P

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

pa’ari   [see pahari]   verb

pa   father   noun

pace   “father”, term of address for an older man with whom one is familiar   noun

pacol   mattock   noun

padede   fussy, whiny   adjective

padi   a species of finch, possibly in the family estrildidae   noun

padis   spicy   adjective

pagar₁   fence   noun

pagar₂   fence off   verb

pageti   firecracker   noun

pago-pago   rattan loop connecting outrigger beam to float   noun

pahari   flush out (an animal from the bushes)   verb

pai tua   husband   noun

pai₁   father (rude, not used to address)   noun

pai₂   rooster   noun

pakal₁   fibre pounded into the seams of a boat to seal it against water   noun

pakal₂   pound fibre into the seams of a boat to seal it against water   verb

pakatang pele-pele badang   amulet to protect from physical attack   noun

pakatang   amulet   noun

pake   use   verb

pake-pake   use a talisman for some purpose   verb

pakeang   clothing   noun

paker   park   verb

pakupeka   in a knock-kneed manner, as one afflicted with genu valgum   adverb

pala-pala   wire   noun

pala₁   the nutmeg tree (myristica fragrans) and its fruit   noun

pala₂   strike forcefully   verb

palabuang   harbour, port   noun

palaka   (?)   noun

palakiri   strive for daily necessities   verb

palala   the oxeye scad (selar boops)   noun

palang₁   slowly   adjective

palang₂   wooden bar used to lock a door   noun

palasi₁   repent   verb

palasi₂   discouraged from a practice by a previous bad experience   adjective

palasi₃   cheeky   adjective

palastik   plastic sheet   noun

palat   flat   adjective

palateng   weaving   verb

paleces   talkative   adjective

palena   boast untruthfully   verb

paleo₁   waste time   verb

paleo₂   repeatedly   adverb

paleo₃   repeating a conversation to the point that the listener becomes bored   verb

paleo₄   come back to life   verb

paleti   bringing up that you gave someone a gift during an argument   verb

paleu   [see paleo]   verb

palias   leave be   verb

paling   very   adverb

palita   paraffin lamp   noun

pallau   hungry   adjective

palolo   clear an old garden etc. for replanting (?)   verb

palsir   have fun   verb

palungku   [see falungku]   verb

pam   [see fam]   noun

pamabo   drunkard   noun

pamalas mandi   not interested in personal hygiene   adjective

pamalas₁   be lazy   verb

pamalas₂   lazy person   noun

pamale   sacred   adjective

pamanakal   using the spirit of a dead person to harm someone out of envy   verb

pamara   short-tempered   adjective

pamarenta   government   noun

pamarinta   [see pamarenta]   noun

pambera   one who is defecating   verb

pambodo   stupid   adjective

pameri   clear away vegetation with a machete   verb

pamoi   a ceremony in which a wife is introduced to the family. traditionally she is not allowed to eat together at the dining table with her in-laws until this ceremony has been carried out   verb

pampano   a species of pompano (the genus trachinotus)   noun

pampele   partition, barrier, obstruction   noun

pamukul   any object used to strike something, such as a bat, etc.   noun

pamutar₁   crank   noun

pamutar₂   given to twisting the truth   adjective

pan   pan   noun

pana-pana₁   bow (for shooting arrows)   noun

pana-pana₂   slingshot   noun

pana-pana₃   spear gun   noun

panaku   coward   noun

panana   the indonesian blue-tongued skink (tiliqua gigas)   noun

panas pela   strengthen an ancient alliance between two villages   verb

panas₁   sunshine   noun

panas₂   exposed to direct sunshine   adjective

panas₃   angry   adjective

pancadu   hack away most of the husk from a coconut with a machete   verb

pancandu   user of drugs   noun

pancing₁   fishing with a hook   verb

pancing₂   fishing (in conversation; for compliments, information, etc.)   verb

pancing₃   prime, e.g. a carburettor with petrol, a pump with water   verb

pancorang   bamboo water pipe   noun

pancuci   scrubber   noun

pancucu   skewer   noun

pancuri   thief   noun

pandang   pandan   noun

pande   smart, intelligent   adjective

pandekeng   helper   noun

pandeta   [see pandita]   noun

pandita   vicar, pastor   noun

paneti₁   sewing pin   noun

paneti₂   safety pin   noun

panggale   crowbar   noun

panggaloba   mocker (?)   noun

panggayo angka angker   paddle raising water for ornamental effect (?)   verb

panggayo₁   paddle   noun

panggayo₂   paddle   verb

panggayong   canoe paddle   noun

panggel   call, summon   verb

panggepe₁   clamp   noun

panggepe₂   a bundle of 25 sago-thatch sheets   noun

pangi   the tree pangium edule and its fruit   noun

pangkincing   one who is urinating   noun

pangkonto   one who is farting   noun

pangkotor₁   very dirty   adjective

pangkotor₂   bestrewn   adjective

pangku₁   lap   noun

pangku₂   hold on one’s lap   verb

pangkuku   a long stick used to pick fruits, push a boat out, grab laundry, etc.   noun

paniki₂   male genitalia (slang)   noun

panjudi   gambler   noun

panoso   flat-nosed   adjective

panta aer masing   bottom of the sea   noun

panta calana   seat of a pair of trousers   noun

panta kuali   bottom of a wok   noun

panta lao   bottom of the sea   noun

panta parau   bottom of a canoe   noun

panta parigi   bottom of a well   noun

panta poro   the part of the belly below the navel   noun

panta tacu   bottom of a wok   noun

panta   buttocks   noun

pantada   support timber   noun

pante   beach   noun

pantohar   pole used to scare fish into a net   noun

pantong   a pantun, an indo-malay poetic form of four lines, each consisting of 8-12 syllables, with the rhyme scheme abab   noun

pantongka₁   prop, beam   noun

pantongka₂   lateral beam keeping the sides of a hull apart   noun

panyaki su tua di badang   become ingrained as a bad habit   adjective

panyaki tatusu   any disease causing stabbing pain in the chest   noun

panyaki   disease   noun

papaceda   beach cabbage (scaevola taccada)   noun

papalele   peddle, sell produce on a small scale e.g. door-to-door or with a small stall down an alley   verb

papang   plank   noun

paparipi   hurry   verb

paparisa   a small house in a field used to manage crops   noun

papeda lao   jellyfish   noun

papeda   a gruel made of sago flour, the traditional staple carbohydrate of maluku and papua   noun

papinyo   cucumber   noun

papinyu   [see papinyo]   noun

papua₁   frizzy   adjective

papua₂   tangled, twisted   adjective

par setang   “to hell” (with it, with you, etc.)   interjection

par₁   for   preposition

par₂   to (a person)   preposition

para-para   bamboo rack or platform   noun

parahu sela   one-man outrigger canoe of the type used for trolling in oma, haruku   noun

parahu semang   outrigger canoe   noun

parampuang balu   widow   noun

parampuang busu   homosexual man   noun

parampuang kapala pica   prostitute   noun

parampuang moler   prostitute   noun

parampuang₁   woman   noun

parampuang₂   female   noun

paranggang   young adult   adjective

parangpuang   [see parampuang]   noun

parau belang   [see arombae]   noun

parau bot   sloop   noun

parau layar   sailboat   noun

parau   boat   noun

parcuma   for no reason   adjective

pardidu   wander, roam   verb

parduli   care   verb

parek   no need   noun

parenta   order, command   noun

paresko   fresh   adjective

pari biasa   the kuhl’s maskray (neotrygon kuhlii)   noun

pari bunga-bunga   the bluespotted ribbontail ray (taeniura lymma)   noun

pari marsegu   the spotted eagle ray (aetobatus narinari)   noun

pari pasir isi   the common stingaree (trygonoptera testacea)   noun

pari   disposition, character   noun

paricu   cheat (?)   verb

parigi   well   noun

pariksa   check   verb

pariu   cooking pot   noun

parkakas₁   tool   noun

parkakas₂   talisman   noun

parkara   legal case   noun

parkici   the lories and lorikeets, small parrots in the tribe loriini   noun

parlak   carpet   noun

parlente₁   liar   noun

parlente₂   cheater   noun

parlu₁   need   verb

parlu₂   care   verb

parmak₁   hit, strike   verb

parmak₂   alter or take-in clothes at a tailor   verb

parmisi₁   permission   noun

parmisi₂   “excuse me”   interjection

parna   do, done   verb

parop₁   bung, plug   verb

parop₂   gulp down food (vulgar)   verb

parsamua   for everyone   preposition

parsetang   no need   noun

parsis₁   like (similar to)   preposition

parsis₂   same   adjective

parsis₃   spot-on   adjective

parteng   a moveable metal or plastic basin   noun

paru   grate   verb

parudang   coconut grater   noun

paruru   forage, scrounge   verb

pas-pas   exactly   adverb

pas₁   fit exactly   verb

pas₂   pace, stride   noun

pasang₁   shoot   verb

pasang₂   set, mount   verb

pasar pulu   a famous twice-weekly market on saparua, which attracts traders and customers from saparua, haruku, and nusa laut   noun

pasen   medical patient   noun

paser isi   smooth stretch of sand   noun

paser₂   sand, grit   noun

pasiar   stroll   verb

paskali₁   very much   adverb

paskali₂   completely, all the way   adverb

paske   [see paskali]   adverb

pasnana   greedy, one who eats everything   adjective

pastio   [see pastiu]   noun

pastiu₁   fed up   adjective

pastiu₂   bored   adjective

pata cengke   perform the task of breaking off   verb

pata hati   heartbroken.   adjective

pata-pata₁   curly   adjective

pata-pata₂   foldable   adjective

pata-pata₃   traditional toy pop gun made from hedge bamboo   noun

pata₁   snap   verb

pata₂   pick (e.g. a flower, fruit)   verb

pata₃   turn sharply   verb

pata₄   round   verb

pata₅   [see bacang]   noun

patae   take leave of, say goodbye   verb

patai   [see patae]   verb

patatas   sweet potato (ipomoea batatas)   noun

pate   the bitter bean tree (parkia speciosa) and its beans   noun

pateka   watermelon   noun

pati   the title of certain village chiefs   noun

patirawaru   continuously shouting at someone when angry   verb

patita   picnic-style   adverb

patola   chinese okra (luffa acutangula)   noun

patola₁   the moluccan python (simalia clastolepis)   noun

patola₂   [see tola₂]   noun

pattilawaru₁   force one’s way in and sieze power   noun

pattilawaru₂   monopolise   noun

pau-pau   chinese-style dumpling   noun

paukar   suffering from eczema   adjective

pawela₁   fooling around, wasting time   verb

pawela₂   slow, lazy   adjective

pece   [see peci]   noun

peci   muddy   adjective

pei-pei   edge   noun

pekar   not working, broken (of a mechanism)   adjective

pel   pill, tablet   noun

pela batu karang   a strong alliance between two villages in which there can be no marriages with members outside of those villages   noun

pela tampa siri   an alliance between two villages united by the chewing of betel nut   noun

pela₁   traditional pact of mutual defense and brotherhood between two villages, usually strengthened by constraints on intermarriage and semi-obligatory donations of produce   noun

pela₂   person with whom one’s village has such a pact   noun

pele-pele   partition   noun

pele₁   block   verb

pele₂   head off   verb

pele₃   meet someone on their way   verb

pelesko   a rectangular bottle containing palm wine (sageru or sopi)   noun

pelor   bullet   noun

pen₁   mechanical pin   noun

pen₂   piece of dowling used to hold wooden parts together   noun

pen₃   makes sense   adjective

penatua   church elder   noun

pende   short   adjective

pengharapang   trust (in)   noun

penyaki   disease   noun

pepe   female genitalia (slang)   noun

peper   break apart   verb

pera   a kind of fish (?)   noun

percis   light bulb   noun

persak   backpack   noun

peser   cent (money)   noun

pete   [see pata₂]   verb

peti kelder   condensed milk crate made of 1/4" white pine   noun

pi   [see pigi]   verb

piara₁   raise, take care of   verb

piara₂   cohabit with   verb

pica-pica   to bursting point (figurative), with all one’s energy   adverb

pica₁   shatter   verb

pica₂   shattered   adjective

pica₃   hatch   verb

pici   massage with strong squeezes   verb

pigi   go   verb

pigi-pigi   always leaving   adjective

pikirang   thought   noun

pikol₁   carry   verb

pikol₂   responsibility   noun

pilang₁   wooden club   noun

pilang₂   club   verb

pilang₃   strike a crushing blow   verb

pilar   wall   noun

pinang utang   the ivory cane palm (pinanga coronata), the sap of which can be used for caulking boats and whose young shoots can be eaten   noun

pindekas   peanut butter   noun

pinggir aer masing   beach   noun

pinggir pante   beach   noun

pinjang   borrow   verb

piring master   offeratory plate   noun

pis   urinate   verb

pisang abu-abu bua basar   a large variety of pisang abu-abu   noun

pisang abu-abu   a banana-plantain hybrid (musa x paradisiaca) used for cooking   noun

pisang ambong   banana cultivar, ‘cavendish’   noun

pisang empat pulu hari   banana cultivar   noun

pisang jarong   banana cultivar, musa acuminata malaccensis   noun

pisang meja   [see pisang ambong]   noun

pisang nyonya   banana cultivar   noun

pisang raja itang   banana cultivar   noun

pisang raja jawa   banana cultivar   noun

pisang raja puti   banana cultivar   noun

pisang susu hitam   banana cultivar   noun

pisang susu puti   banana cultivar   noun

pisang susu ternate   banana cultivar   noun

pisang susu   banana cultivar ’lady finger’   noun

pisang tando   banana cultivar   noun

pisang tandu   banana cultivar   noun

pisang tongka langet   banana cultivar   noun

pisang tuju bulang   banana cultivar   noun

pisi   money   noun

piskada lao   a species of piskada   noun

piskada   any species of barracuda (the sphyraena family)   noun

piso baret   hunting or throwing knife   noun

piso   knife   noun

pistong   mechanical piston   noun

plafon   plasterboard ceiling   noun

plas   sand (e.g. with sandpaper)   verb

plat   [see palat]   adjective

platina   distributor points in a petrol engine   noun

pleces   chatty, gossippy, quick in speech   noun

plek   [see flek]   noun

plesko   [see pelesko]   noun

poco-poco   buxom   adjective

pohong batu₁   base of a rock face or cliff   noun

pohong batu₂   rock overhang   noun

pohong gunung   base of a mountain or hill   noun

pohong langit   horizon   noun

pohong talingang   the base of the ear   noun

pohong   tree   noun

poka-poka   dusk, twilight   noun

polo bantal   hug one’s pillow   verb

polo kaki   ask forgiveness   verb

polo   hug   noun

polompong₁   buoy   noun

polompong₂   float   noun

polompong₃   lifejacket   noun

pombo ijo   the white-bellied imperial pigeon (ducula forsteni)   noun

pombo puti   the pied imperial pigeon (ducula bicolor)   noun

pombo   the elegant imperial pigeon (ducula concinna)   noun

pondo   small shop or stand   noun

pong   [see pohong]   noun

pono   full   adjective

pontar   around   preposition

ponu   [see pono]   noun

popo   [see pepe]   noun

popoji   pocket   noun

porcici   [see parkici]   noun

pore   pore   noun

poris   living room   noun

porna   clay mould used to bake sago cakes (sagu lempeng)   noun

poro bangka   bloated   adjective

poro bibi   pot-bellied   adjective

poro bicu   pot-bellied   noun

poro bir   having a beer belly   adjective

poro gigi   stomach ache   noun

poro taputar   experience a churning sensation in the belly   verb

poro tare   stuffed with food   adjective

poro   stomach   noun

porong   decorate   verb

porop   “eat” (swear)   interjection

poroskot   give a down payment before doing some work   verb

poso₁   fast   verb

poso₂   taboo   noun

potar₁   stupid   adjective

potar₂   “bastard” (typically said to a naughty child)   interjection

potar₃   (of a cuscus) big and old, aggressive, and with tough meat   adjective

potong pele₁   intercept   verb

potong pele₂   interrupt   verb

potong pusa   cut the umbilical cord   verb

potongang   cut, form, fashion   noun

prek   [see parek]   noun

presko   [see pariksa]   verb

prong   [see fronk]   verb

pronk   [see fronk]   verb

prop₁   inserting into a container by force   verb

prop₂   gobble, eat quickly or greedily without regard for table manners   verb

puel   [see soa-soa]   noun

pukar   cuss, swear   noun

pukeke   a kind of fish (?)   noun

puki   [see pepe]   noun

pukol   o’clock   noun

pukul   (of certain predatory fish) engage in a feeding frenzy   verb

pul   ten, when used within 10, 20, 30, etc.   noun

pula-pula   awl (the tool).   noun

pule   the blackboard tree (alstonia shcolaris)   noun

pulo   island   noun

pulong   less aromatic cloves harvested late in the season. (from an internet site)   noun

pulu₁   glutinous rice (uncooked)   noun

pulu₂   island   noun

pung   (denotes possession, ownership)   adjective

punggul   gather   verb

pup   defecate   verb

pup   faeces   noun

pura-pura₁   devis’ anchovy (encrasicholina heteroloba)   noun

pura-pura₂   hypocritical   adjective

pura-pura₃   pretend   verb

pura-pura₄   make-believe   adjective

puri ainama   a species of anchovy in the genus encrasicholina   noun

puri merah   a species of anchovy in the genus encrasicholina   noun

puri nasi   a species of anchovy in the genus encrasicholina   noun

puri putih   the indian anchovy (stolephorus indicus)   noun

puri   a species of anchovy in the genus encrasicholina   noun

pus   cat   noun

pusa gong   having a large navel   adjective

pusa   navel   noun

pustema   swear, cuss   verb

putar aluang   turn around   verb

putar bale   tell a lie, twist the truth   verb

putar muka   turn one’s face away   verb

putar panta   showing off the buttocks (e.g. walking in a suggestive manner)   adverb

puti   white   adjective

putilai   the mackerel tuna (euthynnus affinis)   noun

putus₁   break, snap   verb

putus₂   free, unconstrained   adjective

putusang   the result of a decision   noun