This post is based on Practical Marshallese by Peter Rudiak-Gould, a freely distributed, full-length textbook for learning the native language of the Marshall Islands. It has been used since 2004 as the official language manual for all volunteers in the WorldTeach Marshall Islands program, and it has formed the basis of language classes for Americans at Kwajalein Atoll. The 102 short lessons describe the grammar of the language in practical and familiar terms, and a glossary presents 1500 useful words.

There is a little word in Marshallese that means ‘to hunt for,’ ‘to look for’ when you put it before nouns.  This word is ‘ka’ but it sometimes becomes ‘kō,’ ‘kọ’, or ‘kā.’  Here are some common uses of this word:

ka + bao         =	kabao          =	hunt for-bird	= hunt for birds
ka + baru        =	kabaru         =	hunt for-crab	= hunt for crabs
ka + libbukwe =	kalibbukwe  =	hunt for-shell	= look for shells
ka + baḷuun    =	kōbaḷuun     =	hunt for-airplane	= go to the airport and wait for the airplane
ka + kweet      =	kọkweet       =	hunt for-octopus	= hunt for octopus

– Sometimes when you put ‘ka’ on a noun, the noun changes:

ka + raj        =	karajraj        =	hunt for-whale,dolphin	= hunt for whales
ka + wōn     =	kawōnwōn  =	hunt for-turtle	= hunt for turtles
ka + iu         =	kāiuiu          =	hunt for-coconut seedling	= look for coconut seedlings
ka + waini   =	kōwainini     =	hunt for-brown coconut	= look for brown coconuts

– You can also say ‘kappok’ to mean ‘to look for’:

kappok jerbal         =	look for/work	= look for a job
kappok juon peen  =	look for/one/pen	= look for a pen

Dialogue

A: Kwaar et wiiken eo?	A: What did you do last weekend?
B: Iar jaṃbo ñan āne jiddik ko ippān Lisson, Essa, im Steven	B: I took a trip to the small islands with Lisson, Essa, and Steven.
A: Koṃar etal ñan āne ta?	A: What island did you guys go to?
B: Kōmar etal ñan Wōjjak	B: We went to Wojjak.
A: Koṃar ta ie?	A: What did you guys do there?
B: Kōmar kabaru, kabao, im kāiuiu.	B: We hunted crabs, hunted birds, and looked for coconut seedlings.
A: Koṃar ke kawōr lik in boñ?	A: Did you guys look for lobsters on the ocean side at night?
B: Kōmar, ak ekar ejjeḷọk.	B: We did, but there weren’t any.
A: Kwaar ke kalibbukwe?	A: Did you look for shells?
B: Iaar.  Ebooḷ aō libbukwe kiiō.	B: I did.  I have lots of shells now.

Vocabulary

raan	on top of
liḷḷap	old woman
ḷaḷḷap	old man
ennaan (E: nōnaan) or nuuj (from English)	news
nuujpeba (from English)	newspaper
ṇo	wave Ex. Eḷap ṇo rainin = The waves are big today
pata (from English ‘battle’)	war
pata eo kein karuo	World War II
pijek	to defecate
raut	to urinate, urine

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[1] Not to be confused with the ‘ḷọk’ that means ‘to him/her/it/them’ or ‘hurry up and.’

[2] Notice that ‘bwebwe’ is one word where you use ‘ko’ for ‘you’ instead of ‘kwō.’