The information was sourced and translated from the Vosavosa vaka Viti manual provided by the Ministry of iTaukei Affairs, iTaukei Institute of Language and Culture.
? Cabe ni kaba na saumuri
Sau is a commandment or prohibition of a chief. Saumuri is re-emphasising the commandment of a chief which was installed later after the earlier chief.
Cabe ni Kaba na Saumuri is used to describe a chief who has been installed or a person who forces himself to be the chief only to find later he is not the rightful titleholder.
? Sa baci vulai botabota na kawai
Bota in this context means to be ripe or matured and ready for gathering.
Kawai is a root crop similar to yams and has a sweet taste.
The term when directly translated in English is “it is the month when the kawai is mature and ready to be uprooted.
In Fijian mythology it is described that when there is full moon, fruits and root crops mature very quickly. It is also believed that at this time, some people do strange things like watering the garden when it’s already raining, taking off their shoes and walking outside, and the list goes on.
The term has similar meaning to the more common one used locally — sonaua.
? Kua ni vakawaca i tuba na
magimagi
Magimagi is sinnet made from coconut fibre.
The magimagi is usually made inside the house, sometimes when there are so much sinnet it is left outside the house and this is where people will know there is a lot of magimagi in the house.
This term is used to teach family members to always keep family secrets and never blab about it to others. Whatever happens in the family must stay within the family.
? Butu qilaiso katakata
When directly translated means to step on hot coals.
This term is used when a person wants something done quickly and will never rest until it is completed.
? Digidigi voli qai watimu e dua na vusi
This term is used to describe a spinster or a bachelor who is looking for a soul mate and quite often very choosy.
It is like telling them don’t be very choosy or you might end up with the worst partner ever.
? A ca ni taumada.
This term simply means to save and prepare for rainy days and don’t abuse or use things unnecessarily because there will come a time when they will come in handy.
? E na yati mai na colo
Yati means to move slowly and at a steady pace.
Colo is often referred to the highlands.
This term ena yati mai na colo means to move slowly and gradually and to be very patient and everything will fall into place or will be achieved.
It’s like saying “patience is a virtue”.
? Wilika na toa ni bera ni saulaki.
This term has the same meaning as “don’t count your chickens before they hatch”.
