ai

English: ‘eye’.

See original Mihalic entry.

Noun forms

  1. Physiology: eye
    mi lukim long ai bilong mi stret I saw it with my own eyes
    pikinini ai slip, ya! this child is nearly asleep (or, wants to go to sleep)
    ai bilong mi i hevi I am sleepy, drowsy, I am dozing off
    ai bilong em i tudak he has poor vision
    mi ai tudak, mi no inap lukim gut my eyes have gone, I cannot see it properly

  1. Everyday item: lid, tip, opening
    ai bilong botol bottle cap (or the opening at the top of the bottle)
    ai bilong dram the screw cap of a drum (or the opening it screws into)
    ai bilong kokonas the sprout hole of a coconut
    ai bilong pensil the point of a pencil
    ai bilong sospen the lid of a saucepan
    ai bilong sua the head of a sore or boil
    ai bilong taro a taro bud

Noun combination forms

  1. Physical state: ai raun (a) dizzy, giddy, disorientated (b) extremely tired
    ol manki i smok spak brus, na ai bilong ol i raun the boys smoked marijuana and were spaced out
    skul manki wok long stadi i go biknait, na ai bilong em i raun the school boy studied into the night until he was exhausted

  1. House construction: ai bilong haus the area in front of the door of a house, especially where the house has high cultural significance, e.g. it is a men’s house

  1. Form of perceiving: wan ai (a) superficially examine (b) show bias, a ‘blind eye’
    em i lukim long wan ai he looked at it quickly, superficially
    ‘wan ai gavman’ ‘Since back to Australian time the National Government is one eye to my people and myself. We Upper Ningerum people were left behind.’ Complaint of letter writer to District Office, Tabubil, July 1990.

  1. Supernatural world: tu ai having the power of second sight, to be a seer or shaman, to be able to see ghosts / witches / spirits, divine omens and read dreams ® glasman
    em i wanpela tu ai man he can see ghosts/witches/spirits, he is a shaman, he can divine omens and read dreams

Verb phrase forms

  1. Form of communication: brukim ai to wink (note: winking with one eye is unusual in Papua New Guinea)

  1. Sexual activity: makim ai to make eyes at, to catch the glance of a woman or man
    meri i makim ai long em, na feelings kirap the woman made eyes at him and he was aroused

  1. Form of communication: makim ai to signal with the eyes
    em i makim ai long polis, olsem stilman i sanap i stap he motioned with his eyes to the police that the thief was standing there

  1. Sexual activity: ai gris to flirt with
    ol manki go long maket na ai gris long ol resa meri the boys went to the market and flirted with the fashion girls there

© Revising the Mihalic Project, 26 Jan 2005 [Home]