Selaru

Introduction

Selaru is a language of Indonesia. It is spoken in Southest Maluku Province, at least 6 villages. Tanimbar island group; Selaru island off southwest tip of main island Yamdena; Yamdena island itself; Nuswotar island off Yamdena west coast. Some in Saumlake, Ambon towns.

Dialects

Kandar. Slight dialect differences. Not closely related to nearby languages. Lexical similarity: 56% with Seluwasan (See: Seluwasan?).

The Selaru Verb

Verblist

• a -- to eat
• aki -- to count
• ba, lakut -- to walk
• bahun -- to kill
• bet -- to swell
• bu -- to say
• démur, hau -- to pound, beat
• di -- to fall
• diri -- to stand
• én -- to drink
• enaf -- to lie down
• enaf -- to sleep
• et, rakit, wik -- to tie up, fasten
• fikir -- to think
• fil -- to choose
• he -- to know, be knowledgeable
• het, tetak -- to cut, hack
• jai, sau -- to throw
• kal -- to dig
• kérit -- to scratch
• kis -- to bite
• kumak -- to hold
• lakat -- to open, uncover
• léan -- to grow
• liu -- to buy
• los -- to sniff, smell
• ma -- to come
• ma|f -- to yawn
• mahis -- to laugh
• masu, sus -- to suck
• mati -- to die, be dead
• mei -- to dream
• meya -- to breathe
• mof -- to spit
• morif -- to live, be alive
• mut -- to vomit
• naha -- to flow
• namet -- to steal
• nau -- to swim
• noha, torak -- to cook
• oban -- to hit
• rama -- to shoot
• ramas -- to squeeze
• sai -- to climb
• seak -- to see
• ser -- to cry
• sin -- to split
• sinaut -- to hunt
• sor -- to sew
• sor, tun -- to burn
• srik, tiri -- to turn
• tabak -- to stab, pierce
• tama -- to chew
• taut -- to fear
• tina -- to hide
• tomolu -- to hear