H

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

habar   news   noun

habar-habar   it’s said that   adverb

hadat₁   traditional culture, customs   noun

hael   branch, as of a coconut tree   noun

hafal   in made-up fashion   adverb

hafen   harbor   noun

haga   attempt   verb

haga-haga₁   to dare to take some risk   verb

haga-haga₂   experiment   noun

hahae   “haha”   interjection

hahakae   arrogantly try too hard to succeed and get praise   verb

hahalang₁   bindle   noun

hahalang₂   burden   noun

hahase   skin of the sago stem used to make a roof   noun

hahatang   wood or palm stem stands on which baked sago bread cools   noun

hahean   a legume with deep yellow flowers; its leaves are pounded with shallots for cough medicine; the juice from crushed leaves is dripped into infants’ eyes (age five days) to clean them   noun

haheket   fastening   noun

hahesi   [see tali hahesi]   noun

hahusul   bow-and-arrow, slingshot, speargun   noun

hak   hook, fisherman’s gaff   noun

haka   pry, prise   verb

hake   separate and toss the shell from the seed of the kanari nut   verb

hala   carry   verb

halakul   a large tree (?)   noun

halamang₁   yard, garden   noun

halangang₂   obstacle, snag   noun

haleki raja   the tree gironniera subaequalis   noun

haleki   a species of tree in the genus gironniera or macaranga   noun

haleri   a small tree, the leaves of which are used in traditional medicine   noun

halia   ginger   noun

halma   chinese chequers   noun

halu   pestle   noun

halua   soft caramelised candied nuts, typically kanari mixed with palm sugar   noun

haluang₁   bow of a boat   noun

haluang₂   helm of a boat   noun

hamang-hamang   an insect, perhaps a gnat   noun

hamar   hammer   noun

hambag   possibly humbug (?)   adjective

handel₁   economic capital   noun

handel₂   responsibility   noun

handel₃   serve, service   verb

handok   towel   noun

hang   alley   noun

hangsang   gills   noun

hanskun   glove   noun

hansop   onesie   noun

hantam   strike   verb

hantas   carrying bag   noun

hanua   a type of tree   noun

har ampa   thursday   noun

har dominggu   sunday   noun

har dua   tuesday   noun

har lima   friday   noun

har mandag   monday   noun

har sabtu   saturday   noun

har tiga   wednesday   noun

har   day   noun

harap gampang   lazy, always looking to others for help   adjective

harapang   trusty, reliable   adjective

haringang   light (weight)   adjective

harnat   grenade   noun

harta kaweng   reverse dowry   noun

has   fine-meshed screen   noun

hasa   skirt, follow (e.g. a shoreline)   verb

hasa-hasa   approach   verb

hasat   a vine often used for lashing things together, especially for fish traps   noun

hasida kantang   hasida made with potato   noun

hasida   a cake made of slightly-fried raw dough, sugar and spices   noun

haso   mix   verb

hataul   the tree calophyllun inophyllum, whose fruit is traditionally used to make candles   noun

hati bae   good hearted, kind   adjective

hati bengko   dishonest   adjective

hati busu   unkind   adjective

hati gaba-gaba   (?)   adjective

hati ilang   experience a fear of heights   verb

hati tapukul   experience pounding of the heart   verb

hati tuang   “master of my heart” (figurative)   adjective

hattip   muslim cleric   noun

hawa konto   fart   noun

hawa   air   noun

hawas   in good health   adjective

hawon   ordinary   adjective

hayal   presumptuous   adjective

he’e   “now look what you’ve done!”   interjection

hehel   traditional woven bamboo fish trap, used to catch small fish at low tide.   noun

heits   “hey you” (interrogative)   interjection

hek   gulp   noun

hela rotang   play tug-of-war   verb

hela-hela₁   tug   verb

hela-hela₂   slowly   adverb

hela₁   slowly   adverb

hela₂   draw out over time   verb

helahai₁   take a deep breath   verb

helahai₂   sigh   verb

helahai₃   let out a dying breath   verb

hena   clan   noun

hener₁   rushing (as water)   verb

hener₂   flow   noun

hener₃   swollen from rain   adjective

hese   flattened, not truly round   adjective

hesi-hesi   the gracile lizardfish (saurida gracilis)   noun

hetu   [see hotu]   noun

hidop-hidop   enthusiastic, passionate   adjective

hidop₁   flame   noun

hidop₂   grow   verb

hidop₃   life   noun

hidop₄   profession   noun

hikil-hikil   a type of fish with a flat body (?)   noun

hini   seed   noun

hiti-hiti   to bear equally (?)   verb

hiu   shark   noun

hobatang   witchcraft, black magic   noun

hodeng   style   noun

hogor   relay news, gossip   verb

hohal   bangle made of cone snail shell   noun

hohalang   [see hahalang]   noun

hohate   a simple fishing rod made from a piece of bamboo tied with line and hook   noun

hohoritil   wander aimlessly   verb

hokal   a fathom (6 ft)   noun

hokmat   speak suddenly and firmly in a loud voice   verb

hole-hole   hypocritical   adjective

holo   get lucky   verb

honar₁   rotten   adjective

honar₂   [see hosi]   adjective

hongi   17th century dutch expeditions to extirpate spice trees (?)   noun

hongi   gather as an angry riotous mob   verb

honya-honya   youthful folly   noun

hop   “hooray!”   interjection

hor₁   a kind of large machete   noun

hor₂   the sound of a snore   interjection

hordein   curtain   noun

hordeng   [see hordein]   noun

horomate   “honor to you!”   interjection

hosa   hard to breathe, shortness of breath   adjective

hosi   smells of urine   adjective

hosi-hosi   smell like urine   verb

hostes   “whore” (pejorative)   interjection

hotong   foxtail millet (setaria italica)   noun

hotu₁   to go to the mountains   verb

hotu₂   to surface from under the sea   verb

hotu₃   talk   noun

hou₁   boast untruthfully   verb

hou₂   steal   verb

houderbak   rifle clip   noun

hreis   gray   adjective

hret   fret of a stringed instrument   noun

hua-hua   pallid   adjective

huele   call out with a loud, often yodeling voice, so as to make one’s presence known in the forest   verb

huhate   [see hohate]   noun

huk   corner   noun

humawal   the indo-pacific tarpon (megalops cyprinoides)   noun

hur   [see hor₂]   interjection

hura-hura   to feel happy, rejoice   verb

hura₁   joy, gladness   noun

hura₂   “hurrah!”   interjection

huri   scar   noun

hus   “shoo!”   interjection

huse   [see hus]   interjection

hut   pass (e.g. an exam, a test)   verb

hutang   forest   noun

hutil   wart   noun

hutul   bamboo chicken coop   noun

hutung   the tree barringtonia asiatica, the fruit of which is used to poison fish at low tide   noun

huwele   [see huele]   verb