Spirits, myth and belief

Spirits, gods, magic, omens and the old stories.

225 Kiribati words

abaoti abode of spirits.
abea fish bait.
abinoa Nei Abinoa: a female spirit.
aibong Nei Aibong: a female spirit or ogress of the northern horizon,…
ang wind, air.
angitaban cowardly.
anti god, spirit, ghost.
antibuaka evil spirit or god.
antinti abounding in spirits, haunted.
areau name of mythological spirit of Creation; Na Areau te Ikawai: the…
arematoa 1. magic garland hung on kiaromatua after use.
atona 1. to cover or thatch a house with ato.
atua god.
babainataeia frequentative of b'ainataeia: to practice incantations over a child.
babainrangirangia frequentative of b'ainrangirangia: to perform incantations upon.
babue a species of taro.
baibain a heathen marriage ceremony attended with incantations.
bainataei an incantation over a child.
bainataeia to practice incantations over a child.
bainimanea to quarrel with or assail a woman with reference to a man.
bainrangirang to practice incantations.
bainrangirangia to perform incantations upon.
baioa gods, Nemesis, personification of chastisement, accident, obstacle.
baka n atua babakantua: to pretend to be God or acting as such, to make oneself…
bakabubu to smoke slightly.
bakanatua to aspire to deity, to pretend to be a god.
bakaoraora a spirit, Nemesis.
baneki a large cetacea (wicked). myth. cetaceous man ogre, living at north…
bangota a burial plot, a sacred enclosure, an ancient inheritance.
bebeti the name of a god.
beiamatekai name of a male god.
bekarekareka a certain kind of sorcery formerly practiced by children, supposed to…
binaing a fish, the.
bineang to try to predict the wind.
bino to chant and gesticulate while sitting.
boka decayed as ripe coconut.
bonota to cover, to shut, to close.
boua to build a new canoe.
boutowa name of a spirit (anti), vagabond.
bunanti family or crowd of spirits (anti).
bungea 1. name of spirit (anti).
bungira second share.
bunna a young coconut leaf when used in sorcery.
erebaba to cut a path through jungle.
ewea perform an incantation on one who has broken his taboo, or who wishes…
ibenao thick hard crust, evil spell, one who can't get a lover, can't find a…
ibonga priest, native doctor, sorcerer.
ikanibinebine fish said to be caught through incantation.
iranang plaited leaves coloured by fumigation.
iterabuaka sorcery for vengeance, enmity.
ititibino certain incantation for putting a person to sleep in order to steal…
kabakai ira a kind of magic ceremony at which the hair was cut.
kabikoukou to engage in incantation in order to cause to conceive.
kabimaramara the largest fish in a catch or haul.
kabingao a form of incantation over a child.
kabingaoa to perform a certain incantation over.
kabuai an incantation for making the beard to grow.
kabungiro sorcery for dance (cover with shadows the opposing side).
kaburorontoun a Gilbertese god.
kaeke a certain plank in a canoe.
kai n tikuaba (myth. tree) symbol of union in Samoa before the disaccord and…
kai ni kaba an evil spell to thwart unlucky love.
kaina a pandanus tree, the screw-pine.
kainikaba a certain incantation.
kainonoki a variety of whale.
kakaiaine to cohabit.
kakoko the young straight coconut leaf, not yet opened.
kama the Southern cross.
kamabua to put a taboo on.
kamweuti causing wakefulness.
kanangaraoi a certain incantation.
kanangora food set aside for a man or woman who is in love.
kaninima a certain incantation in which a certain drink is taken.
kannanun kannanunia, kannanuniaia: to give a magic food to make fight, to give…
kantoa myth. per. kind of giant, son of Nao and Neiko, husband of Nei…
kaoraora to wait for lower tide.
karaiang a kind of sorcery to avert or calm an enemy's anger.
karake to engage in a certain incantation for detecting a criminal.
karaoi a young coconut, the onibua well oiled for purposes of incantation.
karara to caw as a bird, to engage in chanting, before the performance of an…
karei an incantation against large Cetacea.
kareinakoa in magic: to skip one or two days between the ceremonies which were…
kareke an earring.
karerea to call upon a god to inflict vengeance.
kario to compose a song.
kariri famous through prosperity.
karirinang a kind of spear which was pointed towards large cetacea to keep them…
karuoia to prepare for the ruoia by incantation, to start ruoia.
karuotari an incantation for fishing nets before putting them in the sea for…
karuotaria to release one by incantation from a taboo umposed.
katangibino a certain incantation, a summons.
katarai a form of incantation.
katei koingira to do sorcery to help bear pain, to relieve, to cure.
kateikoingira an incantation.
kateiriaria to engage in performing a kateiriaria.
katibabu a word repeated by one when a job has been betun, equivalent to 'it's…
kauanti to speak of ghosts.
kauki a crab.
kaun to take fish in a seine carried on a canoe.
kauti to engage in awakening.
kawai a path, a way, a road, a street.
ketoa a bivalvular shell, the.
kieura reddish leaves <leaf> (used in sorcery).
kiki science, intelligence, knowledge from anti.
kiki ibonga skilful sorcerer.
kimoa to steal.
kioura sorcery (to arouse love).
koba to climb by huggung the trunk of the tree.
koingira an incantation.
koratabuki knotted string, charm collar.
koroangutungutu phaeton <bird> with yellow beak and two long tail feathers of same…
koroatu to engage in hair cutting.
kua weary.
kumete thin in flesh after a spell of sickness.
maiawa a star.
mamang a spirit (anti) ghost, spectre, vision, hallucination.
mamata revealing one's self as a spirit to a man.
man from (it becomes mani before m, b, k).
maniwaira to disparage, to vilify.
mannaba a bird (myth.).
maraia suffering supposed supernatural evil after disrespect to a god.
maro sink, founder, go down as food.
matarara disastrous, used in connection with kaiwa.
mauere a spy spirit.
naibunaki name of a false god.
naikamawa name of a false god.
nakiniwae the name of a female goddess.
nama lagoon.
namanama performa certain incantation.
namtete still relishing, craveing more.
nanoraoi at peace, quiet in mind.
nanorinano humble, low or poor in spirit.
nanoutu family spirit, clannish, nepotism, infatuated with one's family,…
natirea name of a false god.
neineaba Nei Neaba: land of spirits.
neinei a shallow pool, pond.
nibunini small or young buni (fish).
nibuninia to perform a certain incantation on one.
nikawewe a sacred or haunted place, not to be approached with safety.
nimatore tree of myth, legend, by means of which Nei Kiku went up to the moon…
nimnainai the fish.
ningoningo a ringing in the ears.
ninibete to engage in serving a person to an incantation for giving skill in…
nouere a certain sorcery.
noumamaninga a sorcery to make forget.
noumaninga Nei...: goddess of forgetfulness.
nuna to perform an incantation on the head.
nunu to cover, to shade (incantation).
ngira to groan audibly or in spirit.
ngirangira to groan audibly or in spirit.
oi the very thing itself, the very person himself, one's self.
ongaonga myth per. giant swallower of tree trunks.
otabu something tabooed and not to be taken.
rabutekawanikai a coconut leaf charm, or fetish, of a certain style.
raiti rice (ENG).
raku a fish, the.
rakunene the God of impurity. seducer of Nei Karua, native of Maiana-Abaiang.
rauno half-withered palm leaves attached to ends of fishing net to lengthen…
riki again, in addition, following an adjective it gives the force of the…
rikiriki an adverbial intensive suffix.
rimoa n rara myth. pers. who saw or shed the first blood.
riribuki the half of a ripe coconut opposite the eyes.
rubeirubei te nang (1) frightening position of whale having whole forefront raised to…
ruoia heathen chanting accompanied with gestures, slaps, and stamps.
tabakea shell turtle, the egg of a roach.
tabeatu an incantation for the dead.
tabekanatu a posthumous incantation, a fetish.
taberaitiai magic necklace garland with uri flowers at seven different spaces.
tabo a place, end, point, extremity.
taboingana v.t. to make incantation on end of canoe, to protect it by...
tabowa a spear without teeth shorter than the maran.
tabu taboo, forbidden, sacred.
tabua to set aside as taboo, to sanctify.
tabuariki the Jupiter of the Gilbertese.
tabuna to forbid, to make taboo.
tabunea an incantation, sorcery.
taburimai myth. person. name of ancestor.
tabutabu the existence of many taboos.
tabutarawa observing taboos.
tabuterang forbidden, sacred, untouchable, under pain of madness (or other curse…
taeani ie sign, omen (distant lightning, dark sky, etc.), that it is time to…
taeibenao v.t. taeibenaoa; contra magic, take away ill-luck.
taerawata to impart courage to a man once wounded by incantation.
taia ni bwe (1) te taia ni bwe: the string, or cord with which rudder-oar is tied…
taimonio a demon (GR).
takabea garrulous, loquacious, talkative, long-winded.
takabiri a restless spirit (anti).
takanoi the mind, the spirit.
tamnei a spirit, the soul, a picture, a likeness, a portrait, the shadow of…
tanatana a form of incantation whereby to secure favor in the eyes of a woman.
tangaroa the mind.
taobura to engage in following up or after.
taromauri worship.
tarota to perform incantations on a weapon.
taua ni mwi (1) keeping accounts, register, account book, diary, memoirs,…
tauan/roro to engage in performing an incantation to prevent early senility.
tauantabo an offering to a god.
te mangai Nei Te mangai: a woman spirit (anti).
tebonakoumanaomata ceremony (magic, religious) when a new- born babe is brought from…
temamang (1) myth. person, son of Bakewa, brother of Tabakea.
terakunene the god of fragrant odors.
teweia the name of a male deity <god>.
tikutikutumouma myth. person who guided Na Areau in the darkness of Bo-ma-te-maki:…
timuniman a spirit, god of inspiration of poets, composers, musicians.
tinanimone Nei Tina ni mone: Goddess of the depths.
titune a small crab, sea louse.
tobi to serve as a midwife with incantations.
tobina to practice an incantation on a woman in travail.
uekera myth. tree planted at Buariki (Tarawa) by Nei Tekanuea from Nabanaba.…
uka blow.
ukire little finger, little toe.
uma n anti house of the gods. name of first maneaba,.
umaiakina to accomplish hastily with ardour, spirit, briskly until finished.
urianibati incantation for increasing strength.
uribike to sprinkle the sand.
uta part, small portion, some, little.
waea to sew, to pierce, to stick.
waira feces, excrement.
wanre to practice a certain incantation in order to impart skill in…
wanrea to perform a certain incantation upon.
wareka to count, to read.
wari a person, or ship, or house of great size.
wauna to pray to death.
wawi to pray to death (haw = anana).
wenei (1) fleeting objects, souls, spirits of dead.