[Mihalic] More etymology

[Thomas H. Slone]

This should fill in the gaps for many of the current etymology 
questions.  Sources are listed at the bottom.
--Tom Slone


Aibika: "Ibika" is a "native vegetable" in the Kuanua Language (Tolai 
People) (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 155).

Aila: "Ela" is the Tahitian chestnut, Inocarpus fagiferus, in the 
Kuanua Language (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 143).

Ainaga: "Inaga" in the Kuanua Language is a species of fish that is 
"rather like a herring both in appearance and habits, also the 
whitebait" (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 160).

Asua: Tryon (1995, part 4, p. 341) lists the Adzera word for fault as 
"asub".  Perhaps there is another Austronesian language near the 
Adzera from which asua derived?

Baret: "Paret" is the Kuanua word for trench (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 
312).  "Parit" is the Indonesian word for trench (Echols & Shadily, 
1989: 410).

Bilum: This is also the Kuanua word for bag (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 120).

Bong: There is a general query about usage.  Here is an example from 
Bergmann (1982: 333), "Wanpela kain rot bilong skruim strong bilong 
man i ken kamap bikpela, em i olsem, subim stik o diwai o plang i go 
aninit long hevipela samting na apim.  Nem bilong dispela kain stik 
yumi save kolim bong."

Buai: Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 127) confirms that this is from the Kuanua.

Bukbuk: "Bukubuk" is a hardwood tree with edible fruit in the Kuanua 
Language according to Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 129).  Bukubuk is a large 
nut tree in the Kuanua Language according to Mennis (1975: 118).

Bung: The current etymology on the Web site is from Kuanua for 
"night", but "bung" ("ng" is the velar nasal sound) means day in 
Kuanua according to Tryon, 1995, part 4, p. 140).  Lanyon-Orgill 
(1960: 128) on the other hand says that "bug" means "day" or 
"market".  Night is "lewu", marum" or "warawadiawai" in Kuanua 
(Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 577).

Daka: Tryon (1995, part 3, p. 8) lists the Kuanua word for pepper as 
"dake" (where "e" is schwa). Mennis (1975: 118) and Lanyon-Orgill 
(1960: 134) confirm that this is the betel pepper (Piper betle).

Demdem: Tryon (1995, part 2, p. 391) lists demdem as an introduced 
word for snail into the Dami Language (Papua Province [ex-Irian 
Jaya], Indonesia), but gives no explanation as to its origin.

Both Bergmann (1982: 156) and Tietze (1996: 36) suggest that "demdem" 
applies to more than just the introduced African snail.  Bergmann 
(1982: 156) says, "Wanpela kain demdem i stap, em i save kaikai kiau 
bilong bikpela demdem bilong Afrika."  Tietze says, "Kain kain demdem 
i stap long PNG.  Tasol wanpela nupela kain demdem i save bagarapim 
moa kaikai.  Dispela demdem bilong ol ples hat ol i save kolim 
'Afrika' demdem."

Bergmann (1982: 156) says that the African snail was introduced to 
PNG during World War II by the Japanese for use as a food source. 
This does not appear to be a Japanese word, though, e.g., 
http://www.freedict.com/onldict/jap.html gives esu"karugo", 
"katatsumuri", "makigai", and "kagyuu" for snail.

The Kuanua word for snail is "iem-den" (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 156). 
Perhaps this is the origin or perhaps it is from a nearby language?

Diwai: Tryon (1995, part 3, p. 229) gives "devai" (where "e" is 
schwa) as Kuanua for tree.  Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 136) spells it 
"dawai".

Epa: Sounds like its of Austronesian in origin.  Tryon (1995, part 2, 
pp. 347-348) lists several languages with possible cognates.

Galip: "Qalip" is the tree and nut of Terminalia sp. (Lanyon-Orgill, 
1960: 338).

Garamut: This is the Kuanua word for "long drum" (Tryon, 1995, part 
4, p. 519). The Kuanua word "kudu" is the source of the Tok Pisin 
"kundu" (not on-line yet). Mennis (1975: 118-119) confirms these. 
Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 147, 210) gives "galamu" as the Kuanua word for 
slit drum and "kudu" as the word for a long small drum covered with 
iguana skin.

Guria (1): Tryon (1995, part 2, p. 66) confirms that this is from 
Kuanua.  Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 349) spells it as "quria".

Kaikai is currently listed as deriving from PPE on the Web site.  The 
OED has the origin as ultimately from the Maori for food ("kai" or 
"kaikai"):
http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/00125073/00125073se1?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=kaikai
[note: the above link requires subscription, but you can also find it 
in the printed version in a library]

Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 171) lists "kaikai" as meaning "food" or "to 
eat" in Kuanua.

Kalapua: In Kuanua, this word is the species of "banana in most 
common use in daily diet" (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 176).

Kambang: "Kabag" is lime (calcium oxide) in the Kuanua Language 
(Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 165).

Kanda: Currently, the Web site suggests this might be from Malay.  I 
think this is unlikely; the words for rattan and rope in Indonesian 
are: rotan and tali (Echols & Shadily,1989:  466, 491).

"Kada" in the Kuanua Language is a cane used for making fish traps 
(Lanyon-Orgill: 1960: 168).

Kapiak: "Kapiaka" is the "breadfruit tree, Artocarpus incisa, also 
other sp." (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 182). 

Kapok: This comes from the Indonesian "kapuk" (Echols & Schadily, 
1989: 261).  The English word has the same derivation:
http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/00125356?single=1&query_type=word&queryword=kapok
[note: the above link requires subscription, but you can also find it 
in the printed version in a library]

The proto-Malayo-Polynesian word is *kapu (Tryon, 1995, part 1, p. 1192).

Karakap: This is a kind of vegetable in the Kuanua Language 
(Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 184).

Katu: This is the hermit crab in the Kuanua Language (Lanyon-Orgill, 
1960: 187).

Kaukau: Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 187) says this is the "sweet potato, 
Dioscorea sativa".  However, Dioscorea is the yam genus, not the 
sweet potato genus, which is Ipomoea.

Kawas: This means friend in the Nyindrou Language of Manus Island 
(Tryon, 1995, part 4, p. 562).

Kiau: This is the Kuanua word for egg (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 192).

Kumbak: The Kuanua word "kubak" means, "a native superstition 
connected with the sick; 'a person having slept in the house or even 
the same enclosure with a sick person, then to spend a night 
elsewhere." (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 208).

Kumul: This is a bird species in the Kuanua Language, unspecified by 
Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 214).

Kunai: "kunei" (where "e" is schwa) is the Kuanua word for long grass 
according to Tryon (1995, part 3, p. 218).  Mennis (1975: 119) 
confirms this.  Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 349) spells it "qunei" and says 
that it is a grass that grows on mountain slopes.

Kwila: "Kuila" is a tree species in the Kuanua Language, unspecified 
by Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 210).

Lang: "Laga" is the blowfly in the Kuanua Language (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 219).

Luluai: This is the Tolai word for chief, explained by "lua", "lue" 
(where "e" is schwa) or "luai-ne" (where "e" is schwa) meaning 
"first" (Tryon, 1995, part 4, pp. 78-79, 536-537).  Lanyon-Orgill 
(1960: 238-240) confirms this.

Malomalo: "Molamolo" is one of three Tolai words for "soft". 
Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 270) confirms this.  The northwest Mekeo word is 
malo-malo (Tryon, 1995, part 4, pp. 223-224).

Mami: This is a Mbula (Umboi Island, Morobe Province) word for yam 
(Tryon, 1995, part 3, p. 255).  This is the yam species Dioscorea 
rubicosa in the Kuanua Language (Lanyon-Orgill: 1960: 253).

Marita: This is a pandanus species used for making nets 
(Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 259).

Mau: This means "ripe" or "cooked" in Tolai (Tryon, 1995, part 2, pp. 
634, 636).  Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 264) confirms this.

Muruk: "Murup" is the Tolai word for cassowary (Mennis, 1975: 120). 
Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 276) confirms this.

Ninilbol: "Nilibur" means "to walk, stroll, play" in the Kuanua 
Language (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 283).

Palai: This is the Kuanua word for iguana (Gonocephalus sp.) 
(Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 300).

Pamuk: The Tongan word for prostitute is "pa?umutu" (where "?" is a 
glottal stop) (Tryon, 1995, part 4, p. 586).

Pekpek: Mühlhäusler (unpublished) says that pekpeke means to defecate 
in the Label Language.  Tryon (1995, part 2, p. 550) lists "peke" as 
the word for defecate from the Kuanua Language.  No other  PNG 
Austronesian languages have words for defecate that sound like 
pekpek, but the Fijian is ßeke  (Tryon, part 2, p. 550) (ß is a 
bilabila fricative).  Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 314) says that "pekapeke" 
is the reduplicative form of "peke", meaning "to defecate" in Kuanua.

Pitpit: Mühlhäusler (unpublished) says this is from the Kuanua "pit" 
("wild sugar cane").  Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 323) confirms that "pit" 
is wild sugar cane (Saccharum floridulum and Miscanthus japonicus).

Pus: "Pus" is the Mbula (Umboi Island, Morobe Province) word for belt 
(Tryon, part 3, p. 75).

Rai: The Motu word for wind is "lai" (Tryon, 1995, part 2, p. 89).

Sanda (1): Could this be from "sandalwood", which is an aromatic wood 
used for perfume?

Talai: This is the Kuanua word for a very small species of fish, 
unspecified by  Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 379).

Talatala:  Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 380) also says that this is Fijian.  See also:
http://www.fijimuseum.org.fj/fm-TCOctober2001.htm

Tambu: This is now listed as possibly deriving from Kuanua.  I think 
this may be PPE though.  Here are parallel words:
Solomon Islands Pijin (tambu/abu/apu/ambu/tapu/tabu): Jourdan (2002: 237-238)
Bislama (tabu/tambu): Crowley (1995: 239, 241)
Broken: apparently no cognate (Shnukal, 1988).

The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) cites the origin of the English 
word "taboo" as deriving from Captain Cook's voyage to Tonga:
http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/00245891?query_type=word&queryword=taboo
[note: the above link requires subscription, but you can also find it 
in the printed version in a library]
and the word was widely used in English in the Pacific during the 1800s.

Tryon (1995, part 1, p. 1145) gives *tapu or *tampu as the 
proto-Malayo-Polynesian word for "ancestor".  The only cognates of 
the ancestor meaning of "tambu" listed among PNG Austronesian 
languages listed in Tryon is for Manam, "tubu" and Nyindrou (Manus 
Island), "tubu-n", and there are several cognates among other 
Austronesian languages (Tryon, 1995, part 2, p. 214-216).

Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 370-371) confirms that "tabu" in Kuanua means 
prohibition, sacred or forbidden, as well as traditional shell money. 
Note that this last meaning is currently not on-line even though it 
was in Mihalic (1971).

Tarangau: "Taraqau" or "taragau" is a species "of large fish-hawk or 
osprey, Pandion haliaetus" (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 392).

Taun (2): Mühlhäusler (unpublished) says this is from the Mioko and 
Malot languages for Pometia pinnata.

Tultul: Mühlhäusler (unpublished) says this is from the Kuanua 
Language for "messenger".  Lanyon-Orgill (1960: 424) confirms this, 
but in the Duke of York Island dialect this can also mean "a living 
spirit of a man which eats the corpses of his enemies"!

Umben: "Ubene" is the Kuanua word for fish net (Lanyon-Orgill, 1960: 434).


New References:

Bergmann (1982). Save na Mekim. Lae: Liklik Buk Information Centre.

Echols, John M. & Shadily, Hassan (1989). An Indonesian-English 
Dictionary. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.

Lanyon-Orgill, Peter A. (1960). A Dictionary of the Raluana Language 
(New Britain, S. W. Pacific). Victoria, British Columbia: 
Lanyon-Orgill (self-published).  [Raluana is the same as Kuanua.]

Mennis, Mary (1975). The Time of the Taubar. Madang: Kristen Pres. 
[This is a Tolai folktale book with a 5 page glossary.]

Tietze, Reinhard (1996). Daunim Sik na Binatang long Gaden. Yangpela 
Didimanbilong Papua Niugini  series. Madang: Kristen Pres.

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