Ternate - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

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TERNATE THE TERNATESE LANGUAGE
of Ternate.
Many writers confuse this name with Sahu and therefore translate it incorrectly as “warm.”
sayah, flower; rumbai sayah-sayah, a rumbai in carved figures.
sayah bake, an orchid, Grammatophyllum scriptum Bl.
sayah dodopola, a grass species, Kyllingia monocephala Rottb.
It is less correctly called “Tolatopolo” by Filet.
sayah kastela, a plant, Pentapetes phoenicea L.; the flowers are used for decorations, the bark
is a remedy against abdominal pain.
sayah matahari, ornamental plant, the Pentapetes species.
sayah manuru, a shrub, Iasminum Sambae Ait.; the flowers are put in the hair.
In Miquel and Filet they are less correctly called “Saja manuri.”
sayang, affection (from Malay).
sebah, to come near something or someone, approach (from Malay); also to pay one’s respects
(to the rulers).
segel, seal (the Dutch zegel).
seh: tuwan seh, a title for Arabs and their descendants.
seho, a tree, Arenga saccharifera Lab.; the leaves are used as cleaners in cases of fluor albus.
sekretaris, secretary, the highest rank of the clerk working at court, also called jurtulis lamo.
To differentiate him from the western Secretary the latter is popularly called fiskaal.
Selong, Ceylon, known only because of the fake gems which come from there.
sepe, earthenware or wooden trough; in the Malay of the Moluccas usually pronounced as
sempe.
serjant, usually sarjeti, a non-commissioned officer of the Sultan’s troops.
serwet, napkin (the Dutch servet).
si (also se, but that is less correct), with, on, at, by, to.
Placed before the verb it gives it a causative meaning, e.g. gasa, to bring; sigasa, to have
someone bring; in this case the first letter of the radical sometimes changes and a letter is
added, e.g. ise becomes sigise, kodiho becomes sigodiho, wosa becomes singosa, uni becomes
siwuni, uci becomes siguci, pane becomes sibane, tego becomes sidego, etc. Often si is put in a
sentence for the sake of euphony, e.g. madero si jou kolano, toma si futu enage; meaning when
connective words are added, although the first letter changes, e.g. simarah=marah,
sigado=kado, sibapo=papo, sikaarah=kaarah, etc.
sibai, see bai.
sibane, see pane.
sibere, see fere.
siboi, see boi.
sibori, see bori.
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