Topics

Plants and trees

Trees, shrubs, grasses, seaweeds and other plants.

314 Kiribati words

• aitoa aitoa ma... to be, as it were, the partner of...
• akai four, in counting trees, fishhooks, and sections of land.
• akanta acantha [thorny shrub] (ENG).
• aketia acacia [shrub] (ENG).
• amomum amomum [aromatic plant] (ENG).
• amoro a plant. <also a goober? gwg>.
• aneane gather coconut from a tree.
• aneka do well.
• ang wind, air.
• ango tree.
• anni 1. shade of coconut trees.
• arekam algum, almug [Biblical tree] (HEB).
• aribuni short as a coconut spathe.
• arinoko slim or narrow as a coconut spathe or eyebrow.
• aroaroka have or possess coconut trees growing on another person's land.
• aroe aloes [lilaceous plant] (ENG).
• aroka smell.
• arokai young pan tree without branches.
• arokana hold in possession or own a tree on another's land (a frequent…
• aroma tree, also its bark, used for making fish-lines, or thread in foreign…
• aronga a plant.
• autima Na Autima: victim of Na Areau.
• awaruru very straight as a tree.
• awawa frequentative of awa boil.
• ba niko beautiful leaf of tree.
• ba raerae coconut tree with leaf just beginning to foliate.
• babai to approach cautiously for the purpose of stealing.
• babaku the flower of the uri.
• bairiati a tree, the.
• baitongo fruit, endocarp of foreign tree.
• baki ni kuia trunks of trees stranded on beach.
• baku the top or leafy part of babai or taro cut close to the root for…
• baku ni kuia a floating stump of a tree having roots visible, like top of taro cut…
• bam balm (ENG).
• bamaiu verdant, green, fresh, thriving.
• baraki upset, capsized, turned over, covered over as an earth-oven with mats.
• barariku a running vine, the.
• batongotongo black and threatening as an approaching squall.
• bau a vow (ENG).
• bebe to stagger.
• bero a bell (ENG).
• biku a fig (ENG).
• bingibing a tree.
• boi unsuccessful in fishing.
• boiautima very fragrant as the uri.
• bokaboka mud.
• boto a base, a stump, a bulbous root.
• buako disarranged as fiber for braiding.
• buakonikai the ocean side of an island.
• buariari fragrant as very fresh coconut sap.
• buka a tree, the.
• bukamaru bukamamaru. a very thick grass skirt.
• bukare to sprout in great numbers.
• bumarewerewe special smell of individual plants, leaves, etc.
• bungiba a coconut tree whose fronds tend to droop down toward the ground.
• buren a plane tree (ENG).
• buroung te ue buroung: the topmost bud of uri flower.
• bwebwe a butterfly.
• bwerei a fence.
• ei satisfaction or pleasure when one is praised, like oi.
• einako slant as a tree, fall as a slanting tree.
• ene very young coconut tree.
• enene abounding in very young coconut trees.
• enga coral on the flats, that emits much odor.
• enna henna [shrub,dye] (ENG).
• eremao to cut down mao trees (a useless shrub, salt bush), to clear land of…
• iaro (Pseuderanthenum carruthersii).
• ibi a tree -- like itai but harder and heavier.
• inato a species of bush used for hedges.
• inoto tree.
• irakai how many? in counting trees, fish-hooks, and sections of land.
• iraro a plant, character plant.
• itai tree.
• itikai seven in counting trees, fish-hooks and sections of land.
• kaamwia to let a coconut tree mature all its fruit.
• kaang a variety of seaweed.
• kabaratu to make climbing impractical.
• kabe name of a plant like babai.
• kabekau a harlot.
• kabenga to make wide.
• kabi keel of canoe, boat, ship, the bottom of a container (N.), back row…
• kabobuaka to cut or plant in a crooked line.
• kabumarou buds of uri flowers (stuck in the hair).
• kabwebwe a slice or portion of babai for planting to obtain suckers.
• kai aweawe a long, slender stick or tree.
• kai mate a plant withering away.
• kai n amarake fruit trees.
• kai n tikuaba (myth. tree) symbol of union in Samoa before the disaccord and…
• kai ni maeao tree trunks brought in by west wind.
• kaiai a coconut tree in the third stage.
• kaiao leaves of vegetation as of the kiaou, the uri, and kaura gathered for…
• kaibake tobacco plant, incision, graft.
• kaibaun a red flower.
• kaiboia a shrub.
• kaimaiu a tree, the.
• kaimatu a weed.
• kaina a pandanus tree, the screw-pine.
• kairirieta a tall tree.
• kakai to spend a season on an islet in fishing.
• kakaue to engage in makeing necklaces of flowers and tying them on another.
• kakeo the cacao tree (ENG).
• kamainaina to whiten, to make white.
• kamanga suffocating, or blinding as smoke.
• kamatoroa to put a person, or plant, or thing, in good conditions for repose,…
• kamweara without fruit.
• kana okoro kept apart, isolated, unique, alone, solitary.
• kanawa a tree, the.
• kani coconut wood.
• kaniba thrifty, beautiful to the eye as a thrifty plant.
• kannara in a fruitless dying condition, as a coconut tree, sick at the…
• karewena 1. to sweeten.
• karibaba to ride the surf.
• karuoruo fresh sap of the coconut tree, fresh karewe.
• katabara to part the legs.
• kateiriki to engage in tracing one's pedigree.
• kateke very nice, well executed first rate.
• katioriri to walk so as to swing the fringe of a riri in walking, so as to…
• katura to slide along.
• katuru to engage in softening fish to be eaten raw.
• kauaea to let a coconut tree alone until full of nuts, to cultivate in order…
• kaue a necklace of flowers.
• kaura a small shrub whose leaves are used as kaiao.
• kautu chief of high rank.
• keang a species of seaweed, alga (pasture of turtles).
• keang ni makin a species of fern.
• keanginimakin a vine, the.
• keratio the carob tree (GR).
• kiaiai a tree.
• kiaou a creeping vine.
• kiata the flower of the uri.
• kiboa abounding in trees.
• kibokibo planted close together, thick as a grove.
• kiebu a lily.
• kiebutinang species of deep sea weed.
• kienene leaf of coconut tree, all in one piece, not split.
• kikinikaue frequentative of kinikaue to pick flowers.
• kimarawa a long branching coral, red, dark, or white.
• kinara a pan log.
• kinauere dying, as leaves.
• kinikaue to pick flowers.
• kinikiue to gather flowers.
• kirenren oil perfumed with ren flowers.
• kiriawa a banyan.
• kirimangamanga having many branches.
• kitoko a small shrub.
• koba to climb by huggung the trunk of the tree.
• kobaea to climb a tree or pole by hugging it.
• koi not fully grown.
• koromaneka to cut steps in a coconut tree.
• kuia wood drifted to the islands.
• maeai soft through decay.
• maeiei sway as in the wind, or in an earthquake.
• maen capable of being bowed or bent.
• mai used imperatively, come here.
• maiango pine wood.
• maimai abounding in breadfruit of jackfruit trees.
• mairekereke jackfruitt tree.
• maiureirei especially of plants. very flourishing, thriving, growing well.
• makemake abounding in make.
• manebuka thick, or having many leaves as a riri.
• manganikai branch of a tree.
• mangko cup.
• mao large bush.
• mara soft as an animal shedding its skin.
• marewe young coconut leaf partly opened, fresh growth of leaves.
• mari season of plenty, fruitful season.
• maru superimposed, piled up, thick, bushy.
• maruka salt-wort (HEB).
• matababai coconut tree with a close hard grain.
• miro a tree, mero (Ellice)?
• moantaba a young girl in the flower of youth.
• moiran a fruitless tree, unproductive.
• motinwae species of breadfruit tree (Altilis Fosb).
• motiti everlasting flower, bachelor's Buttons.
• moto bird.
• mtea small plant or weed.
• namoa to surround with..., to plant trees around.
• nang well filled with babai plants, as a patch.
• neiroba poisonous plant.
• nekeneke the fish.
• ni a coconut tree.
• nibaeai a young coconut tree bearing fruit.
• nikabubuti a tree (wood hard and heavy).
• nikaburaerae a nut of tree brought by current (like chestnut).
• nikamatutu a plant which closes when touched.
• nimakai five, in counting trees, fish hooks, sections of land.
• nimaneuri the fruit of the uri.
• nimaningining an oil scented with a certain pan leaf.
• nimareburebu the seed of the bingibing.
• nimatoi a species of caterpillar.
• nimatore tree of myth, legend, by means of which Nei Kiku went up to the moon…
• ninganingan a babai plant in its very early growth.
• nini lasting as a fragrance.
• ninikabongira coconut tree producing nuts resembling bunia.
• niningaun a coconut tree with big number of fruit.
• noau a pit with no babai in it, a marua.
• non name of a tree.
• ntakauraura the blossom of the kanawa.
• ntanini a running vine without leaves.
• ngaongao wire.
• ngea a tree, the.
• ngeaiarabo a tree, the.
• ngeangea very strong and firm.
• oioi large circumference as a coconut tree, or the bulb root of the babai.
• oitangere slim as the lower part of the trunk of a tree in contrast with a…
• oitoro unusually large round.
• oke oak tree (ENG).
• ongaonga myth per. giant swallower of tree trunks.
• onokai six in counting trees, fish-hooks, and sections of land.
• orian a plant, oleander.
• oriatita oleaster [ornamental shrub] (ENG).
• oriwa olive (ENG).
• ota light (opp of darkness).
• rabu to engage in tying coconut leaves around fruit-trees tabooed.
• raebaea to strip a coconut tree of more or less of its leaves.
• raibane a smaller mat used in completing.
• raranako leaning as a tree away from a house, fallen as a tree.
• rauti a plant Palm Lily.
• reia a grove, a cluster of trees or plants.
• reiango a tree, the.
• rekereke entangled, caught here and there as a fish-line.
• ren name of a tree, the.
• rianikai to pass under trees, through woodland.
• riba ni kai tree wedged, trees rubbing together.
• ribaba collected close together.
• ribaeai young coconut tree (bigger than uto).
• riki ni beti a pandanus tree grown from beti not from cutting.
• riku a vine, the.
• rinanobarabara low as a tree or house.
• riri a skirt, a skirt fringe of split coconut leaves, the usual dress of…
• ritanin a species of grass, the.
• robu a foreign rope of manila or hemp (ENG).
• roro the spathe of a coconut tree when open, the open spathe which once…
• ruakai nine, used in counting trees, plants, sections of land, fish-hooks.
• ruku a vine resembling the morning-glory.
• ruru to tremble.
• ruruo a canoe made of hollowed-out tree trunk <dugout>.
• taba the blossom of the pan.
• taberaitiai magic necklace garland with uri flowers at seven different spaces.
• taberamaiu having a vigorous top, as a tree or plant.
• tabetabe to engage in carrying, to repeatedly carry.
• tabonibaimaiu skilled in procuring food.
• taebatai to disrobe, to undress.
• taeboto uprooted.
• taebuka a certain kind of taeriri.
• taekounga pulled up holus-bolus (plant, tree, etc.).
• taemauna uprooted tree.
• taeraea to strip a coconut tree of all the young coconuts suitable for food.
• taeriri to engage in fastening the fringes of a riri.
• taeroro to pull dried spathes off tree.
• taeun torn up by the roots including the un.
• taewaka a plant pulled up by roots <pull up>.
• takiakia gleaming refulgence, brightness of white flowers.
• taninga the ear.
• taninga ni ba mushroom-like fungus growing on tree trunks.
• tantan a skin disease,.
• tara kai tarakaia: inspection.
• tarai a fish, the.
• tarine a fish, the.
• tau a fish, the.
• teboka to water as a plant, to wash, to bathe, to baptize.
• tekaina one, in counting trees, fishhooks, and sections of land.
• tenikai three, in counting trees, fishhooks, and sections of land.
• tinan ika nodosity, lump on tree after a gash, stunted plant, to grow stunted.
• tinauere sickly, etiolated, stunted, puny (persons, plants).
• tireta the holm tree (HEB).
• tiriobo to crash as a falling tree.
• tirioboa to fall upon as a tree upon a house.
• tiriobora to damage a plant or babai patch by falling upon it, as the branch of…
• tirirama to hew or chip or adze in makeing an outrigger.
• titania tares, zizania (GR).
• toara not making an even number,.
• tokotoko a bud.
• tokotutu too thickly planted.
• tua to graze, to glance, to ride over a wave as an outrigger.
• tuntun to stop short, straight on.
• uakai two in counting trees, plants, fish-hooks, and sections of land.
• uakeang fish.
• uania fertilize a plant with powdered uan.
• uano|u flower of the mao.
• uanou flower of mao.
• ububu soft and tender as a young sprout.
• ue n ari flowers of coconut spathe.
• ue n uri flowers of uri.
• ue ni mao flowers of mao.
• ueburoung pandanus flower odour, fragrance of..., odoriferous, smelling like...
• uekera myth. tree planted at Buariki (Tarawa) by Nei Tekanuea from Nabanaba.…
• uekeueke shrub.
• uena to decorate with flowers, to put flowers on...
• ukin tree.
• ukina plant (Terminalia samoensis).
• unaririkia strip a coconut tree of its leaves.
• unika plant.
• ure open, as a flower, or the mouth or the eyes.
• uri tree.
• urirereba uri tree variety.
• uritabuki tree.
• urukau core of a coconut tree at its upper end.
• uteute grass.
• uteute ni aine spe grass.
• uteute ni mane spe grass.
• uti louse.
• uto sprouted coconut very recently planted, a very young coconut tree.
• utoba hyssop [Biblical plant] (HEB).
• waeai new, fresh.
• wakanei a small fragment of feces.
• wakanni a root of the coconut tree.
• wanikai eight, in counting trees, fishhooks, and sections of land.
• wanimarawa to free a foundered canoe of water.
• wao a creeping vine.
• waona n anti a plant.
• waonianti Boerhavia tetrandra.
• wara without trees, treeless.
• wokewoke a plant (red leaves and red flowers).