Fijian-English Dictionary - eCommons@Cornell - Cornell University

FIJIAN – ENGLISH DICTIONARY R. GATTY
bui-na n. tail (physical). bui ni gata snake’s tail, bui ni ose horse’s tail. bui ni ika fish tail.
Idiom: loki buina Lit. tail between the legs (as a dog), for being aftaid, running away or quitting in
fear.
bui ni ga n. type of haircut this supposedly resembles the backside of a duck. This has been fashionable.
A somewhat shortened version has been known as bui ni soqe “pigeon’s tail”.
bui ni gone n. respectful term for elderly woman who is or could be a grandmother, sometimes used for
fertility godess of locality which may be represented by a
carved wooden figurine. As a form of address, one may say, for example, Bui-Sireli for the
grandmother of Sireli.
bujia (Eng.) n. butcher. Fijians are just trying to use the English word. Syn.
butia.
buka 1. n. firewood, fire. ta buka to cut firewood. ca buka to gather firewood.
Idiom: Maca na wai ka boko na buka. The cupboard is bare, or no more kava, tobacco, food. Lit. No
more water and the fire has gone out.
Idiom: kuvu na buka me laurai you won’t be caught (seen), go ahead and do it, suggesting to
someone to do something illicit.
buka 2. n. children's game with two teams. Single goal post is at each end of a field. One child calls
“Buka” and runs for the opponents’ post. The other team will try to touch him.
buka, bukana v. to add wood to a fire, build up an on-going fire.
bukana v. to instigate, as in stirring up trouble. daubukana n. instigator.
bukana v. to tempt. Mo kua ni bukani au. Don't tempt me. See baca.
buke (or) bukebuke n. mound, as for planting yams etc. Nabukebuke n. super-tribe that predominates
in all of Namosi Province. Idiom: dravusani ga na buke e cere. the important person (such as a chief)
is to be favoured.
bukete adj., n. pregnant. bukete vatu false pregnancy. By ext., bukete may refer to fruit of duruka
becoming plump, mature. Syn. Sa tawa na matana.
Idiom: bubului vaka bukete to make false promises.
vakabukete-taka v. to impregnate, make (a woman) pregnant.
buki, bukia v. to fasten, to tie (a knot). bukia na vere conspire to trick. ibukibuki knot, bond. Keirau
bukia tu we (2 exc.) have planned ahead, are committed. ulu buki hair tied in a knot or “bun” behind
the head (usually of a woman with soft hair).
buki ni liku (Archaic) n. former custom of fastening a traditional skirt (liku) on a young woman at the
time of marriage.
buki vere n., v. conspiracy, conspiring, to plan an attack, which will often be by conspiracy and treachery.
ibukibuki n. knot, or bond formed deliberately.
buku, bukuya v. to tie (as of a knot).
ibuku n. knot (as tied in a rope).
veibuku v. to agree (as in setting an appointment), to plan something together. veibuku n. appointment,
agreement for something scheduled.
buku, bukuta v. to plan, arrange to do something together. bukuti adj. planned, agreed upon, as a verb,
persuade to go along with. A bukuti au ko Seru me keirau laki vakasasa. Seru persuaded me to
accompany him going pig-hunting. E tiko na noqu veibuku. I have an appointment.
buku v. bulge out, as in Sa buku mai na sucuna, usually referring to a girl maturing, Her breasts are
bulging.
buku-na n. heel, as in buku ni madrai heel of the breadloaf. In some dialects, kubu-na. kubu ni ivava
heel of the shoe. buku ni dakai n. stock or butt of a gun. Idiom: Buku levu! (Vulgar) Big ass! big
bum.
bukubuku ni yava-na n. heel of the foot.
bukuta v. to invite or persuade someone to accompany another person or join in some activity, a trip, a
social occasion, or task to be done.
bula v., n., adj. to live, life, live; by ext. hello. mate bula knocked unconscious, medically in a coma (or)
worthless, of a person. ilavo bula cash money. "yau bula" money. bula vakawati n. married life.
tamata bula n. adult (no longer a youth or girl), able to perform fully adult functions in the
community. bula i yavei (or) bula yavoki v., n. drifter, vagabond, lone person who lives by what he
can pick up here and there, thus not a full participant in society. ika bula live fish (but may refer to a
turtle). bula vinaka to be well, healthy. veika bula n. living organism(s), including all plants,
animals, microorganisms. bula adj. erect, of a penis. Syn. droi. (The opposite is mate.) By ext., an
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