Topics

Sea, canoes and navigation

Canoes and sailing, reefs, tides and waves.

384 Kiribati words

• ai flint lock musket.
• aiai timbers or ribs of a craft.
• aibike changing of sandbanks by waves or current.
• aibiko excited and moving about.
• aibuaka run unfavorabley as a current.
• aira ocean current.
• airake current flowing eastward.
• airaoi favorable current.
• airio current to the westward.
• airo evening twilight.
• aka before names of special canoes, maneaba, etc. Akamatang, Aka-Tamoa,…
• aneang mast.
• angka anchor.
• anima bailer.
• ao and.
• aoaine under half of a fish, especially that portion toward the tail.
• aoakina propel as a canoe with a pole.
• aoao propelling a canoe with a pole.
• aoatata beach above the high water line.
• aobai weather side, or that side of a canoe which is nearest to the…
• aonteora the flats [ora the flat reef from the beach to the breakers, a shoal].
• aora e aora: nearly low tide.
• aramatoa middle rafter (in canoe or maneaba), always an uneven number.
• ararake go up, ascend, climb up as on a mountain.
• arinaitokomea fish.
• arirake to hoist the sail, stretching it well.
• arora extend as the hand, stretch out.
• ata know.
• atanga upper plank in a canoe.
• atiati having a number of chests.
• atimakoro islet in the reef.
• atimotu abounding in large sunken rocks.
• atinikabo rock or reef in passage at meeting of tides.
• atinro stone used as an anchor, an anchor.
• aua hour (ENG).
• aunako make much leeway.
• aurama gathering for feasting.
• ba because, for, that, as.
• baba foolish, destitute of reason, wanting in umderstanding, weak in…
• bai n tinaniku bars of canoe between taka and biro.
• baimano skilful at making watertight canoes.
• baiuki unskillled in fitting canoe planks.
• bakaoko to engage in lashing a sail to a spar.
• bakaokoa to lash a sail to a spar.
• bake having the lip deformed.
• banaonao very many.
• bangabangauatabo having both ends of a canoe house open.
• baoti reef, submerged rock.
• bareaka a canoe house.
• baretama a platform on the outrigger side of canoe.
• baro the forelock cropped or banged above the etes <hair>.
• barukuruku bellying much as a sail.
• batia to fold up and lay aside as an unfinished mat.
• bato not setting well as a sail whose leech-line has been overstretched.
• baurua collected together.
• bauruarekareka a canoe larger than a baurua, a large proa.
• bauti breakers on the reef.
• benga wide as a canoe, having much beam.
• benu a coconut husk.
• bobou a canoe new throughout.
• bonorawa 1. a channel or passage obstructed by waves.
• borau sailing, navigation.
• borauakina to navigate or sail towards... to take for a trip, to set sail for...
• boti a boat (ENG).
• boturuma to close or shut up, as a house.
• bou the upper part of a canoe-mast.
• boua to build a new canoe.
• buatarawa a house with lofty plates and eaves, a bao.
• buki ni banga extremity of sail which is attached to the end of inainano.
• bukinarora reef jutting out at end of land.
• bukinaweawe ocean near the land.
• bukiniwaiwai extreme edge of reef.
• buni a fish, the.
• bunitoro moving very slowly, as one weak or decrepit.
• bunuwa to depart on a canoe as a party disliked or offended.
• buro the heart.
• buru blue (ENG).
• butinaira to sail fast as a canoe against an opposing current.
• butinrere to go, to run here and there.
• butintarere a canoe high in the water (e bane i eta).
• bwenarina a paddle.
• e he, she, it.
• ea exclamation of surprise.
• ebuaka a bad accent, wrong tone.
• enatinai go toward or onto the shore, as fish when frightened.
• ia where? (interrogative).
• ia ni mama spring tide at full moon.
• iababa very high as the tide.
• iabubuti very high as the tide.
• iabuti high as the tide.
• iakamate neap tide.
• iakebokebo very high as the tide.
• ianimama moonlightt tide.
• ianora very low, as the tide.
• ianoro moonless tide.
• ianro tide at time of new moon.
• iara in neap tide.
• iarake come in as the tide, be on the flood.
• ibabanrotuma fish.
• ie lewd heathen amusement.
• ie n taorabi a sail partly furled to avoid too strong a blast of wind.
• iea sail for or to.
• ieai fresh or new in appearance as a new sail.
• ieakina sail a craft.
• ieie frequentative of ie sail.
• iemoa a new sail (old word);
• ien teaba a huge sail (sail which carries off).
• ienao canoe with a single brace and removable mast.
• ienaoa rig or fit a canoe as an ienano a canoe with a removable mast.
• ieniborobi top sail.
• ienibotoro (formerly) a special boat sail with no lower yard arm (S.).
• ienikinongo a half sail or sail diminished momentarily.
• ienikuri preparee>ing food or a canoe in haste for a departure.
• ienikuria prepare food or a canoe in haste for a journey.
• ientaeaba large sail for fair weather or light winds.
• ika ni karoa fish taken on reefs in waves with fishing net.
• ikamatoa fish.
• ikari fish.
• ikinako to empty, to flow; tide going out.
• irairake capricious, fickle.
• irake halyard.
• irakea hoist as a sail.
• iteraninai a half mat, tide halfway in or out.
• itibo meet as two currents.
• itonga a kind of canoe (said) of Tonga.
• kaba copper (ENG).
• kabaimano skilled in fitting or matching canoe planks.
• kabangaki a sail with horizontal widths.
• kabanimtao a certain method of building a canoe.
• kabanin a canoe whose keel is of one piece.
• kabaurua to lengthen and enlarge a canoe.
• kabi keel of canoe, boat, ship, the bottom of a container (N.), back row…
• kabin iara time of lowest neap tides.
• kabiniwa the keel of a canoe.
• kabong Thursday (4th day).
• kaborerei beauty contest.
• kabuaka a mole.
• kabutika poisonous as certain fish.
• kaeke a certain plank in a canoe.
• kaerakea to beach a canoe.
• kaetiang to make sail or canoe in such a way as to get the maximum of wind.
• kai easily, without difficulty, soon, readily.
• kai n aoao a pole for pushing canoe.
• kai ni benga a bench inside canoe between ribs (aiai).
• kaianora to await low tide.
• kaiarakea to wait for high tide.
• kaibuke a ship.
• kaika to bail out as a canoe.
• kaikika to bail out a canoe.
• kaikiki to engage in bailing out as a canoe.
• kainakoa to sink a canoe or a fish trap.
• kainao the deck of a canoe.
• kakoroa to haul up a canoe, to fulfill.
• kakorobaea to allow a canoe to ground in shoal water.
• kamai the white of the eye, the sclerotic.
• kamanai a very small racing canoe or makei.
• kamanei a small makei, a toy canoe.
• kamataoa the names of three tidal waves in former times which submerged…
• kanauki to rise slightly as an outrigger.
• kanauta to fare poorly because of want of good food, or because of having to…
• kaneboa to draw up a sleeping mat over the face.
• kaobaba to await higher tide.
• kaora to wait until low tide.
• kaoranakoa to wait for low tide before going a fishing.
• kaoraora to wait for lower tide.
• karae to keep off, or sail free.
• karaki come along, often used in the imperative, to proceed without delay to…
• kararang a very shallow and narrow channel on a flat only a few inches deep.
• karobaroba to make a sail shake in the wind.
• katabun not provided, as a canoe, with a success-giving incantation.
• katea to make stand up, to set up, to build.
• katei to set sail.
• kateinako to put up sail to depart.
• kateke very nice, well executed first rate.
• katetekea to make for or sail for a place directly.
• katikeke to glide rapidly along as a canoe.
• katoara to fish alone in a canoe, to act alone in work usually done by two.
• katuatua to make an outrigger ride over the waves.
• kau having a hole in, as a pipe.
• kauabangaka to place a canoe across a narrow channel.
• kauaia to race a canoe.
• kaunatanga to tie two canoes together (outriggers outside), to board or come…
• kawariki a fish, the.
• kiaro a stick uniting the outrigger to a canoe.
• kiaronimai a large canoe having five poles or sticks to the outrigger.
• kiea to pass through a channel nearer to one side than the other.
• kiniman (1) tiny hole in object, vase, canoe, ibu, lamp, etc.
• kokoi to flow as an ocean current.
• koririn tari koririn tari: feeble current.
• koroba partially stranded, as fish or canoe in shoal water.
• kororaia to cut the fastenings of canoe planks.
• kororo cut too short, as a skirt or trousers.
• korotabea disorientated, lost (canoe) <disoriented>.
• korotei a short canoe with a curved keel.
• mabaki having a bad undertow, as the surf.
• maebo fish.
• maere be momentarily hid as the canoes of a fleet by a fast sailing canoe.
• maina ni ie white of sail, end of white sail.
• mainanie distant sail.
• maiuianna no good on a canoe.
• makei thorn on the side of the pan leaf, barb.
• mako fish.
• makua fear (only with the suffix pronoun).
• makuakua very bloody.
• manenikai worn out weapon or outrigger.
• mango fontanel [skull joint].
• maniua (1) flag of canoe) flag, ensign of canoe. (S.).
• manriki chronic, offensive catarrh in the nostrils.
• maoto i eta a current going eastwards met by a strong easterly wind with…
• maoton te nao the point where the wave breaks.
• marebu strong tide rip.
• marenaua channel between two islands.
• maro sink, founder, go down as food.
• marua n nao depression between waves. <trough>.
• mata n rawarawa an opening, channel, gap in the reef.
• matabaiawa frequented harbor or place for a canoe.
• matai look covetously.
• matanikabi back door, limit of low tide.
• matanonoka mata-nonokarake: the commencement of rising tide.
• matarake bowl of a pipe.
• matarikiriki spoken of a coconut - shell cup with broken edges.
• matuku <bird> a species of crane, reef crane.
• mautari one used to the sea.
• moania springtide.
• moaniwa place where canoe lands, destination of voyages (general).
• morikoi fish.
• nakiniwae the name of a female goddess.
• nama lagoon.
• namo a small lagoon, small lake, shallow water forming lake at low tide in…
• nangananga cave-like, opening in, arched.
• nango fly.
• nangobung stick on which a canoe can rest when not floating.
• nangobungia provide a canoe with rests or blocks under the keel, when it has been…
• nano ni ie rope or corded edge around sail.
• nao halloo, ho, you there (addressed only to a male).
• naobangaki cross-sea.
• naobatia choppy as waves.
• naobwe Nei Naobwe: wave which carries towards shore.
• naomoro short wave.
• naonikabuno wave caused by a receding surf meeting the incoming wave.
• naouea mounting wave which does not break or comb.
• nari smooth stone.
• naunang shoal or school of fish.
• naunau outrigger of the makei.
• nauniman fish.
• nikutaretare provided with short connections for an outrigger.
• nikutataro canoe with outrigger beams too short, unbalanced, badly balanced.
• nimaomao toy canoe.
• ninimarea to accompany a ship as certain fish do.
• ninimaunauna disappearing and reappearing, as a canoe among the waves.
• nonoka nonoka rake high tide, tide rising.
• ntai a fish, the.
• ntarema a fish, the.
• ntarini a small reef fish with red flags on dorsal spine.
• nuku having long outrigger poles.
• ngarengare frequentative of ngare, to laugh.
• o stretch.
• obaba coming up onto the land as a very high tide.
• okaoka fish.
• ona to paddle (a canoe, bark).
• onia high tide at new and full moon.
• oning awning, sail cloth, canvas.
• ora shallow, shoal, not deep, low tide.
• oraba wide expanse uncovered at low tide. tide receding very far out.
• oranako ebb as the tide.
• orata unusually wide flat.
• oratakaroro unusually low, or very low as the tide.
• rabangaki a sail made of horizontal strips.
• rabi bellying as a sail, indented as a coast, curved laterally.
• radma the outrigger side of a canoe.
• raieta the upper breadth of a sail.
• raiwa a pimple.
• rakai a coral shoal in a lagoon.
• rama an outrigger.
• ramarama to secure an outrigger from a drift log.
• ranga ri ana to capsize (outrigger going down and passing under (ri ana).
• ranga tataro a canoe with kiaro too short, zigzagging.
• rangaie to sail about as a fleet of canoes.
• ranganiketi to sail with the outrigger rising and falling while out of water.
• rangarangatau a miniature racing canoe of a certain style.
• rangatataro spoken of a canoe the sticks or poles of which, holding the outrigger…
• ratei a sail with breadths running up and down.
• rauatei vertical strips in sail.
• rawa to refuse.
• rawarawa a channel or groove in the ocean reef.
• rawariki idem. recent or incomplete channel.
• rebua to enter upon, to do.
• riaki to tack ship.
• riakitoauea a mode of fishing on a canoe with a fishhook in which the fisherman…
• rianau long, as a craft, or a man.
• ribu very fine coral mud.
• riburibu thoroughly pulverized coral, it abounds in the lagoons.
• rinanginiba a large rock on the land.
• rinoa a large baurua.
• ririe sandbank or reef in lagoon.
• ro salary, sustenance, a living.
• robaroba to shake as a sail when not full.
• rona to reef, to make smaller.
• roro the spathe of a coconut tree when open, the open spathe which once…
• rou a fish, the.
• ruarua abounding in babai pits.
• rumarang a wide canoe.
• ruruo a canoe made of hollowed-out tree trunk <dugout>.
• tabatoatoa having ridges or uneven places as a spot on which one is lying.
• tabeitera lop sided, badly balanced (canoe, basket, kite, etc.).
• tabernibou top angle of sail.
• tabobebeku a canoe with rounded ends.
• tabonibainrang not skilled in making canoes or garments.
• tabououa having one end of a canoe more or less upright, and the other…
• taekai to engage in tying canoe planks.
• taekaia to tei together canoe planks.
• taero to weigh anchor.
• taewa a longitudinal slice of babai, a portion of a pan bunch.
• taka a tiger (ENG).
• takataka copra, the dried kernel of the coconut.
• take a duck (ENG).
• tamania to finish or level a canoe for its deck.
• tamaro dungeon, cellar, hold of ship.
• taokabi to engage in waylaying.
• taono a fish, the.
• taoraea to reef.
• taorama to sit or stand on an out-rigger in order to give more weight.
• tatanga the plate of a building, the sill.
• tatibauta not securely fastened as an outrigger.
• taumori a fore or aft brace to a canoe's mast.
• taurangaranga to roll as a ship.
• tautari taua tarina: to try a canoe to see how it reacts in water.
• tebokua prow plunging (canoe), to dive like a dolphin, head first.
• teirobaroba loose, flapping (as sail not full).
• tero sail ho (ENG).
• tero_ sail o! cry announcing ship in view.
• tewea rio navigation term, to leeward.
• tewearaki navigation term, to haul in bow line, to steer closer to the wind, to…
• tian ia tian te iabuti: limit of tide on beach.
• tiebaba a rope used to regulate sail, suspenders, shoulder straps.
• tiebi jib sail.
• tikubara having its sails lowered as a fleet.
• tima a food specially relished.
• tirinano to engage in a repeated rehearsal for memorizing.
• toara not making an even number,.
• tokia ma rebua (1) stars B and A of Centaur.
• tokin ia limit of high tide, of incoming tide.
• tokinia spring tide at its highest.
• tokirake to persist in doing a forbidden thing.
• toto of little volume as the voice.
• toutourake to toss much as a canoe,.
• tuake a shoal or ledge projecting into a channel.
• tuareau to caulk canoe with pandanus leaves.
• tuka to lower as a sail.
• tukabu an astral position concerning navigation.
• tunga to swoon from hurt.
• tura to slide or crawl along as a snail.
• turabeau nearly worthless as a canoe from frequent use.
• turana to furnish a mast with a tura.
• tutarina the step of a mast, a socket or mortise for the foot of a canoe mast,.
• uamanea round up as pigs.
• uma lagoon side of an island.
• umatoa strongly buildt as a house or canoe.
• unarake sail close to the wind.
• unun crossness, moroseness, disposition to quarrel or fight.
• uriba blade of a paddle.
• uruba blade of a paddle.
• wa a canoe.
• wa n o small canoe, moved along by pole.
• wa n tabea a canoe in danger, unbalanced kite, person in danger, at the end of…
• wa ririki a well-made canoe of average size.
• waerio to go downwards..., towards the lagoon, towards the west.
• waeuai a miniature racing canoe with two sticks holding the outrigger.
• wairioa to approach a canoe from the east or the shore.
• waiwai the furrowed edge of the reef.
• wana to take possession of a canoe.
• wanimarawa to free a foundered canoe of water.
• wanimatang to eat fish (just caught) in privacy.
• wano a small canoe.
• wanrang a canoe not skillfully navigated.
• wantabea to swim on the back.
• wari a person, or ship, or house of great size.
• warikinono very narrow, as a channel, or the mouth of a bottle.
• waririki a canoe of medium size.
• wi n rine winning canoe.
• wi n tau beak, dart of tau, jib sail.
• wi ni bati corner of sail tied to spar.
• winie corner of sail and end of yard arm near lower part of mast, clew.
• winiwete a tattoo on the thighs.