Molima

Introduction

Molima is a language of Papua New Guinea. It is spoken in Milne Bay Province, Esa’ala district, west Fergusson island, Salakahadi, Ebadidi, and Ni’ubuo area inland villages; central west coast, Fagululu; central south coast, Molima.

Dialects

Ai’alu, Tola’ai, Tosila’ai. Tola’ai most prominent; Ai’alu mainly spoken in Fagululu; Tosila’ai is from remote mountains and is shifting to Tola’ai. Lexical similarity: 56% with Dobu (See: Dobu).

The Molima Verb

Verblist

• bagula -- to plant
• bou -- to swell
• bude -- to cook
• buyo -- to squeeze
• dau -- to flow
• diʔaya, ʔilawata -- to split
• doo, ʔauʔautoni -- to cry
• gabu -- to burn
• gege -- to open, uncover
• giligilisese, wewe -- to spit
• gimwane -- to buy
• kalo -- to scratch
• kapi -- to hold
• loliloli, muʔwe -- to blow
• lomwaova -- to yawn
• madawala -- to dream
• mai -- to come
• maiwa -- to vomit
• matauta -- to fear
• maʔiyawayawasi-na -- to live, be alive
• mwalatoni -- to know, be knowledgeable
• nao[nao] -- to walk
• nowola -- to hear
• nuanua- -- to think
• numa -- to drink
• paisewa -- to work
• saila -- to sew
• sawuta -- to fall
• saʔwa -- to count
• tala -- to cut, hack
• tavi -- to dig
• towa -- to sit
• towolo -- to stand
• tupu -- to shoot
• tupwana -- to grow
• ula -- to throw
• vane -- to climb
• venama -- to laugh
• vesinua -- to choose
• vile -- to pound, beat
• wona[wona] -- to say
• yaso-ya -- to sniff, smell
• yawasi -- to breathe
• yewayewa -- to fly
• yowona -- to tie up, fasten
• ʔai -- to eat
• ʔaidebana, vanaw|ala -- to steal
• ʔalas|ia -- to bite
• ʔaliga, lusi -- to die, be dead
• ʔamwagu -- to suck
• ʔau, gumu -- to hit
• ʔaumagaiya, wunu -- to kill
• ʔayoʔayo -- to swim
• ʔedawa -- to stab, pierce
• ʔeno -- to lie down
• ʔeno -- to sleep
• ʔita -- to see
• ʔuta -- to chew