[159] “Rush here and yank back at me, because the others have twitched me not! Relax and hang yourself!”
[160] Literally, “boat does not pierce islet.” This proverb means that a canoe’s hull does not pierce the sand of an islet without bearing gifts.
[161] A Titan word for “cooking pot.”
[162] Answer floats eastward.
[163] Women beating drums and accompanying their loved ones to a battle or supporting their chant as they dance the jebwa.
[164] A mythic bird that flew passengers from one island to another.
[165] “Piece of what’s light? What’s light?”
[166] “Piece of what sinks? What sinks?”
[167] A fishing method used to catch schools of rainbow runner fish, Elagatis bipinnulata. A circular cord of sennit is floated on the surface around the school and gradually tapered until a group of fishermen can encircle and escort it to shallower water, where the fish are speared.
[168] Puffer fish: Tetraodon hispidus; also called porcupine fish. These fish have the ability to inflate their bodies by swallowing water. Some species have a tetrodotoxin in their internal organs, such as the ovaries and liver, and are poisonous.
[169] Name: “fly the ocean.”
[170] “You’ve cast the fate called brave sky.”
[171] “It’s lightning it’s raining us.”
[172] Literally, “make your veins stand out.” “Inspiring you from Ep.” (Ep is the western ancestral homeland.)
[173] A name: “man make fly.”
[174] A neighboring atoll seventy-three miles south-southwest of Namorik.
[175] A cannibal; a witch who eats people.
[176] The yard or lateral boom of the triangular lateen sail.
[177] Literally, “Do not bend the wing of the frigate bird”; take what is offered.
[178] Literally, “Only kūro below!” or “There are kūro everywhere!” a saying similar to “There are many fish in the sea!”
[179] Literally, “Why paddle over kūro?” This means, “Why paddle away from good fishing?” and is a riddle, the answer to which is “Kūro wōt laḷ!”
[180] A paramount landholder who manages land on behalf of an irooj.
[181] Aḷap rights given for bravery in battle.
[182] Giant trevally fish: Caranx ignobilis; “ulua” in Hawaiian.
Glossary
Ajbwirōk — A particularly delicious variety of cultivated, edible pandanus fruit.
aje — An hourglass-shaped sharkskin drum carried by women when they accompany their men to a battle.
ak — The frigate bird: Fregata magnificens; tied feathers used as telltales to confirm wind direction.
aḷap — A paramount landholder who manages land on behalf of an irooj.
alele — A flat, pouch-like purse, woven from processed pandanus leaves, for valuables.
Anbōd — Jālwōj islet; an area along Jālwōj Atoll’s western reef known for shark hunting.
anidep — A game in which a foot-sized cube of woven pandanus leaves is kicked back and forth within a circle by clapping participants.
añōneañ — “Call of the north”; the southern solstice, which annually coincides with winter in the northern hemisphere.
añōnrak — “Call of the south”; the northern solstice, which annually coincides with summer in the northern hemisphere.
aorak — A subspecies of spider conch of the family Strombidae, species Lambis; characterized by stout marginal digitations.
arṃwe — A small tree: Pipturus argenteus; the bark (or “ōr”) of this tree is stripped and twisted into fishing twine.
atat — A plant with small, thin leaves; the stems of this plant, Triumfetta procumbens, were processed to make skirts and kilts.
badet — Banded sergeant fish: Abudefduf septemfasciatus.
Bōb — Edible pandanus fruit cultivated predominantly on coral atolls in the central Pacific; pandanus tree: Pandanus tectorius.
bọbo — Night fishing for flying fish with pole nets and torches of pāle.
bọkwōj pedped — Literally, “grab the reef tightly”; extremely large spiny lobster: Panulirus penicillatus.
buñtokiōñ — Swell that “falls from the north.”
buñtokrear — Swell that “falls from the east.”
buñtokrōk — Swell that “falls from the south.”
bwebwe — Yellowfin tuna: Neothunnus macropterus.
bwebwenato — Old story; fable; legend.
bwijinbwije — A by-product of the rope-making process; densely packed strands of coconut husk fibers too thin for rope making; used for kindling as well as washing.
bwilbwil — To make and race toy proas on reefs or along the shoreline.
dāp — Moray eel; marine eels of the Muraenidae family.
daō — “my bite” or “my food,”’ often used by a child to declaratively assert the intention to eat or to demand food from an elder.
dekā ajaj — The heaviest, densest, palm-sized coral stones.
dekā maroro — Greenstone; obsidian; a naturally occurring volcanic glass found in Melanesia.
dekein nin — A heavy, oval-shaped club ground from the shell of the giant clam and passed as an heirloom, by matrilineal custom, from mother to eldest daughter; used to pound and soften leaves and fibers for mats, skirts, sails, etc.
diak — To tack or, more specifically, shunt. The tack of the sail is transported from one end of the canoe to the other, keeping the outrigger to windward.
dijiñ — Fart fish; species of emperor fish: Lethrinus variegatus.
du — Women beating drums and accompanying their loved ones to a battle or supporting their chant as they dance the jebwa.
Eakeak jān Ep. — Literally, “make your veins stand out.” “Inspiring you from Ep.” (Ep is the western ancestral homeland.)
eakpel — To discard ballast into the ocean to create more freeboard. In more serious and life-threatening situations, it could also refer to discarding people, usually the eldest first.
Eb — Mythical cannibal isle far to the west.
Ejaromrom utute kōj. — “It’s lightning it’s raining us.”
Ej kōkōṃanṃan eoon aejet. Eeọkwe armej. — Proverb: “He calms the roughest waters. He loves all people.”
ekkoonak — A fishing method used to catch schools of rainbow runner fish, Elagatis bipinnulata. A circular cord of sennit is floated on the surface around the school and gradually tapered until a group of fishermen can encircle and escort it to shallower water, where the fish are speared.
ekkwaḶ — Sennit; coir fiber line made from processed coconut husk fibers.
Elladikdik iuṃwin Tūṃur ekūtañtañin eṃṃaan. — Proverb: “Under the windstorms of Tūṃur, a man is an inchworm at sea.”
ellōk — Literally, “it pricks”; a species of rabbitfish highly prized for its flesh that schools in a line and is characterized by its venomous spines. Streamlined spinefoot: Siganus argenteus.
Emejjia wa ilọmeto. — “A boat dies slow in the open ocean.”
Epoon (aka Ebon) — A neighboring atoll seventy-three miles south-southwest of Namorik.
Etal ippān Mejdikdik! — “Go with Mejdikdik!”
Etao — Legendary trickster.
Idedh — One of many man-made islets on the reef off the coast of eastern Pohnpei.
iieḷap — Literally, “big time”; spring or extreme tides during full and new moons.
ikaidik — Rainbow runner fish: Elagatis bipinnulata.
inpel — The fibrous, cloth-like outer sheathing of the coconut flower buds found at the crowns of coconut trees; used to squeeze milk-like oil from coconut gratings.
iọkwe — “Aloha”; “hello (or good-bye), love.”
irooj — Chief.
Irooj Rilik — Chief of the west.
jāānkun — Sun-dried sheets of pandanus pulp rolled into a log and wrapped in a sheath of pandanus leaves; see “mokwaṇ.”
Jab ālkwōj
pein ak. — Literally, “Do not bend the wing of the frigate bird”; take what is offered.
Jab kōrkōr ioon kūro. Bwe? Kūro wōt laḶ! — Literally, “Why paddle over kūro?” This means, “Why paddle away from good fishing?” and is a riddle, the answer to which is “Kūro wōt laḶ!”
jāpe — A wooden, trapezoid-shaped vessel carved from breadfruit wood and used to knead breadfruit; the constellation Delphinus, the dolphin.
Jau Areu — Pohnpeian title: master fisherman.
Jebrọ — The constellation Pleiades.
jebu — A sharkskin drum used when paddling or sailing.
jebwa — A battle dance; a fierce reenactment of a classic fighting style passed along from previous generations.
jekaro — Also called “tuba,” “toddy,” and various other names; the sap of the coconut palm tapped from the flower bud as it grows and continues to protrude between its mature frond leaf and the less-mature inner fronds of the palm’s inner crown. The skill of making jekaro is practiced worldwide wherever palms grow.
jetkāān — The day the moon rises amid tree trunks.
jetñōl — The night the moon rises at dusk upon the waves.
jinniprañ — A stalk or composite flower from which coconuts grow and ultimately hang.
jiraal — To eat grated coconut, usually with fish.
joñ — Mangrove: Bruguiera conjugata.
joñoul — Ten.
jourur — Thunder.
juon … ruo … jilu — One … two … three.
Kajin Rālik — Language of the Rālik Islands, now the western chain of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
kājokwā — A tree trunk adrift in the open ocean or washed up on the shore.
kāleptak — Swell that “slaps from behind”; the countercurrent of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, which periodically streams through the islands just north and south of the equator.
kallep — Trap-jaw ant: Odontomachus simillimus.
Kāmeto — A name: “fly the ocean.”
kaṃōḷo — A newcomer celebration.
kapiknaajilọk — “Watch flapping wings from still water.”
kapiknaklok — A term associated with flying fish of the family Exocoetidae; to take flight from beneath the surface of the water, flutter, spread wings, and glide.
kapiḷak — A gale sometimes associated with the first morning’s sighting of the constellation Aries.
Kapiḷak ej buñ! — “Kapiḷak falls!”
kapin meto — Literally, “back side of ocean”; the westernmost atolls of the Rālik Chain.
kappej — Pole fishing from the reef edge at low tide under a full or near-full moon.
kapwōr — Giant clam: Tridacna gigas.
keemem — The first birthday feast after the passing of two seasons or thirteen cycles of the moon.
kiden — Soldierbush: Tournefortia argentea.
kijō — Literally, “my bite” or “my food”; often used by a child to declaratively assert the intention to eat or to demand food from an elder.
kin — Fire sticks; the small piece of wood is used to scrub the larger piece to make fire.
kina — Archaic shoals left by the old women in the story of Ḷōppeipāāt.
kipeddikdik — To sail close to the wind.
kōbwābwe — Pole fishing.
koko — Mahimahi; common dolphinfish: Coryphaena hippurus.
koṃṃool — Thank-you.
kōñe — Ironwood: Pemphis acidula.
kōņņat — A short, sprawling tree that grows next to the shore; beach cabbage: Scaevola taccada; “naupaka” in Hawaiian.
kōņo — A hardwood tree bearing orange flowers: Cordia subcordata.
kubaak — Outrigger float.
kupañ — Convict surgeonfish: Acanthurus triostegus.
kūro — A species similar to the brown-marbled grouper, Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, which spawns seasonally in atoll passageways and in lagoons close to the passageways.
Kūro wōt laḶ! — Literally, “Only kūro below!” or “There are kūro everywhere!”; a saying similar to “There are many fish in the sea!”
kwanjin — Char-roasted, unripe breadfruit subsequently scraped clean before eating.
Kwe kwōjkwōjwaj jōṇe Lañperan. — “You’ve cast the fate called brave sky.”
kweet — Octopus.
Lale ej rōrōñ! — “Look, he has an erection!”
ḷañe — Giant trevally fish: Caranx ignobilis; “ulua” in Hawaiian.
ļañ eḷap — “Big wind”; typhoon.
lem — A wooden scoop, sometimes attached to a handle, used to bail water from a hull.
lerooj — Literally, “woman chief.”
li — Female prefix used to emphasize respect.
Likōkkālọk — A name: “woman to make fly.” “Li”: the female prefix; “kōkālọk”: “to make fly.”
Liṃanṃan — A name: “woman beautiful.” “Li”: the female prefix; “ṃanṃan”: “very beautiful.” The north star, Polaris.
ḷō — Male prefix used to emphasize respect.
lōk — Prick.
Ḷōkkōkālọk — A name: “man make fly.”
ḷōṃaj — “Ḷō”: the male prefix; “ṃaj”: a general term for eels of all varieties.
Ḷōpako — Literally, “man shark.” “Ḷō”: the male prefix; “pako”: “shark.”
Ḷōpedpedin — A name. Literally, “man this reef beneath us.”
Luwap — Puffer fish: Tetraodon hispidus; also called porcupine fish. These fish have the ability to inflate their bodies by swallowing water. Some species have a tetrodotoxin in¬¬ their internal organs, such as the ovaries and liver, and are poisonous.
ṃaanpā — Literally, “before the hand”; traditional fighting using quickness and distraction.
ṃadṃad — The northernmost islet of Namorik; necklace of flowers; lei.
ṃaj — A general term for eels of all varieties.
Mājlep — The star Altair.
ṃakṃōk — Arrowroot; a nutritious starch processed from the rhizomes of the dryland, knee-high plant Tacca leontopetaloides.
MānnijepḶā — A mythic bird that flew passengers from one island to another.
marjej — A spindly weed: Wedelia biflora.
maroklep — “Big darkness”; “new moon.” The islanders have a name for every night of the moon’s cycle.
me — A fishing weir; a permanent V-shaped fish trap built by piling stones on the reef.
Mejdikdik — A star name: “Little death.”
mejenkwaad — A cannibal; a witch who eats people.
meloktok — Night the moon rises so late it can be forgotten.
ṃōjọliñōr — Too much sky inside; sickness caused by sleeping under the moon too often.
mokwaṇ — The atoll dwellers, especially the Marshall Islanders, cultivated numerous varieties of edible pandanus. Some had flavorful juice they sucked from the fibrous nodules. Other pulpier varieties were chewed like fibrous carrots or baked, and the pulp was subsequently scrapped from the softened nodules. This mash, or mokwaṇ, was either dried into jāānkun or mixed with arrowroot starch and coconut milk and rebaked in a breadfruit leaf.
ṃōṃaan ṃaj — Literally, “a man is an eel,” which means that he always develops a relationship with a hole.
mọrojinkwōt — AḶap rights given for bravery in battle.
Ñaijuwe! — “Take me aboard!”
Namorik — Literally, “small lagoon”; an atoll in the southern Rālik Chain of what is now the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Nan Sapwe — Pohnpeian spirit of thunder.
ṇatọọn — Sheet in or trim the sail.
nen — Fruit from Morinda citrifolia, a small tree prized throughout the islands for its medicinal properties; a tonic thought to promote health. Also called “noni.”
ñeñe — The length across the breast from fingertips to fingertips; one fathom.
ṇok �
�� The midrib of a coconut leaflet.
pako — Shark.
pāle — Dried, braided coconut leaves used as torches for fishing; a coconut frond.
pejpetok — The spent core of a pandanus kernel drifting about in the ocean; a drifter.
Pit — A chain of thirty-three atolls south of Rālik and Ratak; currently the Republic of Kiribati.
Pohnpei — Currently one of the principal island groups that make up the Federated States of Micronesia, located in the Eastern Caroline Islands.
pọljej — Ripened breadfruit filled with coconut milk and baked in a breadfruit leaf.
proa — An outrigger canoe rigged with a sail.
pwentang — A Titan word for “cooking pot.”
rajraj — A knife or sword-like weapon uniformly edged with shark teeth.
Rālik — The western chain of atolls of what is now known as the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Ratak — The eastern chain of atolls of what is now known as the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
ri-bōb — Literally, “bones of pandanus”; Pandanus people.
ri-jekjek wa — Literally, “person who hacks hull”; boat builder.
ri-katak — Understudy; apprentice.
ri-kwōjkōj — Literally, “bones that cast fortune”; fortune teller.
ri-Pit — An ancient term for people of Kiribati; literally, “people or bones of Pit.”
rojak — The yard or lateral boom of the triangular lateen sail.
rojak ṃaan — Literally, “spar man” or “spar in front”; the vertical boom or yard of the triangular lateen sail.
roñoul — Twenty.
ruo; jilu — Two; three.
sakau — Kava; a drink with anesthetic properties made from the mashed roots of the propagated Piper methysticum, or pepper plant.
Tartok im kein liitiō, bwe? Ijañin eoḶōk! Ellok im toto wōt! — “Rush here and yank back at me, because the others have twitched me not! Relax and hang yourself!”
tilaan — Pumice stone: a porous form of volcanic glass that drifts up on island shores.
Tipen keidọọj? Dọọj? — “Piece of what sinks? What sinks?”
Tipen keimera? Mera? — “Piece of what’s light? What’s light?”
Tūṃur — Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius.
Man Shark Page 34
