Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 84 pages of information about Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language.

Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 84 pages of information about Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language.

Suraina artificial islet South of Ataa Cove; original home of Lau-speaking people in Port Adam.

surakena; bae surakena, to prompt, susu (gu) 1. n., breast, 2. v. i., to suck the breast, to have children at the breast.  S. susu.

susu 3. v. i., to be firm; susu too, to be steadfast.  S. susu.

susu 4. v. i., to stretch out; susu aba, stretch out the arm.  S. susu.

   susui v. tr., to touch with the fingers, to set on a stick.

susubi n. a dry stick, a horn (late use).

susuli v. tr., to know, understand, be aware of; ati susulia, who knows?  I can’t say.

susia, adj. unfruitful, not bearing fruit.

suu 1. a harbour.  S. su’u.

suu 2. used with prep, fafi; suu fafi, to clothe, cover.

   suula v. n., clothing, cloak.

suu 3. v. i., to set, of heavenly bodies, to dive, go down, sink.

   suula v. n., a setting.  S. suu.

T

ta 1. numeral; one, a certain one, at all; just, only, eta one; used as article, a, an, ta si fou, one rock; na tasi fou, one rock; ta sala nia, a friend of his; ta si doo, anything; ta ola lau, a different canoe; ta bali aba, one hand, the other hand; e langi si suu ana ta toongi, not clothed in any clothing; ta sasina ta ai, a man’s brother; ta ro ai, only two people; used with the numerals, ta ro si lio, two minds; ta ro tangale penny, two hundred pence; may precede fe, tefuana ta fe uo, every hill; ta ro fe lamua, just two doves; ni may be added, ta ni aiai, some other.  S. ta’a; Rotuma ta; cf.  Florida, sakai, M. L. p. 524.  Wango ta M. L. p. 511.

ta 2. adv. connects, resumes narrative, and, then.

ta 3. ending of verbal noun, seen in root afuta meaning all, and used only with suff. pron.; afutagera, all of them.  S. ta.

ta 4. adv. added to sui, sui ta, thereupon; follows negative langi, langi ta, or.

ta; 5. ta mone, perhaps.

taa 1. interrog. pron. what? si taa na, what is it?  S. taa.

taa 2. v. i., to be bad, evil.

   taala v. n., evil; ade taala, evil doing.  S. ta’a.

taba with suff. ani, tabaani, v. tr., to destroy, remove.  S. tapa.

tae v. tr., to lift up.  S. ta’e.

tafa adv., out; bae tafa, to speak out.

   tafangaini v. tr., sae tafangaini, to speak out.  S. taha.

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Grammar and Vocabulary of the Lau Language from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.