Animals

1. Dok

   Dog

   Usage

   Village dogs run loose. "Dok i kaikaim mi" = a dog bit me

2. Pusi

   Cat

   Usage

   From English; use it for a guesthouse cat

3. Pik

   Pig

   Usage

   In PNG pigs are wealth and ceremony, used as bride price — do not joke about them

4. Kakaruk

   Chicken

   Usage

   Covers both the live bird and the meat; common at markets

5. Pato

   Duck

   Usage

   From Portuguese; kept in coastal villages

6. Bulmakau

   Cow / cattle

   Usage

   A blend of "bull" and "cow"; also shortened to "kau"

7. Meme

   Goat

   Usage

   Named after its bleat; also just "me"

8. Sipsip

   Sheep

   Usage

   Only a few in the highlands; a word you hear often in church sermons

9. Hos

   Horse

   Usage

   From English; seen on highland ranches

10. Pis

    Fish

    Usage

    Use it at the market. "Wanem kain pis?" asks what kind of fish it is

11. Sak

    Shark

    Usage

    Comes up on dive briefings; New Ireland has a traditional shark-calling fishery

12. Kuka

    Crab

    Usage

    Mangrove crab is a market staple

13. Kindam

    Prawn / crayfish

    Usage

    Sea prawn is "kindam bilong solwara"

14. Trausel

    Turtle

    Usage

    Also spelled "trosel"; a protected species, so do not buy turtle products

15. Pukpuk

    Crocodile

    Usage

    Real saltwater crocodiles live along the Sepik; you will see this word on warning signs

16. Snek

    Snake

    Usage

    A warning word when walking in the bush; a python is "moran"

17. Palai

    Lizard / goanna

    Usage

    Covers everything from small house lizards to large goannas

18. Rokrok

    Frog

    Usage

    Named after its call; you will hear them at night

19. Rat

    Usage

    A mouse is "liklik rat"

20. Blakbokis

    Flying fox

    Usage

    A large fruit bat; they fly out in flocks at dusk

21. Natnat

    Mosquito

    Usage

    The most common word in any malaria conversation. A mosquito net is "taunam"; "moskito" also works

22. Lang

    Fly

    Usage

    Comes up when talking about food stalls

23. Laus

    Louse

    Usage

    Useful when asking about bedding at a guesthouse

24. Binatang

    Insect

    Usage

    Insects in general; the word comes from Malay

25. Muruk

    Cassowary

    Usage

    An iconic PNG bird — genuinely dangerous, so keep your distance

26. Kumul

    Bird of paradise

    Usage

    The bird on the national flag and emblem, and the name of the national team

27. Kapul

    Cuscus / possum

    Usage

    An arboreal marsupial; its fur is used in traditional dress

28. Sikau

    Wallaby

    Usage

    Found in the southern grasslands

29. Pisin

    Bird

    Usage

    The general word for bird; note it is spelled like the "Pisin" in Tok Pisin

30. Abus

    Animal / meat

    Usage

    Covers both the live animal and the meat; you will see it on menus

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