G

This dictionary contains only those words that differ from standard Indonesian, following the lists compiled by Takaria & Pieter (1998), Devin, and Pattiasina, with orthography standardised between the three. Stress tends to be noticeably on the penultimate syllable, which plays a significant part in producing the distinctive Ambon accent. Many words are derived from Indonesian by applying the following substitutions:

• Initial -e, -er syllables in grammatical prefixes become -a

  • berdiri → badiri, terbakar → tabakar

• Final -n, -m modifiers become -ng

  • teman → tamang, asam → asang

• Final -k, -h modifiers are dropped

  • anak → ana, bersih → barsi

• Final -u syllable becomes -o

  • arus → aros, mabuk → mabo

• Initial -e, -er syllables more generally become -a

  • mesin → masing, lentera → lanterna

gaba-gaba   sago palm stem   noun

gabadang   bomb used for fishing, grenade   noun

gabeng   cabin biscuit, cream cracker   noun

gaca bongko   a kind of fish (?)   noun

gaca   the humpback red snapper (lutjanus gibbus)   noun

gaco montar   ace marble (?)   noun

gaco   taw (marble)   noun

gadeng   rib of a boat   noun

gadihu   the fire croton (codiaeum variegatum)   noun

gae-gae   hook   noun

gae₁   cath and reel in   verb

gae₂   do something energetically (slang)   verb

gaf   gaff (sailing)   noun

gaga   handsome   adjective

gagang   stem, twig   noun

gagawang   to dare to do something   verb

gai   pull   verb

gai-gai   tool for grabbing fruit from a tree   noun

gaja   elephant   noun

gajiang   payday   noun

gala   barge pole, punting pole   noun

galala   the indian coral tree (erythrina variegata)   noun

galang₁   bracelet   noun

galang₂   large ring (not jewellery)   noun

galap   dark   adjective

galap-galap   still dark   adjective

galas₁   drinking glass   noun

galas₂   glass (the raw material, especially when powdered to be glued to kite strings)   noun

gale-gale   bring up (in conversation)   verb

gale₁   extract, remove   verb

gale₂   dig   verb

galeter   (of a spinning top) wobbly   noun

gali aer₁   hydrophobic   adjective

gali aer₂   inattentive to personal hygiene   adjective

gali₁   disgusted   verb

gali₂   shrink from, be unwilling to touch   verb

galici   a small-leaved creeping plant with thorny stems, used to catch bats (?)   noun

galinggi   a plant which bears pods used as congka playing pieces   noun

galoba   a plant in the ginger family, hornstedtia conica, and its fruit   noun

galojo   greedy   adjective

galos   (?)   noun

gamang₁   over-eager   verb

gamang₂   lust after   verb

gambir   the plant uncaria gambir, whose leaves are chewed with siri leaves for a stimulant effect   noun

gambret   variant of the indonesian game hompimpa, a sort of three-person rock-paper-scissors   noun

gambus   lute.   noun

game   beckon   verb

gampang₁   easy   adjective

gampang₂   already   adverb

gamu   fat   adjective

gamutu₁   the aren palm (arenga pinnata)   noun

gamutu₂   fibre of the aren palm   noun

gamutu₃   rope made from gamutu fibre   noun

gancang   cheeky   adjective

ganco   a pole used in handling gunny sacks   noun

gancu   [see ganco]   noun

gandaria   the tree bouea macrophylla and its fruit   noun

gandeng   hitch a ride, e.g. on the back of someone’s moped   verb

gandong₁   closely-related cousin   pronoun

gandong₂   person whose village is related to one’s own by pela   noun

ganefer   whisky   noun

ganemo   [see ganemu]   noun

ganemu   the tree gnetum gnemon and its bean (melinjo)   noun

ganggantang   (?)   noun

gangsa   goose   noun

gantang₁   large basket made of bamboo   noun

gantang₂   handsome   adjective

ganti₁   substitute, replace   verb

ganti₂   instead of   adverb

gantong muka₂   reluctant to speak   adjective

gantong₁   hang   verb

gap   [see gaf]   noun

gara-gara   bothering, interfering   verb

garaf   [see garap]   noun

garang   salt   noun

garap   drain, gutter   noun

garding   curtain   noun

gardus   cardboard.   noun

gareja basar   first holy communion   noun

gareja   church   noun

garendel₁   the bar or latch of a door   noun

garendel₂   bar (a door)   verb

gareng   crisp, brittle   adjective

gargaji buaya   large trapezoidal saw with two handles, used to saw planks from trunks   noun

gargaji potong   large saw with two handles, used to saw planks from trunks   noun

gargaji taresel   [see gargaji tresel]   noun

gargaji tongka   large saw with two handles and a three-sided wooden frame, used to saw planks from trunks.   noun

gargaji tresel   a kind of large saw, operated by two people   noun

gargaji waja   hacksaw   noun

gargaji   saw   noun

gargantang₁   throat, oesophagus   noun

gargantang₂   adam’s apple   noun

gargatang   frustrated to the point of wanting to lash out   adjective

garida₁   flirtatious   adjective

garida₂   big beautiful eyes   adjective

garis tangang₁   palm lines   noun

garis tangang₂   luck   noun

garis-garis   a match (firelighting tool)   noun

garis₁   scratch   noun

garis₂   scratch   verb

garis₃   match for lighting fires   noun

garobak   cart   noun

garopa   either the brown-marbled grouper (epinephelus fuscoguttatus) or the honeycomb grouper (epinephelus merra)   noun

garos   (of elongated objects) thick, having large diameter   adjective

garrap   dried-up river   noun

gartak gigi   grit one’s teeth   verb

gartak₁   shout at in order to frighten   verb

gartak₂   try to interrupt   verb

garu₁   scratch   verb

garu₂   stir (a viscous fluid)   verb

garuru   container made of bark to catch aer neira   noun

gasa   rub abrasively   verb

gasao   the blue sprat (sprattelloides delicatulus)   noun

gata-gata₁   chopstick-like cutlery used to serve papeda   noun

gata-gata₂   coal tongs   noun

gata-gata₃   clamp (tool)   noun

gata₁   sap, pitch   noun

gata₂   rubber   noun

gata₃   pinch   verb

gatang kanari   coconut crab   noun

gatang   crab   noun

gatsasi   receive catechesis, attend lectures on christian doctrine   verb

gayang₁   the tahitian chestnut (inocarpus fagifer)   noun

gayang₂   female genitalia (vulgar)   noun

gayong   dipper   noun

gede   pawn   verb

genggo   a type of flying insect that children catch and tie string to. there are two variants: one bluish black, the other gold   noun

gepe-gepe₁   clamp tightly   verb

gepe-gepe₂   very tight   adjective

gepe₁   clamp   verb

gepe₂   tight   adjective

geta   [see gata₂]   noun

gete-gete₁   possibly ostorhinchus taeniophorus, the reef-flat cardinalfish   noun

gete-gete₂   small (figurative)   noun

gici-gici₁   a children’s game similar to hopscotch   noun

gici-gici₂   skip   verb

gigi balobang   tooth with a cavity   noun

gigi jare   to sit in regret, sorrow (?)   verb

gigi₁   bite   verb

gigi₂   tooth   noun

gijawas   [see goyawas]   noun

gili-gili   tickling   verb

gilirang   a turn, one’s assigned time to do thing (e.g. in a game)   noun

gintang   cumin   noun

giwang   earring, ear jewellery more generally   noun

giyawas   [see goyawas]   noun

glos   [see galos]   noun

gobang   2½ cent coin used during the dutch colonial era   noun

gode   pot bellied   adjective

gofasa   [see gufasa]   noun

gogona   small fishing tool used for skipjack tuna   noun

gogos₁   the indonesian snack lemper: a meat filling is rolled inside glutinous rice, then wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled or steamed   noun

gogos₂   dear (patronising, e.g. “dear boy”)   noun

gohi   vegetables   noun

gol   inevitably   adverb

goleba   rope woven of coconut bark or young sago branches   noun

golojo   [see galojo]   noun

golos   [see galos]   noun

gomaro   the crevalle jack (caranx hippos)   noun

gomaru   [see gomaro]   noun

gometar   shivering   verb

gomira   a particular tree with leaves eaten as a vegetable   noun

gomu   breadfruit (artocarpus altilis)   noun

gondal mera   the tree ficus septica   noun

gondal   the red leaf fig (ficus congesta)   noun

gong-gong   bark (of a dog)   verb

gopu-gopu₁   rushing   adjective

gopu-gopu₂   in a rush   adverb

gora baduri   a kind of fish (?)   noun

gora   the scarlet soldierfish (myripristis pralinia)   noun

gorara   the common bluestripe snapper (lutjanus kasmira), the moluccan snapper (lutjanus boutton), and the brownstripe red snapper (lutjanus vitta)   noun

gorgontong   [see ganggantang]   noun

gorinda₁   roughly tear something apart   verb

gorinda₂   rub   verb

goro-goro   having fun   verb

goropa itam   the white-streaked grouper (epinephelus ongus) and the chocolate hind (cephalopolis boenak)   noun

goropa lodi   the leopard coral grouper (plectropomus leopardus)   noun

goropa   [see garopa]   noun

gorora   possibly russel’s snapper (lutjanus russellii)   noun

goros   [see garos]   adjective

gosau   a species of fish in the genus spratelloides   noun

gosepa   raft   noun

gosi   male genitalia   noun

goso₁   rub   verb

goso₂   whet   verb

gosso   coax   noun

gotana   a species of surgeonfish in the genus acanthurus   noun

goti₁   traditional sago container made of wrapped palm leaves   noun

goti₂   trough used in sago processing   noun

goyang-goyang   flour sifter   noun

goyang₁   movement   noun

goyang₂   church bell chimes   noun

goyawas   the common guava (psidium guajava)   noun

grendel   [see garendel]   noun

gring-gring   the sound of a bicycle bell   interjection

gros   [see garos]   adjective

gufasa   the new guineea teak (vitex cofassus)   noun

gugur   fall   verb

guheba   the osprey (pandion haliactus)   noun

gujawas   [see goyawas]   noun

gula tare   a type of candy   noun

gulema   possibly the spinetail devil ray (mobula japanica)   noun

guna gurita   witchcraft to win the hearts of women   noun

guna-guna   to use magic for a specific purpose   verb

guna₁   benefit   noun

guna₂   magic   noun

gunting₁   the forking timbers that support a peaked roof   noun

gunting₂   pinch off (a piece of papeda) between forefinger and thumb   verb

gurara   a kind of fish (?)   noun

gurita₁   any species of octopus   noun

gurita₂   a kind of wrapping or vest for babies   noun

gusau   [see gosau]   noun

gusepa   raft   noun

gutana   [see gotana]   noun

guyawas kasumba   possibly the watery rose apple (syzygium aqueum)   noun

guyawas puti   a variety of watery rose apple with white flesh   noun

guyawas   [see goyawas]   noun