crops.

do: haiumu.

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una #1

[nf]  a crab species, hermit crab.

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una #2

[np]  the shell of turtle.

sa: paa#1.

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Unu

[psn]  a star constellation.

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unu

(from PPN ^unu).

[vt]  to drink; to absorb a liquid.

ca: hakaunu <to make a child drink, to make someone drunk>,

cp: hakaunumia <to be made to drink, to be made drunk by a gift of alcoholic beverages>,

ps: unumia <to be taken for drink>.

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upeau

(from peau ‘wave’).

[vi]  to be very rough, of the seas.

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upu

(from PPN ^ipu).

[na]  a coconut shell cup.

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upullo

[no]  the brain organ.

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uso

(from PPN ^uso).

1.[no]  the navel, the umbilical cord.

2.[no]  an extended blood relationship; te uso o te kanohale, ‘the blood relationships of the family’.  (Figurative).

sa: manava.

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usu #1

[vt]  to persuade, to provoke, to convince; a koe ni usu toku soa ki he tahuli mai ki a nau, ‘you persuaded my lover not to come back to me (MS)’.

ps: usuia, usulia <to be persuaded by someone>,

do: hakausu ttaua <to cause people to fight>.

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usu #2

1.[np]  a point or tip of land that projects out into the sea.

syn: utua, matakkai.

2.[np]  the point or tip of any object.

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usu #3

[vt]  to knock down fruit from trees with a stick.

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usukau

[np]  a part of the hand‑held fishing net {kautoko} that holds together the frame.

wh: kautoko.

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uta

(from PPN ^uta).

1.[n, direction]  when at sea, the direction towards dry land; towards the *reef or towards an island.

syn: akau,

opp: tua#2, lalo, tai.

2.[n, direction]  when ashore, the direction inland, away from the sea.

opp: tai.

3.[n, direction]  when in a town, the direction away from the town.

opp: tai.

4.[vt]  to carry in a ship. Te vaka e uta tona kako, ‘the ship

is carrying its cargo’.

ca: hakauta <to load onto a ship>.

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uta lua

[vs]  to have caught two large fish when going deep sea fishing; uta tolu, to have caught three fish by same method.

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ute

[np]  the tail of a crab {uu} and snail {alli}.

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uto

[np]  the float used for holding up a fishing net {tauto}.

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utu #1

[vt]  to fill up, especially an enclosed container that uses fuel, such as a cigarette lighter or a pressure lamp.

ps: utuhia.

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utu #2

[nf]  a fish species.

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utua

[np]  the point, promontory or tip of a land mass as it goes out to the ocean.

syn: usu#2, matakkai,

cn: tahaotua.

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uvalo

[vi]  to scream, to shout; to bark, of dogs.

do: valo.

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