TP plang = 'dolphin fish'

[Piet Lincoln]

dia jon-ol,

my recall is that /plang/  was used by people along the Rai Coast as a
response to looking at picture of dolphin-fish  p. 158, Grant's Guide to
Fishes (1975).
That was in 1976.  Using the same book to elicit fish names in Eastern Outer
Islands of Solomons in 1978 brought home to me that it was a pelagic fish.
No one from Vanikoro or Utupua responded to the picture, even though I saw
the fish caught on the public transport ship that took me between those
islands.   As soon as the picture was seen by a Tikopean he said with no
hesitation "te masimasi," (cognate with Hawaiian mahimahi).

At this remove and my memory being what it is I cannot be 100% sure that the
word is known at all in PNG.   I can be sure that you have to be in deep
water to
catch one, and unless you somehow know a deep water fisherman you won't see
it.

Piet

----- Original Message -----
From: BURTON John <john.burton at tsra.gov.au>
To: Multiple recipients of list <MIHALIC at anu.edu.au>
Cc: M2 (E-mail) <mihalic at anu.edu.au>
Sent: 05 November, 2001 2:55 PM
Subject: RE: TP plang = 'dolphin fish'


> Piet
>
> That's great. Yes, coming along, but I have to ask for greater precision.
> Where is this fish seen and is it plang, as far as you know, everywhere it
> is seen?
>
> John Burton
> P.S. I'll post this to the list: can you post there so everyone can see?
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Piet Lincoln [mailto:linc at hawaii.rr.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, 6 November 2001 9:38 AM
> > To: John Burton
> > Subject: TP plang = 'dolphin fish'
> >
> >
> > Hi John,
> > I was just browsing in you postings.  Lot's of good work there.
> >
> > One  addition:   TP /plang/  also refers to a fish, the dolphin-fish,
> > Coryphaena hipparus (and C. equisetis).   The fish looks very
> > much like a
> > colorful plank.
> >
> > cheers,
> >
> > Piet
> >
> >
>