Fijian-English Dictionary - eCommons@Cornell - Cornell University

FIJIAN – ENGLISH DICTIONARY R. GATTY
in the extended territory (matanitu) is Beqa, Kadavu, Vatulele, and west through Nadroga. (Orginally
that included only coastal Nadroga and part of Kadavu. Northern Nadroga still does not feel a part of
this territory.)
buredela-na n. very top of the head at its highest point. kesu-na is the crown of the head, the depression
at the back of the head.
bureitaka v. to be reluctant to give, to refuse something wanted by someone else.
buroburogo or buruburogo adj. stingy, mean, ungiving, selfish, keeps things to oneself instead of
sharing (and thus the behaviour “stinks”).
burogo n. stink-bug. When disturbed it gives off a strong odour that can cling to a person.
buroro v. to sprout up abundantly, of seeds, plants, weeds. Also refers to breaking out of many pimples,
usually on children. May even apply to occurence of many troublesome flies in a house.
Burotu n. after-life paradise, floating island of Central Proto-Polynesian mythology that sometimes
recedes beneath the sea, inhabited by beautiful women and things that have a reddish tone, including
coconuts. The myth is especially associated with the Waimaro people on Matuku Island and it is said
to be located near that island. Reference is sometimes made to Burotu-kula, associating the colour red
kula with Burotu. Stories tell of men who visited Burotu and returned. It seems that Matuku Island
was in most extremely early times settled and greatly disputed by Proto-Polynesians. Part of their
interest was almost certainly the collection of the red feathers of the Fijian parrots kula. Syn. Pulotu
in Lau.
Idiom: Eda sa mai tarai Burotu sara. We (many) are on top of the world, enjoying the best of
everything, in Paradise.
buru, buruka v. to squeeze and crush with the fingers, or pinch, as with chilli pepper for use as a
condiment, or with a cigarette butt to extinguish it. Applies also to a private signal pressing and
moving the fingers; it may be between the sexes as an expression of interest, or may be just a private
signal man-to-man, or woman-to-woman, to direct attention secretly to someone else of interest.
burua-sika v. to splatter, spurt out, as juice from mushy fruit, watery stool of diarrhea.
buruburogo adj. stingy, unsharing.
burugone v. to attempt abortion by physical means. Syn. vakalutu na gone, implying abortion by any
means.
buru-lago adj. lazy, doing nothing, wasting time, as if just swatting flies.
busa 1. n. an edible Garfish, half-beak, that skims as it swims, Hemiramphus far. Three black spots on
each of the two silver sides. Syn. buse. Iconic fish of Yaqeta Island where it is eaten.
busa 2. n. an area of thick underbrush, low forest.
busi (Slang) n., adj. stink.
buta 1. v. cook, cooked, of food. vakabutari cooked. This is a general word. saqa, saqa v. refers to
cooking in a pot, traditionally referring to steaming, though modernly referring also to boiling. ura
buta n. type of prawn that is red naturally (as though it were cooked), at Vatulele, Naweni, and
VanuaVatu, Parhyppolyte uveae, not eaten.
Idiom: itukutuku buta katataka “hot” news.
Idiom: kana buta lit., eat food that is cooked and ready, refering to a person who might help with
work at the later stages but expects to be fed or rewarded as if he had helped substantially.
Idiom: buta droka trying something at which one is inexperienced, lacking full knowledge, not yet
competent, new on the job, a greenhorn. The usual meaning of buta droka, mentioned above, refers to
food half-cooked, not completely cooked, usually from an earth oven opened prematurely. (It is not
always easy to judge the right timing.) Syn. butu-kara.
buta 2. burned, scorched, of person or part of their body, blisters may be implied, caused by strong sun,
heat or friction. Despite dark skins some Fijians may be burned by the sun, and may be afflicted with
sun cancer. bubuta having many blisters. buta may refer to a boil ready to burst.
buta-na n. (Vulgar) bum, rump, buttocks of person or animal. Sometimes used as insult, which may be
joking, showing a consciousness of racial colour: Buta vula! White ass! or Buta loaloa! Black ass!
A general insult would be Buta karokaro! Pimply ass! In Suva, men may call out “Nice buta!” to a
girl they admire. And they may hear as a fast answer “Cost tabua! “ (“It would cost you a whaletooth!”)
which implies “You would have to marry me.” It is all said in good fun, if a little vulgar. buta
dauloloma n. easy girl, an easy “lay”. Syn. mu-na, the proper word.
vakabutara v. to cook. vakabutari cooked.
butara v. to remove food from pot or oven and put it on plates.
butako, butakoca v. to steal. dau butako thief. butabutako thieving. Finding and taking things for
one’s own use or one’s own family has been a major source of sustenance in Fiji. This is not
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