R

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

raba-raba₁   touching   verb

raba-raba₂   very early in the morning   noun

rabana   a bowl-shaped tambourine or drum   noun

rabe   rip, tear   noun

rabo   wednesday   noun

rabu   quickly   adverb

rabu-rabu   “hurry up”   interjection

rabus   boil   verb

raci   burning due to chilli   verb

racong   poison   noun

radio tali halaleng   hoax, false news   noun

rae   guess   verb

rahang   sago, banana, or coconut tree stem   noun

rai   [see rae]   noun

raja bao   [see raja bau]   noun

raja bau   either the indian ocean oriental sweetlips (plectorhinchus vittatus), lesson’s thicklip (plectorhinchus lessonii), or the yellowbanded sweetlips (plectorhinchus lineatus)   noun

raja   village head   noun

rajing   energetic, industrious, hard working   adjective

ramas₁   press, squeeze as to extract liquid   verb

ramas₂   strangle   verb

rambu₁   hair   noun

rambu₂   measure word for stalks of bananas   measure

rambutang   the rambutan tree (nephelium lappaceum) and its fruit   noun

rame-rame₁   boisterous gathering   noun

rame-rame₂   working together to do something   adverb

rame₁   boisterous   adjective

rame₂   crowded with people   adjective

rame₃   (of a party) be lively   verb

ramedi₁   prepare to   verb

ramedi₂   try with all one’s strength   adverb

rampa   spice   noun

rampa-rampa   spices   noun

rampe   vegetable dish made of grated cassava and papaya flowers that have been dried in the sun for one day, mixed with palm sugar, then fried   noun

rangke   stalk or small branch (technically a peduncle)   noun

rangsel   backpack   noun

rante   chain   noun

rao   [see rau]   **

rapat-rapat   too close   adjective

rapat₁   meeting   noun

rapat₂   near   adjective

rarobang₁   black coffee mixed with ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and small chunks of kanari   noun

rarobang₂   leftovers after extracting coconut oil from coconut milk   noun

rasa garos   arrogant due to wealth   adjective

rasa-rasa   feel as if   adverb

rata   level, even   adjective

rata-rata₁   evenly   adverb

rata-rata₂   in general   adverb

ratusang   hundreds   noun

rau   hold close to the fire, e.g. an animal in order to burn off its fur in preparation for butchery   verb

rebeng   sunglasses   noun

redi   a large net used to drag fish ashore   noun

regel₁   door handle   noun

regel₂   hardwood rail supporting the boards of a wooden bed   noun

rei   arrange in a line   verb

reis   bloom, flourish   verb

rek   take-in clothes that are too big   verb

rekeng₁   count   verb

rekeng₂   consider   verb

reku   part of a room directly above a traditional stove, used to smoke foods such as nutmeg or kanari on a para-para   noun

rema-rema   leftovers (food)   noun

rembeng₁   carry slung from the hand   verb

rembeng₂   [see salawaku]   noun

reme   easy, simple   adjective

renda   embroidery   noun

renda-renda   lacy   adjective

renet   grass nest made by wild boar   noun

reng   mechanical ring of any kind   noun

rengke-rengke   in great clusters like fruit   adverb

rep₁   timber, plank   noun

rep₂   zinc-clad wood (?)   noun

reppe₁   metal sheet   noun

reppe₂   dented   adjective

reppe₃   flattened, squashed   adjective

retsleteng   zipper   noun

reu-reu   forgetful due to senility   adjective

reu₁   wrinkles   noun

reu₂   seeming very old and senile (satirical)   adjective

ribuang   thousands   noun

rico₁   trouble   noun

rico₂   making trouble   verb

riko   dread   noun

risil   a kind of fish (?)   noun

roas   segment, joint (of bamboo, sugar cane, etc.)   noun

roba   alter   verb

robe   [see rabe]   noun

rodo-rodo   insistently   adverb

rofol   strum a guitar using first and fourth finger and thumb in a roll   verb

roko   cigarette   noun

rol₁   role   noun

rol₂   roll   noun

rol₃   tell a story   verb

romiang   just for fun, with no serious purpose   adjective

ron   around   adverb

ronda   stroll   verb

roster   roster   noun

rotang aer   large but easily snapped rattan   noun

rotang kawat   fine but strong rattan   noun

rotang tuni   very strong rattan   noun

rotang   rattan   noun

roti kalong   knuckledusters made of cast lead   noun

roto mera   a reddish species of grouper in the genus epinephelus   noun

roto   the giant grouper (epinephelus lanceolatus)   noun

rotsoe   mischievous nonsense   noun

royal   wastefully extravagant, lavish   adjective

rubu₁   fallen (down, over, out)   adjective

rubu₂   fell (a tree)   verb

ruji   weave bamboo strips into the upright planks of nibong wood set in a wall   verb

ruk-ruk tua   old grouch   noun

ruk-ruk   grumpy   adjective

rukung   get along   verb

ruma dapor   stand-alone kitchen   noun

ruma kacil   playhouse   noun

ruma saki   hospital   noun

ruma tagantong   house built on stilts   noun

ruma   house   noun

rumpu alang-alang   cogongrass (imperata cylindrica)   noun

rumpu kuda   guinea grass (megathyrsus maximus)   noun

rumpu kusu-kusu   [see rumpu alang-alang]   noun

rumpu mimosa   snagging mimosa vines   noun

rumpu piso   kodo millet (paspalum scrobiculatum)   noun

rumpu sungga-sungga   the grass austroeupatorium inulifolium   noun

rumpu-rumpu₁   weeds   noun

rumpu-rumpu₂   scraps of rubbish   noun

rumpu₁   grass   noun

rumpu₂   litter   noun

runut₁   a textile-like fibre mat that is found on coconut trees   noun

runut₂   sieve used in the sago-making process   noun

runut₃   cloth used as an oven glove when lifting a pot   noun

ruruhe   a type of fishing boat used to catch skipjack tuna before the introduction of the outboard motor   noun

rusu   rib   noun

rutu-rutu   an ornamental plant, possibly the madagascar periwinkle (catharanthus roseus)   noun