Dialogue About Two Words for Eating: mangau and hochoch
Isauro Andrew and Peter Black, Koror, Palau, Summer 2006.
Tobian spoken by Peter and Isauro.
Peter | English | Isauro, what is the difference between hochoch and mangau? |
Tobian | Isauro, mata tei hafeier ma hochoch ma mangau? |
|
Isauro | English | Well, we use hochoch for fish and meat and mangau for taro and rice. |
Tobian | Ah, hochoch ra sitapa ifirih ma fitihorimar ngara mangau ra sitapa ifiri wot ma rees. |
|
Peter | English | Oh, hochoch is for meat and fish and mangau for rice and taro? |
Tobian | O, hochoch ra ifiri fitihorimaruchah ma ih ngara mangau ra ifiri reesachah ma wot. | |
Isauro | English | That’s right, but you know, I was thinking about this and we also say hochoch ripe breadfruit and I don’t know why. |
Tobian | Iramaie, hohura imengi ma hosoh ba hochoch meimach, ngara imari ireng. |
|
Peter | English | Oh really, but breadfruit is not fish. |
Tobian | O yeheitena? Hae mai ra teih. | |
Isauro | English | Hah, I know that, but that’s how we say it. And bananas too. |
Tobian | Hah, I hura mena, ngara irama heisuh fauh. Nga wichimo nga yehetena. | |
Peter | English | We hochoch bananas? What about papaya? |
Tobian | Sihochoch wich? Ngaira babai? | |
Isauro | English | Hochoch them too and Micronesian apples also. |
Tobian | Hochoch ifiri makara, ma fariyup. | |
Peter | English | Wow, I never knew that. Maybe we can say hochoch is for fish and meat and fruit from trees. |
Tobian | Iyak, bachaibehura ira. Nuhuhur ba echuh ba sibesuh hochoch ifirih ma fitihorimar ma uwa chirihet. | |
Isauro | English | Unless it’s cooked. |
Tobian | Harama marakuk. | |
Peter | English | What did you say? |
Tobian | Meta hosa? | |
Isauro | English | If breadfruit is cooked we say mangau. |
Tobian | Isoh ba nganacha marakuk ra mai ira nga sibesoh ba mangau. |
|
Peter | English | And bananas? |
Tobian | Ma wich? | |
Isauro | English | The same and cooked papaya too. We mangau cooked bananas and papayas and hochoch ones that are not cooked. |
Tobian | Yehafei, ma babai. Simangau ra marakuk wich ma babai nga sihochoch ra meremach. | |
Peter | English | Oh, maybe we can say we hochoch fish and meat and raw food from trees and we mungau taro and rice and cooked food from trees. |
Tobian | O, echuh ba sibesoh ba hochoch ifirih ma fitihorimar ma yameteri uwa chirihet, ngara simangau ra marakukur uwa chirihet. | |
Isauro | English | Except coconuts. |
Tobian | Ngara teifiri uwanu. | |
Peter | English | What? |
Tobian | Meta? |
|
Isauro | English | We mangau coconuts if they are cooked or not. |
Tobian | Simangau ra cho marakuk hae marateikuk. | |
Peter | English | Ye gods! Those coconuts are food from a tree but we mangau them if they are cooked or not cooked? What is going on? |
Tobian | Hanibuat! Cho uwa chirihet nga sibesoh ireng ba simangau ma mara kuuk ma mara teikuk? Meta eheitena be? | |
Isauro | English | I don’t know what those old people meant by talking like this. |
Tobian | Itohura makawe tarapari yahamat hemengi hesasohu heitena. |
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