L

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

la’ang   old, worn out   adjective

la’e-la’e   outrageous   adjective

la₁   and then   conjunction

la₂   so   conjunction

labe   more   noun

labor₁   spread (a sticky substance)   verb

labor₂   polish   verb

labrak   strike, beat   verb

labrang   [see tali labrang]   noun

labuang   harbour, anchorage   noun

labuhang   [see labuang]   noun

lading   a kind of marine worm (?)   noun

ladong   weighted harpoon dropped on a rope from a canoe to spear sea turtles   noun

lae₁   also, too   conjunction

lae₂   anymore   adverb

lae₃   by this/that time   adverb

lae₄   more   adjective

lae₅   again   adverb

laeng-laeng   very strangely   adverb

laeng₁   different   adjective

laeng₂   other   adjective

laeng₃   incongruous, abnormal   adjective

laepose   flirtatious, forward (especially if showing excessive interest in the opposite sex)   adjective

laga₁   proud, arrogant   adjective

laga₂   machismo   noun

lai   [see lae]   conjunction

laipose   [see laepose]   adjective

laiya   climb (e.g. a tree)   verb

laju   fast   adjective

lakas   fast   adjective

lakas-lakas   “hurry up”   interjection

laki piara   common-law husband   noun

laki   husband   noun

laklaki   male   noun

laku₁   sold out   adjective

laku₂   useful   adjective

lakuase   [see langkuas]   noun

lala   weary   adjective

lala-hati   frustrated   adjective

lalamal   a species of parrotfish (the family scaridae)   noun

lalamong   seaweed   noun

lalar biru   the bluebottle (calliphora vomitoria)   noun

lalar itang   the blacksoldier fly (hermetia illucens)   noun

lalar   a fly   noun

lale₁   heart in the poetic sense as the seat of feeling and emotion   noun

lale₂   waste an opportunity   verb

lalosi   the yellow and blueback fusilier (caesio teres) or the banana fusilier (pterocaesio pisang)   noun

lama-lama₁   very long (duration)   adjective

lama-lama₂   delay   noun

lama₁   slow   adjective

lama₂   delicious   adjective

lamadang   the mahi-mahi, or common dolphinfish (coryphaena hippurus)   noun

lamamar₁   having soaked up brine after floating for a long time in salt water   adjective

lamamar₂   having been transported by birds   adjective

lamamar₃   a kind of tree (?)   noun

lamari   [see kas₂]   noun

lambong   beam (nautical direction), the direction perpendicular to the boat’s length   adjective

lame   mashed   adjective

lamedang   [see lamadang]   noun

lamet   the indonesian snack lemet   noun

lamong   seedling   noun

lampiong   chinese-style lantern   noun

lamutang   a drifting clump of seaweed   noun

lancang   cheeky   adjective

landeng   military shore landing   noun

langet   sky   noun

langganang   subscription   noun

langgar₁   via   preposition

langgar₂   pass by, through   verb

langgar₃   beyond   verb

langi-langi mulu   roof of mouth   noun

langkang   balustrade around a porch   noun

langkuas mera   red ginger (alpinia purpurata)   noun

langkuas   galangal (alpinia galanga)   noun

langsa   the tree lansium parasiticum and its fruit   noun

langsang   slow   adjective

lansyik   lethargic   adjective

lantarang   because   conjunction

lante₁   floor   noun

lante₂   split and flattened bamboo used as a building material   noun

lanterna   lantern   noun

lao₁   sea   noun

lao₂   seaward   noun

laor   an edible sea worm, palola viridis   noun

lap₁   flannel   noun

lap₂   slap   verb

lap₃   swab   verb

lapangang   field   noun

lapas₁   release, free, let go   verb

lapas₂   after, beyond   preposition

lapisang   layers   noun

laporang   report.   noun

lasi₁   do something negative to someone   verb

lasi₂   the barred queenfish (scromberoides tala), or the japanese spanish mackerel (scomberomorus niphonius)   noun

lasi₃   the tree semecarpus forstenii   noun

lasi₄   the tree adina fagifolia   noun

lasong   a large rice-pounding tool, resembling a giant pestle and mortar, used to separate the husk from the grain   noun

laste   final   adjective

lastok   curse, swear   verb

lasu   masturbate   verb

lat₁   boat frame   noun

lat₂   late   adjective

latiang   practice   verb

lautang   ocean   noun

lawa-lawa   a species of swallow (the family hirundinidae)   noun

lawa-lawa   spider webs   noun

lawang₁   opponent   noun

lawang₂   awfully (very)   adverb

lawangka   crowbar   noun

layan   charge (a battery)   verb

layang-layang   kite   noun

layar   the indo-pacific sailfish (istiophorus platypterus)   noun

lebae   it would be better if   conjunction

lebe   more   adjective

lebe-lebe   too much   adjective

ledeng   pipeline   noun

lego   let go suddenly   verb

lehen   lie low on one’s belly or crawl forward on the ground during a firefight   verb

lei   past, beyond   preposition

lein   ornamental line running lengthwise along the hull of a canoe   noun

lela   ancient cannon   noun

lelehulo   small flies, gnats   noun

lelepasi   a kind of fish (?)   noun

lema batu   the leaping bonito (cybiosarda elegans)   noun

lema₁   the indian mackerel (rastrelliger kanagurta)   noun

lema₂   lethargic   adjective

lembe-lembe   graceful (?)   adjective

lemong cina   calamansi (citrus × microcarpa)   noun

lemong makang   the pomelo (citrus maxima)   noun

lemong manis   the mandarin orange (citrus reticulata)   noun

lemong nipis   the key lime (citrus × aurantiifolia)   noun

lemong wangi   a fragrant kind of citrus used to fragrance the hair   noun

lemong   general term for citrus fruits   noun

lempeng₁   bar, loaf   noun

lempeng₂   shape   noun

lena   to walk along the coastline a long way   verb

lencam   a species of fish in the family lethrinidae   noun

lender   mucus   noun

lenggua batu   [see lenggua]   noun

lenggua gaba-gaba   [see lenggua]   noun

lenggua mera   a harder, more expensive kind of lenggua   noun

lenggua puti   a softer kind of lenggua   noun

lenggua   the papua new guinea rosewood (pterocarpus indicus)   noun

lengso   handkerchief   noun

lenso   [see lengso]   noun

lepa-lepa   [see kole-kole]   noun

leparissa   the traditional name for the teun corresponding to oma village on haruku island   noun

lepestep   lipstick   noun

lepu-lepu   mentally or physically disabled   adjective

lesa   dining table made of woven bamboo or aren palm leaf stems   noun

lesu₁   to take one’s trousers down   verb

lesu₂   weak   adjective

letu   cut off, trim, prune   noun

lia-lia   fortune-teller, oracle   noun

lia₁   look   verb

lia₂   see   verb

lia₃   peep, spy on   verb

lia₄   notice   verb

liang   cave   noun

liar   wild (untamed)   adjective

licing₁   slippery   adjective

licing₂   gone, finished (slang)   adjective

lidi   stem of a coconut palm leaf   noun

liling₁   candle   noun

liling₂   wax   noun

lima   [see lema₁]   noun

limar   file (tool)   noun

linggua   [see lenggua]   noun

lingkar   roll (of something)   noun

lipa₁   fold   verb

lipa₂   attack and defeat (slang)   verb

lipatang   fold   noun

lirang₁   piece of thatch   noun

lirang₂   seam of a sarong   noun

lobang idong   nostril   noun

lobang panta   anus   noun

lobang puki₁   vagina   noun

lobang puki₂   (an extremely rude insult)   noun

lobang talingang   ear hole   noun

lobang   hole   noun

lobe₁   dried coconut leaves   noun

lobe₂   shine light upon   verb

lobe₃   image something in a mirror   verb

lobi-lobi   [see tomi-tomi]   noun

loco   masturbate (swear)   verb

loga-loga₁   float   verb

loga-loga₂   loose   verb

loja   flaccid   adjective

loki   a kind of fish (?)   noun

loko-loko   help   verb

loko₁   grab   verb

loko₂   hold   verb

loko₃   measure word for handfuls   measure

lola   [see bia lola]   noun

loleba   rope woven from the young fronds of the sago palm   noun

loleng   loaf around   verb

loli-loli   possibly the red barracuda (sphyraena pinguis)   noun

lolosi   [see lalosi]   noun

lomba-lomba   whale   noun

lombar salak   membrane surrounding salak fruit   noun

lombar₁   palm branch   noun

lombar₂   sago stem or aren palm stem   noun

lombar₃   protective layer or sheet   noun

lombo-lombo   very exhausted   adjective

lombo₁   exhausted and feeling weak   adjective

lombo₂   soft   adjective

lombo₃   limp   adjective

lome   stirring sago flour to make papeda   verb

lompa   the baelama anchovy (thryssa baelama)   noun

loncong tangang   wrist watch   noun

longgar   not narrow   adjective

lopal   the dry spathe of areca palm flower stalks   noun

lopis   traditional cake, made with cassava and banana   noun

loreng   camouflage   adjective

los   let, permit   verb

losi   a species of remora (the family echeneidae)   noun

losiang₁   anaemia   noun

losiang₂   weak due to regularly staying up all night   noun

losnot   curse, swear   verb

lot₁   fishing weight   noun

lot₂   probe   noun

lot₃   shoot at   verb

loto   lotery   noun

lotrei   lottery   noun

lotu   [see letu]   verb

loyer   [see loyor]   noun

loyor   diaper   noun

lubangpuki   [see lobang puki]   noun

lucu₁   slip off   verb

lucu₂   slide   verb

luda   spit, spit on   verb

luisiang   [see losiang₂]   noun

lumu-lumu₁   moss   noun

lumu-lumu₂   seaweed   noun

lupis   [see lopis]   noun

lur-lur   peeking   verb

lur₁   peek   verb

lur₂   spy on   verb

luri   enter through a gap in a fence   verb

luru   wither   verb

luti-luti aer   a disease   noun

luti-luti   measles   noun

lutu   knee   noun