M

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

ma’inap   without much forethought   adverb

ma’opu   wood suffering from dry-rot or termites   adjective

ma   mother   noun

maano   dividing the spoils of some task   verb

maanu   [see maano]   verb

mabo lau   seasick   adjective

mabo   drunk   adjective

macang₁   like (as if, similar to)   preposition

macang₂   type, kind   noun

macang₃   tiger   noun

mace   “mother”, term of address for a woman with whom one is familiar   address

mae-mae cuka   possibly the whip scorpion (the order thelyphonida)   noun

mae-mae ujang   termites swarming in heavy rain   verb

mae-mae   insect   noun

maenang   toy   noun

maeng mata   flirt   verb

maeng   play   verb

mahange   running under the wall and doorway of a building (?)   noun

mahangi   [see mahange]   noun

mai-mai   [see mae-mae]   noun

mai₁   mother (rude, not used as a form of address)   noun

mai₂   female   adjective

maiare   philandering, womanising   verb

mainatu   laundry man   noun

maitua₁   beloved   noun

maitua₂   wife   noun

makanang   food   noun

makang ayang   a bird of prey, possibly the black eagle (ictinaetus malaiensis)   noun

makang dara   charge excessive interest on a loan   verb

makang hati   frustrated, troubled   adjective

makang lender   loan shark   noun

makang minya   use up cooking oil   verb

makang puji   become conceited after being praised.   verb

makang   eat   verb

makang-makang   eat together   verb

makarau   be eclipsed   verb

make   a species of fish in the genus sardinella, possibly sardinella fimbriata, or herklotsichthys castelnaui   noun

maki   swear, curse   verb

malahori   wanders around at night aimlessly   adjective

malakat   stick to, attach   verb

malamait   related as sibling-in-law   adjective

malamong   daydream   verb

malang bai₁   “good evening”   interjection

malang bai₂   “good night”   interjection

malang konci taong   new year’s eve   noun

malang panjang   an all-night event   noun

malang-malang   every night   adverb

malang₁   night   noun

malang₂   eve   noun

malapo₁   blistered   adjective

malapo₂   withered   adjective

malawang   against, opposed to   preposition

malayang₁   soar   verb

malayu   malay (ethnic group)   noun

male-male   remain with a grieving bereaved family overnight for support   verb

malele₁   leak, trickle   verb

malele₂   melt   verb

malengkang₁   only if   conjunction

malengkang₂   as if   conjunction

malengkang₃   if indeed   conjunction

maleo   junglefowl (derived from the specific example macrocephalon maleo)   noun

malesi   recklessly brave, daring   adjective

maleu   [see maleo]   noun

malintang   obstruct, impede   verb

maliong   million   noun

malulu₁   all   pronoun

malulu₂   exclusively   adverb

mama bongso₁   father’s youngest brother’s wife   noun

mama bongso₂   mother’s youngest sister   noun

mama gigi   grit one’s teeth   verb

mama hati   “dear me!”   interjection

mama mantu   mother-in-law   noun

mama piara   foster mother   noun

mama tenga₁   child’s term of address for father’s ‘middle’ brother’s wife   noun

mama tenga₂   child’s term of address for mother’s ‘middle’ sister   noun

mama tiri   stepmother   noun

mama tua₁   child’s term of address for father’s brother’s wife (who is older than the father)   noun

mama tua₂   child’s term of address for mother’s older sister   noun

mama₁   chew   verb

mama₂   mother   noun

mamah   [see mama₁]   noun

mamancang   act   noun

mamasa   cooking   verb

mamboro₁   fluttering of eyelashes   verb

mamboro₂   heavy with drowsiness (of the eyelids)   adjective

mamboro₃   not tightly closed   noun

mamboro₄   twinkling   verb

mampos   dead (crude)   noun

manahang   endure   verb

manampal   stick, adhere   verb

manangis   cry   verb

manara parau   the gear and rigging of a boat, everything that is not the hull   noun

manara ruma   the raw materials for building a house   noun

manara tukang   craftsman’s tools   noun

manara   tools, gear   noun

manari   dancing   verb

mancado   [see mancadu]   noun

mancadu   axe   noun

mancari₁   searching, looking for   verb

mancari₂   trade, barter   verb

mancari₃   make a living   verb

mandak   monday   noun

mandarat   perform a military shore landing   verb

mandera   [see bandera]   noun

mandidi₁   boiling   verb

mandidi₂   moving   verb

mandidi₃   playing   verb

mandong   the reduced heat of the sun as it starts to set   noun

mangado   make something a legal issue   verb

mangael   fish   verb

mangail   [see mangael]   noun

mangajang   groan   verb

mangaji   recite the qur’an   verb

mangako₁   agree to   verb

mangako₂   confess   verb

mangaku   [see mangako]   verb

mangamo₁   growl   verb

mangamo₂   burst forth in anger   verb

mangandong   be or become pregnant   verb

manganga   stare   verb

manganta   throb with pain   verb

manganto   sleepy   adjective

mangapa   why   adverb

mangarti₁   arrogant   adjective

mangarti₂   understand   verb

mangayo   go head hunting   verb

mange-mange   mangrove   noun

mangente₁   look after   verb

mangente₂   look in on   verb

mangente₃   visit in order to find out something   verb

mangente₄   investigate   verb

manggarang₁   growling   verb

manggarang₂   incubate   verb

manggarang₃   stay too long (figurative)   verb

manggarong   snore   verb

manggurebe₁   race   noun

manggurebe₂   race   verb

manggurebe₃   race for, race to get   verb

manggustang   mangosteen (garcinia mangostana)   noun

mangi-mangi₂   [see mange-mange]   noun

mangidang   crave   verb

manginte   [see mangente]   noun

mangkal   almost ripe   adjective

mangkali   perhaps, maybe   adverb

mangkera   reckless, often doing things that put oneself at risk   adjective

mangko   bowl   noun

mangkola   burp   verb

manguap   yawn   verb

mani-mani   bead   noun

manikang   [see malengkang]   noun

manir   good manners   noun

manisang pala   candied nutmeg fruit   noun

manisang   sweets, candy   noun

maniso₁   [see bacico₁]   verb

maniso₂   always busy   verb

maniso₃   be a busybody   verb

maniso₄   bully   noun

manit   minute   noun

manjai   sewing   verb

manjaling   [see manjiling]   noun

manjiling   cast a sideways glance, look at out of the corner of one’s eye   verb

manjong   the indian thornapple (datura metel), the dried leaves of which are smoked to treat asthma   noun

manomata   [see manumata]   noun

manta   raw (uncooked)   adjective

manta-manta   blatantly, without reservation   adverb

mantega₁   butter   noun

mantega₂   the oleander flower (nerium oleander)   noun

mantu   in-law (not of the same generation)   noun

manumata   top of a gable on a roof   noun

manumpang₁   join other people aboard a vehicle   verb

manumpang₂   spend the night   verb

manumpang₃   parasitise   verb

manumpang₄   parasitic   adjective

manuntut   bad-tempered, demanding   adjective

manyala₁   shiny   adjective

manyala₂   light (e.g. a lamp)   verb

manyangkal   deny   verb

manyanyi hela   sing slowly, drag out a song   verb

manyanyi   sing   verb

manyapu₁   broom   noun

manyapu₂   sweep   verb

manyasal   lament   verb

manyau   answer   verb

manyimpang   tidy up, put in good order, arrange properly   verb

maosi   a kind of fish (?)   noun

mar   but   conjunction

maraju   pout, sulk   verb

marata   weeping in grief at a death   verb

maraya   creep, crawl   verb

marayu   childish   adjective

mariam bulu   functional toy cannon made of bamboo   noun

marinyo   village head’s errand boy, town crier   noun

marinyu   [see marinyo]   noun

marong   the brown kurrajong (commersonia bartramia)   noun

maronta₁   rebel, resist   verb

maronta₂   squirm violently in order to get free   verb

marontak   [see maronta]   verb

marsegu   the ambon flying fox (pteropus chrysoproctus)   noun

marsegu   the bur tree (nauclea orientalis)   noun

martelu   hammer   noun

masa bodo   be ignorant   verb

masa₁   cook   verb

masa₂   cooked   adjective

masa₃   ripe   adjective

masariku   a kind of sea bird, possibly used to refer to phaethon lepturus, phaethon rubricauda, sula leucogaster, sula sula, sula dactylatra   noun

masin kaki   treadle-operated sewing machine   noun

masin listrik   electrical generator   noun

masin tangang   hand-cranked sewing machine   noun

masin₁   machine   noun

masin₂   engine   noun

masin₃   salty   noun

masing   [see masin]   noun

masiqi   mosque   noun

maski apa lai mar   no matter what   interjection

maski bagitu mar   nevertheless   conjunction

maski   even though   conjunction

masnait₁   a fishing group of five or more people (?)   noun

masnait₂   crew member   noun

maso minta   call upon a woman’s parents in order to ask her hand in marriage   verb

maso   enter   verb

masohi   work on a community project in exchange for cooked food   verb

masoso   a sudden magical occurence or sign   noun

masu   [see maso]   verb

masukkang   entry, input   noun

mata bulang   either a fish in the genus taractes, or the oxeye herring (megalops cyprinoides)   noun

mata ikang   corn (skin condition), clavus   noun

mata juling   cross-eyed   noun

mata manyala   wide-eyed   adjective

mata mera   the metallic starling (aplonis metallica)   noun

mata ruma   family lineage   noun

mata skel   cross-eyed   adjective

matahari makarao   solar eclipse   noun

matahari maso   sunset   noun

matahari miring   the setting sun   noun

matahari nae₁   sunrise   noun

matahari nae₂   east   noun

matahari turun₁   sunset   noun

matahari turun₂   west   noun

matakael   fish hook   noun

matakail   [see matakael]   noun

matakau   amulet placed in the centre of a garden or village to curse thieves (and thereby act as a deterrent)   noun

matawana₁   remain awake   verb

matawana₂   stay with a bereaved family for support   verb

mati harus   determined   adjective

mati kutu   not moving   adjective

mati manggala   apparent death   noun

mati sabala   paralised on one side   -

mati-mati aer   a certain stage in the curing of concrete   adjective

mati-mati ayang   epilepsy   noun

mati-mati   epilepsy   noun

matros   sailor in the navy   noun

mawali₁   tough (as of food that has gone stale)   adjective

mawali₂   tough (as of wood that is not easy to split)   adjective

mawe   investigate or search for something using black magic   verb

maweng   village shaman   noun

mayang₁   the aren palm (arenga pinnata)   noun

mayang₂   over-ripe   noun

mayare   [see maiare]   verb

mayari   [see maiare]   verb

mede-mede   the tree canarium hirsutum   noun

medi   throw a marble at a ring of marbles to try to knock one out   verb

mek   take aim   verb

meku   care   noun

melang   infertile   noun

melek₁   a little damaged   adjective

melek₂   food that has started to spoil   noun

meme   mother (vulgar)   noun

mengong   stupid   adjective

mentel   promiscuous (slang)   adjective

mera   red   adjective

mesel   [see metsel]   noun

mester₁   don’t need   verb

mester₂   money given to the collection plate during church services (the offertory in baptist churches)   noun

mesu   fail to come to term   verb

metal   engine crankshaft bearing   noun

meti kei₁   exceptionally low tide   adjective

meti kei₂   out of money or food supplies   adjective

meti   low tide   noun

metsel₁   cement work   noun

metsel₂   cement trowel   noun

mika₁   plastic   noun

mika₂   nylon   noun

mina   completely, utterly   adverb

minta ampong   beg for mercy   verb

minya anging   muscle relaxant warming balm   noun

minya bensin   petrol   noun

minya gardang   gear oil   noun

minya masin   sewing machine oil   noun

minya oli   lubricating oil   noun

minya tana   paraffin   noun

minya wangi   perfume   noun

minya   oil   noun

minya-minya   smooth (of the sea)   adjective

mir   cement wall   noun

misking   poor   adjective

miskrang   miscarriage   noun

mister   pay attention, take notice   verb

mo-mo   [see momou]   adjective

moat   load (cargo)   verb

moatang   cargo   noun

modeblat   fashion magazine   noun

modereng   modern   adjective

mokko   mug   noun

molati   jasmine (jasminum officinale)   noun

molen daging   meat grinder   noun

molen   cement mixer   noun

molo   dive, submerge   verb

momar   the shortfin scad (decaptherus macrosoma)   noun

momo   mother’s brother   noun

momou   mute   adjective

moncong   a kind of fish (?)   noun

mongare   a young, unmarried man   noun

mongki   monkey   noun

mongo-mongo   behave stupidly   verb

montar   mechanic   noun

monto   fat   adjective

mopor   angry   adjective

morea aer   freshwater eel, possibly the speckled longfin eel (anguilla reinhardtii)   noun

morea   eel   noun

morettu   pejorative term for an ugly person   noun

mostar   the plant kutchubaea surinamensis   noun

mot   chop up into pieces   verb

motor ikang   tuna fishing boat   noun

motor jonson   outboard motor   noun

motor landeng   military landing craft   noun

mou-mou   [see momou]   noun

moyang₁   ancestor   noun

moyang₂   grandfather   noun

muat   loading goods into a boat or car   verb

mui₁   uncle’s wife   noun

mui₂   mother’s sister   noun

muka brot   sullen and unfriendly attitude   adjective

muka parang   sword edge   noun

muka tongke   (?)   adjective

muka   edge   noun

mule₁   smile   verb

mule₂   smile   noun

mulu papalele   given to tattling on others   adjective

mulu taputar₂   tell lies   verb

mulu tikus   possibly the thick-lipped catfish (cinetodus crassilabris), but unlikely   noun

mulu₁   mouth   noun

munta-bera   to be afflicted with vomiting and diarrhea   verb

mur₁   sugar water tapped from aren palm trees used to make alcohol or bake bread   noun

mursegu   [see marsegu]   noun

murung   pensive   adjective

murupa₁   unripe fruit fallen from a tree due to outside influence   noun

murupa₂   failed result of production   noun

musing   season   noun

mustahak₁   have a share   noun

mustahak₂   authority   noun

mustahak₃   right (entitlement)   noun

mustajak   effective   adjective

musti   must   verb

musu   enemy   noun

mutel   [see kaler]   noun