L - l
labaria
n.
fer de lance.
Botrops atrox (Crotalidae).
Also known as owrukuku and rasper.
lafu
1)
vi.
laugh.
Den boi e tnapu tapu a uku e lafu.
The boys are standing on the corner laughing.
syn:
pir'tifi.
From: Eng.
Etym:
laugh
.
bari lafu
vi.
burst out laughing.
Den pikin bari lafu di a boi fadon nanga a baisigri.
The children burst out laughing when the boy fell from his bicycle.
2)
vi.
ridicule, laugh at.
Den lafu a boi di a weri wan priti bruku.
They ridiculed the boy when he wore ragged pants.
See:
spotu.
3)
n.
laughter, something funny.
A sani ben de wan lafu, yèrè!
Boy, was that ever funny!
A lafu disi na meki wan.
This laughter is put on.
meki lafu
idiom.
put on a laugh, pretend to laugh.
Mi no ben firi prisiri, so mi meki lafu meki a sma no firi wan fasi.
I wasn’t happy but pretended to laugh so as not to make the person feel bad.
4)
vi.
smile.
Sanede yu e lafu?
Why are you smiling?
5)
vi.
smile at, laugh with.
Di a frow gi a pikin wan pisi brede, a lafu nanga a frow.
When the woman gave the girl a piece of bread, she smiled at the woman.
lafufesi
n.
smile.
Te a boi disi e waka e kon, ala leisi a abi wan lafufesi.
Every time this boy comes, he has a smile on his face.
Spelling variation: laf'fesi
lafutori
n.
funny story, joke (it can be true or fabricated).
A man ben ferteri wan lafutori, ma a no ben tru.
The man told a funny story, but it wasn’t true.
Spelling variation: laf'tori
lagi
1)
ad.
low.
A watra lagi ini a kriki.
The water is low in the creek.
ant:
hei1.
From: NL.
Etym:
laag
.
2)
ad.
little, low, not much.
A moni lagi gi mi.
The salary is too small for me.
ant:
furu;
hipi.
3)
ad.
cowardly.
Johnny naki a man a tapu wan lagi fasi.
Johnny hit the man in a cowardly way.
ant:
dek'ati.
2)
n.
coward.
lai
1)
vt.
load, fill up.
Den botoman sabi fu lai den boto, meki den boto no sungu.
The boatmen know how to load their boats so that they won’t capsize.
Mi fergiti fu lai oli dimamanten, dat' meki mi lon drei.
I forgot to fill up with gas this morning, that’s why I ran out.
syn:
furu.
lai a bal
idiom.
score a goal (soccer/football) or basket (basketball).
2)
vi.
to be full of, to have many, to abound.
A pasi lai olo.
The street is full of holes.
3)
n.
load, cargo, things.
Puru ala a lai fu a oto dan yu e tyari en kon inisei.
Take everything out of the car and bring it inside.
Teki yu lai dan yu e gwe.
Pack up your stuff and get out of here.
4)
n.
cartridge, bullet.
Poti a lai dan yu span a gon.
Put a bullet in the rifle and cock it.
syn:
patron.
See:
kugru;
agra;
kroiti.
lala
1)
adj.
raw, uncooked (flesh), fresh (wood).
No nyan lala meti; yu o siki.
Don’t eat raw meat; it will make you sick.
A meti e smeri lala.
The meat smells raw.
Usage: not cooked.
ant:
gari1.
Morph: redup.
2)
n.
raw smell.
Yu mu wasi a fowru nanga asin fu puru a lala.
You should wash the chicken with vinegar to take away the raw smell.
3)
adj.
full-blooded, purebred.
Mi omu na wan lala ingi.
My uncle is a full-blooded Indian.
syn:
kankan2.
lan
adj.
paralyzed.
Usage: archaic, people now use the Dutch word verlamd.
See:
malengri.
langa1
1)
ad.
long, tall.
Grafustrati na wan langa strati.
Gravenstraat is a long street.
A boi langa.
The boy is tall.
ant:
syatu.
2)
ad.
a long time.
Nownowde yu e wakti langa fu feni wan bus.
Nowadays you wait a long time to catch a bus.
o langa
interrog.
how long.
O langa yu o tan disi leisi?
How long will you stay this time?
Spelling variation: olanga
langa2
v.
hand or pass something to someone.
Langa a buku gi a boi gi mi.
Hand the book to the boy for me.
See:
gi1.
langabere
adj.
long-winded, of long duration.
A boi e ferteri wan lo langabere tori.
The boy tells a lot of long-winded stories.
Te mi lasi mi paspoort, a o de wan langabere tori fu meki en baka.
If I lose my passport, it will be a long drawn out process to make a new one.
langafutu-aka
n.
crane hawk.
Geranospiza caerulescens (Accipitridae).
langagrasi
n.
narrowleaf cattail, reed mace.
Typha angustifolia (Typhaceae).
langalanga1
ad.
straight ahead, very long.
Efu yu waka langalanga ini a strati, na a laste oso yu tante e tan.
If you walk straight down the street, the last house is your aunt’s.
Morph: redup.
langalanga2
ad.
without reason, without thinking.
Langalanga mi kosi mi birfrow. Now mi no abi no wan sma fu taki wan tori.
I chewed my neighbor out for nothing. Now I have no one to talk to.
Langalanga a man kon dan a naki mi.
The man came and hit me for no reason.
2)
n.
euphemism for snake.
langaten
adv.
for a long time.
Langaten mi no si den sma fu yu.
I haven’t seen your family for a long time.
Disi no luku wan sani fu now. A ben mus du en
langaten kba.
This does not look like something recent. He had to have been doing it for a long time already.
lanki
n.
edge, brim, border.
No poti a buku na a lanki fu a tafra. A o fadon.
Don’t put the book on the edge of the table. It will fall.
A kanti watra go ini a grasi te na a lanki.
He poured water into the glass up to the brim.
Spelling variation: lantyi
lanman
n.
a paralyzed person, paralytic.
lanpresi
n.
harbor, airstrip.
Odo: Wan boto sondro kapten no abi lanpresi.
Proverb: Without a captain, a ship finds no harbor.
See:
broki;
freigron.
Variant:
lanpe.
lanti
n.
government, authorities.
Lanti e du ala muiti fu meki nofo nyanyan de ini a kondre.
The government is making every effort to insure there is enough food in the country.
lantibakra
n.
civil servant.
Usage: No longer in common use. The preferred word now is lantiman.
lantibuku
n.
any of various official government record books.
lantiman
n.
someone who works for the government, civil servant.
lantistrati
n.
public road.
Yu no kan tapu mi fu waka na lantistrati!
You cannot stop me from walking on a public road!
syn:
lantipasi;
lantidan.
lapu
1)
v.
patch.
Te a banti fu yu boro dan yu mu lapu en.
When your tire gets punctured you need to patch it.
2)
n.
patch.
lasi
1)
vt.
lose (a fight, contest, etc).
Nini Harpal lasi a feti fu en nanga Jozefzoon.
Nini Harpal lost the match against Jozefzoon.
ant:
wini.
2)
vt.
lose, miss.
A taki: Un boi, mi lasi mi kakafowru.
She said: Boys, my rooster is missing.
ant:
feni.
3)
vi.
be lost.
Wantu yari psa wan tu srudati ben lasi ini a busi.
A few years ago some soldiers were lost in the jungle.
4)
adj.
lost.
Yu no abi fu broko yu ede nanga a sani disi. Na wan lasi tori.
You don’t need to bother with this thing. It is a lost cause.
tyari go lasi
idiom.
waste, squander.
A boi tyari ala a moni fu en go lasi.
The boy wasted all of his money.
syn:
fermorsu.
lasi ati
lose heart, lose one’s courage, become discouraged, despair.
See main entry: lasi ati.
laste
adj.
last, final.
I no kisi a laste brifi fu mi?
Didn’t you get my last letter?
ant:
fosi;
syn:
kriboi.
lati1
ad.
late.
Mi kmopo bun fruku na oso, ma mi doro lati.
I left home real early, but I arrived late.
ant:
fruku1.
lati kba
idiom.
too late, late already.
Now fosi i doro? A lati kba.
You are just now getting here? It’s too late.
o lati
interrog.
what time.
O lati yu e kon?
What time are you coming?
Spelling variation: olati
2)
n.
lath, a long, thin, narrow piece of wood.
lat'lati
ad.
very late.
Esde mi masra doro lat'lati na oso.
Yesterday my husband arrived home very late.
law
ad.
crazy, insane.
A man disi law.
This man is crazy.
syn:
kepi.
lawlaw
ad.
simple, foolish.
Fu sanede yu e rigeri so? Na wan lawlaw sani a man aksi yu fu du.
Why do you make such a fuss? It’s just a simple thing he asked you to do.
Morph: redup.
lawman
n.
someone who is insane, crazy; a fool, a lunatic, an idiot.
leba
n.
a spirit, it is said to be a tall woman dressed in rags with a basket on her head.
See:
bakru;
takrusani.
legwana
n.
iguana.
Iguana iguana (Iguanidae).
Also known as legu.
lei
1)
v.
to tell a lie, deceive.
A e lei pe grasi no e gro.
He lies through his teeth.
See:
yoku.
2)
n.
lie.
Lei hati moro soro.
A lie hurts worse than a wound.
ant:
tru.
2)
v.
empty.
Di mi kon suku nyanyan den ben leigi a patu kba.
When I came to get some food, they had cleaned out the pot already.
Fufuruman leigi mi heri oso.
Thieves cleaned out my whole house.
leigileigi
adj.
completely empty.
Den pikin nyan ala a aleisi, dan den libi a
leigileigi patu gi mi.
The children ate all the rice and left the completely empty pot for me.
leilei
n.
ritual.
Mi omu ben siki sote. Dan mi tanta du wan pikin leilei fu si efu dati bo yepi.
My uncle was terribly sick. So my aunt performed a ritual to see if that would help.
Morph: redup.
leisi1
vt.
read.
A de fanowdu dat wan sma sabi leisi nanga skrifi.
It is a good thing to know how to read and write.
leisi2
n.
repetition, time(s).
Wan sma mus nyan dri leisi ini wan dei.
People should eat three times a day.
syn:
tron2.
ala leisi
ad.
every time.
Ala leisi te mi e nyan na watrasei, mi e kisi bere-ati.
Every time I buy food at the riverside, I get a belly-ache.
syn:
ibri leisi.
ete wan leisi
ad.
again.
Den o drai a film ete wan leisi.
They are going to show the film again.
syn:
baka4.
son leisi
ad.
sometimes.
Son leisi te yu e sidon prakseri, yu e prakseri wan lo lawlaw sani.
Sometimes when you sit and think, you think of a lot of crazy things.
syn:
son ten;
son tron.
See:
noiti.
tra leisi
idiom.
next time.
Te yu e kon tra leisi, tyari wantu kuku kon gi mi.
Next time when you come, bring me some cookies.
wan leisi
ad.
sometime.
Yu mu kon wan leisi na mi.
You should drop by sometime.
syn:
wan dei.
leitori
n.
lie, story, a fabric of lies.
Te a boi disi e kmopo skoro, a e ferteri wan lo leitori.
When this boy comes home from school, he makes up a whole bunch of stories.
Usage: made up to defend oneself.
lekdoru
n.
callus, corn (on the foot).
leki1
1)
v.
leak.
A patu disi e leki.
This pot leaks.
2)
n.
leak.
A leki fu a daki kon moro bigi.
The leak in the roof has gotten bigger.
leki2
v.
lick.
Den dagu leki a okrobrafu tapu a gron.
The dogs licked up the okra soup from the floor.
leki3
1)
ad.
like, as, as if.
A lobi en leki en eigi pikin.
She loves her like her own child.
2)
cj.
but.
A no draidrai moro leki a dyompo go ini a watra.
He did not hesitate any longer but jumped into the water.
te leki
cj.
until, up to (a certain point).
Den tan wroko ini a gron te leki neti bigin fadon.
They kept on working in the field until nightfall.
Te leki a dei fu tide den tan lobi densrefi.
Up to this day they still love each other.
lektere
n.
brown ratsnake.
Chironius fuscus (Colubridae).
lekti1
1)
ad.
light (in weight).
A dosu disi lekti ma a trawan hebi.
This box is light, but the other one is heavy.
ant:
hebi.
2)
ad.
light, easy.
Kantoro wroko na lekti wroko.
Office work is light work.
ant:
hebi.
3)
vt.
make light, lighten, make easy.
Lekti a boto noso a o sungu.
Lighten the boat or else it will sink.
Mi abi fu suku wan krawerki fu lekti a libi.
I need to find a job to make my life easier.
ant:
hebi.
lekti ... ede
idiom.
relax, rest, forget about one’s cares.
Mi o go nanga vakantie fu go lekti mi ede.
I’m going to take a vacation to give my brain a rest (ie. relax).
See:
bro ... ede.
lekti2
1)
ad.
light, bright.
I no abi fu leti a faya. A kamra lekti nofo kba.
You don’t have to turn on the light. The room is already light enough.
ant:
dungru.
See:
leti1.
2)
v.
light up, illuminate.
A faya fu strati lekti a heri kamra.
The light from the street lit up the whole room.
syn:
krin.
3)
adj.
light (in color).
A kamra dungru tumsi. Wi o gi en wan moro lekti kloru.
The room is too dark. We will give it a lighter color.
syn:
dungru.
lekti-ede
1)
adj.
credulous, gullible.
A frow disi na wan lekti-ede frow. Ala san yu e taki a e bribi.
This lady is gullible. She believes everything you say.
A frow disi ede lekti.
This lady is gullible.
Usage: (The concept can be expressed either as a one-word adjective or as two separate words as seen in the examples below.).
2)
idiom.
light-headed.
A: Yu o dringi ete wan syòt? B: No, mi ede lekti kba.
A: Will you have another drink? B: No, I am already a little
light-headed.
See:
waiwai1.
3)
idiom.
have a weak constitution.
Mi ede lekti. Es'esi mi e drungu te mi dringi sopi.
I’ve got a weak constitution. I get drunk easily when I drink rum.
lemkibon
n.
lime tree.
Citrus aurantifolia (Rutaceae).
Spelling variation: lemtyibon
leni
1)
vt.
lend, loan.
Mi leni wan man wan buku ma noiti a tyari en kon baka.
I loaned someone a book but he never brought it back.
See:
borgu2.
2)
vt.
borrow.
Mi e go leni moni na bangi fu bow wan oso.
I’m going to borrow money from the bank to build a house.
lepi
1)
adj.
ripe, also in a figurative sense.
Den lepi manya ben moi fu si ini a bon.
The ripe mangoes hanging in the tree were a beautiful sight.
A butsweri no lepi ete fu un bòs en.
The boil is not ripe enough to lance.
2)
v.
ripen.
Yu no mu nyan a manya ete. Libi en meki a lepi.
Don’t eat the mango yet. Let it ripen.
3)
adj.
smart.
A boi disi lepi moi fu en yari.
This boy is smart for his age.
leri1
1)
v.
teach.
Ifrow e leri den pikin leisi.
The teacher is teaching the children to read.
2)
v.
learn.
Ini a heri dyugudyugu san psa, mi leri wan sani.
In all the difficulties that took place, I learned something.
3)
n.
lesson, instruction, education.
A e gi leri na skoro.
He teaches (lit: gives lessons) at school.
Fu di den no ben abi moni, den no ben kisi bun leri.
Because they did not have money, they did not receive a good education.
4)
n.
teaching.
Fu kan tron wan Dyu, wan sma kan teki a leri fu den.
To become a Jew, a person can follow their teaching.
leribuba
1)
n.
belt (not necessarily made of leather).
Spelling variation: leriba
2)
v.
whip with a belt.
Te mi kisi a boi, mi o leribuba en!
When I catch the boy, I’ll whip him with the belt.
leriman
n.
teacher; a learned person.
hari lesi
idiom.
stretch (one’s body).
Te yu e si wan sma e hari lesi, dan yu sabi taki sribi e kiri en.
When you see someone stretching himself, you know that he is sleepy.
lesiman
n.
a lazy person.
Spelling variation: les'man
lespeki
1)
n.
respect.
Yu mu abi lespeki gi yu mama nanga yu papa.
You must have respect for your mother and father.
Den boi disi ten no e sori lespeki gi no wan sma.
The boys nowadays don’t show anyone respect.
Variant:
respeki.
2)
v.
to respect, to esteem.
Den skowtu mus tyari densrefi tapu wan bun fasi, meki den borgu kan respeki den.
Policemen should conduct themselves in a good manner so that the citizens can respect them.
let'
See main entry: leti4.
adv.
in very close proximity to.
leti1
1)
n.
light.
A faya na foto ben bigi sote tak' te na Kwata yu ben kan si a leti fu en.
The fire in the city was so big that you could see its light as far away as Kwata.
Yu ben kan si a leti fu a kandra na strati.
You could see the light of the candle from the street.
kon na leti
idiom.
reveal, come out in the open.
Ala sani san de na dungru sa kon na leti.
Everything that is in darkness shall be revealed.
syn:
kon na krin.
2)
vt.
light, turn on, start.
Leti a faya gi mi.
Turn on the light for me.
ant:
kiri;
tapu2.
leti2
n.
right.
Mi no abi leti fu go dape.
I’ve got no right to go there.
Variant:
reti.
(no) abi leti
v.
be right.
Yu (no) abi leti.
You are (not) right.
leti3
adj.
right, correct.
Mi no denki tak' un teki a leti pasi.
I don’t think we took the right path.
Brada, disi a no a leti sani fu du ini a tori disi.
Brother, this is not the right thing to do in this situation.
syn:
yoisti.
taki leti
idiom.
tell the truth.
Efu mi mu taki leti, dan mi no denki tak' na en du en.
To tell you the truth, I do not think that he did it.
leti4
adv.
in very close proximity to.
A mankeri psa let' na mi fesi.
The accident happened right in front of me.
Let' baka a konmakandra, faya gwe.
Immediately after the meeting, the lights went out.
Usage: leti has this meaning when it is used with a preposition or with the demonstrative pronouns dya and drape.
Spelling variation: let'
letisei
n.
right side, right-hand side.
Luku a buku na a let'sei fu a kasi.
Look, that book is on the right side of the bookcase.
ant:
kruktusei.
Spelling variation: let'sei
let'opu
ad.
erect, straight up.
Sidon let'opu tapu a sturu.
Sit up straight in the chair.
Variant:
let'opo.
letyan
n.
Guyana tree squirrel, Guianan squirrel.
Sciurus aestuans (Sciuridae).
Also known as bonboni.
libakanti
n.
riverbank, riverside.
Den pikin go prei na libakanti.
The children went to play on the riverbank.
See:
watrasei;
syoro.
libamofo
n.
mouth of a river.
Tide mi swen tu leisi go na a libamofo.
Today I swam twice to the mouth of the river.
libaspari
n.
fresh-water stingray.
Potamotrygon reticulatus, Potamotrygon motoro (Dasyatidae).
libi1
1)
vi.
live, be alive, exist.
Den fowru e libi ete; den no dede.
The birds are still alive; they aren’t dead yet.
2)
n.
life.
Sensi a frow dati de, en libi de so pinapina.
That woman’s life has been miserable since the day she was born.
3)
v.
live, reside.
A man libi someni yari na Abrabroki.
The man has lived many years in Abrabroki.
syn:
tan1.
See:
froisi.
prati libi
idiom.
divorce.
Mi mama nanga mi papa prati libi.
My mother and father divorced each other.
ant:
seti libi.
seti libi
idiom.
live together independently.
Di Sonja kon bigi, a go seti libi nanga Carlo.
When Sonya got older, she began living with Carlo.
ant:
prati libi.
See:
trow.
libi2
1)
v.
leave, abandon.
Di a man atibron, a gwe libi en frow.
When the man was angry, he left his wife.
See:
prati.
2)
v.
leave, go away.
Wi o libi en, dan tamara wi o go moro fara.
We will leave it now, and tomorrow we will go further.
See:
gwe.
libi3
v.
remain, left over.
A nyanyan san libi ini a patu yu kan tyari go na oso.
The food that is left over in the pot you can take home.
syn:
tan abra.
libilibi
1)
ad.
alive.
No kiri a fufuruman. Un mu tyari en libilibi gi skowtu.
Don’t kill the thief. We must bring him alive to the police.
2)
adj.
living.
Mi no abi dek'ati fu fasi wan libilibi tigri.
I don’t have the guts to touch a living jaguar.
Morph: redup.
libimarki
n.
age.
A doro a libimarki fu aititenti yari.
He reached the age of eighty.
libisma
n.
person, human being.
Libisma lai drape leki mira.
There were so many people there (lit: people were there like ants).
syn:
sma.
ligiligi
v.
baste, tack, sew quickly with a few stitches.
Fu di mi no ben abi ten moro fu nai a mow meki mi
ligiligi en.
Because I did not have time to sew the sleeve, I basted it on.
Variant:
ligi.
lin
1)
n.
line.
Hari wan lin ini a santi.
Draw a line in the dirt.
2)
n.
fishing line.
Sma na tap'sei e uku nanga lin.
People in the interior fish with fishing line.
lo1
v.
to row.
A no spotu fu lo boto kmopo Katweki kon na foto.
It’s no easy thing to row a boat from Katwijk to the city.
lo3
n.
line.
Mi tnapu ini wan lo.
I stood in a line.
Usage: archaic.
2)
v.
to love, to fall in love.
A man nanga en frow lobi makandra.
The man and his wife love one another.
Di a boi si a meisje a ben lobi en wantron.
When the boy saw the girl, he fell in love with her at once.
3)
v.
like.
Mi no lobi fa a boi disi e tan. Noiti a e arki te yu taki nanga en.
I don’t like the way this boy is. He never listens to what you say.
4)
v.
like, like to do, in the habit of doing.
Mi papa lobi fu go uku te sonde.
My father likes to go fishing on Sunday.
syn:
gwenti.
5)
v.
like (to eat or drink).
Mi lobi den kuku fu Ronald. Den switi, ba!
I love Ronald’s cookies. They’re delicious!
lobi2
v.
rub.
A frow lobi a dresi gi en skin.
The woman rubbed the medicine on her skin.
syn:
wrifi.
See:
poti.
lobiwan
n.
loved one, friend, beloved.
Usage: often used as a term of address.
loi
v.
ring (a bell).
Fosi kerki bigin den e loi a dyendyen.
Before church begins they ring the bell.
loiki1
n.
hatch, small window.
loiri
n.
sloth.
There are two kinds in Suriname, the skapuloiri (two-toed sloth) and the sonloiri (three-toed sloth).
loko
n.
train.
Fosi den sma ben kmopo fu Bersaba kon na foto nanga loko.
In the early days the people came from Bersaba to town by train.
loksi
n.
locust, courbaril, stinking toe, amber tree.
Hymenaea courbaril (Caesalpiniaceae).
loktu
1)
n.
air, sky.
Te den e bron tyen na Maryanborgu, a loktu e kon blaka.
When they burn cane at Marienburg, the sky turns black.
go na loktu
idiom.
rant and rave or carry on about something.
Fusanede yu e go na loktu?
What are you carrying on about?
syn:
go na hei;
rigeri.
2)
n.
upstairs, up.
Mi kren go na loktu.
I climbed upstairs.
syn:
tap'sei;
sodro.
2)
adj.
slimy.
Furu sma no lobi okro. Den feni tak' a loli tumsi.
Lots of people do not like okra. They find it too slimy.
3)
adj.
slow.
No wan sma wani wroko nanga a man dati. A loli tumsi.
No one wants to work with that man. He is too slow.
lolo
1)
v.
roll.
Lolo a bari go na wan sei.
Roll the barrel to the side.
2)
n.
cassette tape.
3)
n.
paint roller.
Lomsu
1)
n.
Roman Catholic.
Mi na Lomsu ma mi masra na Anitri.
I am a Roman Catholic but my husband is a Moravian.
2)
adj.
having to do with the Roman Catholic Church.
De Hoeksteen na wan lomsu bukuwenkri.
"De Hoeksteen" is a Catholic bookstore.
Lomsukerki
n.
Roman Catholic church.
Morph: compound.
lon
1)
vi.
run.
Den fufuruman lon di den si a skowtu.
The thieves ran when they saw the police.
2)
vi.
run (water or other liquids), flow.
A watra e lon ini a kriki.
The water is running in the creek.
Mi noso e lon.
My nose is running.
3)
vi.
race, go fast.
A oto disi e lon.
This car races (ie. can go fast).
lontu
1)
adj.
round.
A upru lontu.
The hoop is round.
2)
prep.
around.
A doro na fes'sei sroto, dus mi mus waka lontu.
The front door is locked, so I need to walk around.
3)
ad.
around, all over.
Mi yuru wan oto fu rei lontu ini a foto.
I rented a car to drive around the city.
4)
vt.
surround, turn around s.t.
Den skowtu lontu a oso pe a fufuruman ben de.
The police surrounded the house where the thief was.
lontu-ai
n.
spice made from the dried unripe berry from the allspice tree.
Pimenta officinalis (Myrtaceae).
Spelling variation: lont'ai
lontu-birambi
n.
Malay gooseberry (a small tree with small round yellowish and very sour fruit).
Phyllanthus acidus (Euphorbiaceae).
See:
birambi.
losi
1)
vt.
roast (over a fire), barbecue.
Te a faya suku fu dede, dan yu kan poti karu na ini fu a losi.
Once the coals have died down, you can put on the corn to roast.
See:
baka2;
brabakoto.
2)
vt.
bake or roast (in an oven).
Esde mi granmama losi wan fowru.
Yesterday my grandma roasted a chicken.
syn:
baka2.
loso
1)
n.
head louse or body louse.
Pediculus humanus (Pediculidae, O. Anoplura).
unless specified otherwise, it is assumed to be the kind of louse found on humans.
2)
n.
any similar parasitic insect found on birds and some animals.
O. Anoplura; O. Mallophaga.
See:
daguloso;
fowruloso.
lostu
v.
to desire, want or fancy something.
lostuflaka
n.
birthmark (a discolored patch on the skin).
Te wan bereman e lostu wan sani, efu a no kisi a sani èn a fasi wan presi na en skin, dan a pikin o kisi wan lostuflaka dape.
If a pregnant woman wants something and doesn’t get it, and if she touches a spot on her body, then the baby will get a
birthmark there.
See:
gadomarki.
loto
1)
n.
lead, plumb line.
2)
n.
five-cent piece, nickel.
See table under:
moni.
low
See main entry: row.
vi.
to grieve, to mourn.
lowe
v.
escape, run away, desert.
loweman-bana
n.
a kind of plantain.
Musa soorten/species (Musaceae).
it is larger than the normal plantain.
gen:
bana.
luku
1)
v.
look at; watch.
Den sma e luku fowtow.
They are looking at pictures.
See:
si.
koti wan luku
idiom.
diagnosis done by a spirit practitioner.
Fa a birfrow masra siki heri yari, a no man moro, a lon go koti wan luku.
Because the woman’s husband was sick the whole year, she couldn’t take it anymore. She went to a spirit practitioner to have him
diagnose the problem.
luku dya!
idiom.
what you say when you give something to someone, "here you are".
2)
v.
visit.
Fosi mi go na oso, mi o go luku mi mama.
Before I go home, I’m going to visit my mother.
See:
fisiti.
3)
v.
watch, take care of, nurse, guard.
Suma o luku den pikin gi mi?
Who will watch my children for me?
Usage: be responsible for.
luku bun... ?
ques.
could it be.
Fa mi skin firi so anga-anga tide? Luku bun wan griep e freiri mi?
Why do I feel so listless today? Could it be that I have a touch of the flu?
luku bun
adv.
maybe, perhaps.
A: Pe a brede fu mi de? B: Luku bun na Jake gwe nanga en.
A: Where is my sandwich? B: Maybe Jake took it.
syn:
kande.
lukuman
n.
seer; someone claiming the power to understand the spiritual forces behind current situations or to foretell future events; some are reputed to have healing powers, or knowledge how to heal certain ailments.
See:
bonuman.
lun
n.
cream.
Fosi den buru seri a merki, den e puru a lun.
Before the farmers sell the milk, they skim off the cream.
luru
vt.
spy on, lie in wait for, watch for, to be on the alert.
A puspusi e luru a moismoisi.
The cat lies in wait for the mouse.
From: NL.
Etym:
loeren
.
lusu
1)
ad.
loose.
A skrufu fu a doro disi lusu.
The screw for this door (hinge) is loose.
ant:
tai1.
2)
vt.
untie, loosen, unfasten.
Lusu a amaka gi mi.
Untie the hammock for me.
3)
v.
release, set free.
Di den skowtu si taki a man no du noti, den lusu en.
When the police saw that the man was innocent, they released him.
lusu a bal
idiom.
kick the ball hard or take a shot at the goal (soccer/football); shoot for the basket (basketball).
4)
vi.
leave, depart.
Tamara a boto o lusu neigi yuru.
Tomorrow the boat leaves at nine o’clock.
5)
v.
take apart.
Fu krin a gon bun yu mu lusu en fosi.
To clean the gun well you should take it apart first.
lusumbe
n.
centipede.
(Kl./Cl. Diplopoda).
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