Tattooing in the Marshall IslandsGlossary Of Terms Used With Marshallese Tattooing |
The following is a glossary of Marshallese terms used in conjunction with the tattooing ceremonies and the tattooing operation, its participants, locations, motifs and utensils.
back of a crab, used as a finger tattoo. (tattoo motif no30). | |
motif taken from the cone shell used as a finger tattoo (tattoo motif no14b). | |
Atoll in the central (western) |
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Islet on |
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"praying to the gods" (tattoo motif no12). | |
border of a mat or road. | |
Tattoo design. | |
Lesser royal rank, title commonly conferred as a reward for bravery in battle. | |
place for divination. | |
joined hexagons, said to represent the dermal plates of a turtle shell(tattoo motif no19). | |
sign of the |
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(literally: to embrace) ornament zone on Marshallese mats. | |
grown up and tattooed chiefly son. | |
boxfish. | |
tail end of the unicorn fish (tattoo motif no16a, 16b, 16c). | |
"rain water" (tattoo motif no18). | |
fan tattoo motif no? (tattoo motif no16??). | |
"Duck's foot" shell ( |
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(straight) line; (tattoo motif no20a). | |
Fish (either |
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Tattooing (general term). | |
thick lines (tattoo motif no20b). | |
upper back band (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
tattoo like the woven ropeÍbelt (tattoo motif no31). | |
tattoo on side of chest (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
neck tattoo (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
Tattoo (general term). | |
Mejit Tract (meaning unclear). | |
Mile tract ("land of the departed spirits"). | |
Majuro tract ("under the sky"). | |
face tattoo. | |
striped or spotted as in ancient tattoos (modern term). | |
neck tattoo. | |
row of dots (tattoo motif no10b). | |
Title of paramount chief. | |
lower chest triangle (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
(literally: intertwined) ornament zone on Marshallese mats. | |
to beat the tattooing chisel with the mallet | |
zigzag tattoo motif no (tattoo motif no1?). | |
wooden bowl used for final meal after completed tattoo. | |
the group of women drumming and singing outside the tattooing house during the tattooing process. | |
(tattoo motif no28). | |
(literally: pillar or post) ornament zone on Marshallese mats. | |
"spine posts" (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
"front posts" (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
two "back posts" (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
a zigzag motif (tattoo motif). | |
payment for the tattoo. | |
tattooing ceremony for children of chielfy rank. | |
Tile slats, (tattoo motif no23b). | |
"Shape of a body" (tattoo motif). | |
dolphin motif. (tattoo motif no15a/15b). | |
stick to pick breadfruit (tattoo motif no1). | |
stick for picking breadfruit. | |
central vertical ornament field (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
boxfish; skin of a boxfish (tattoo motif no17). | |
Scar tattoo (?). | |
clouds, (tattoo motif no4a, 4b). | |
(tattoo motif no3). | |
atoll or island reserved for food gathering, usually for a chief and his immediate family. | |
False albacore or kawakawa. | |
a fish with long fins. | |
(literally: to wreathe) ornament zone on Marshallese mats. | |
(tattoo motif no7). | |
(tattoo motif no13). | |
arm tattoo ("bracelet") (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
"spirally peeled sticks", (tattoo motif no22b, ). | |
net for cleaning arrowroot or soaking breadfruit (tattoo motif no6). | |
upper chest triangle (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
a fish, smaller than the |
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needlefish |
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teeth of the |
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(tattoo motif). | |
pit for sunken bird fighting enclosure. | |
lion fish |
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grass skirt. | |
"grass stalk on which flies sit" (tattoo motif no8). | |
shark's tooth (tattoo motif no21a, 21b). | |
coconut grater used for final meal after completed tattoo. | |
sorcerer, magician. | |
tattooist. | |
sorcerer, magician. | |
arm tattoo ("bracelet") (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
chest tattoo (tattoo motif no9). | |
(literally: embroidery) ornament zone on Marshallese mats. | |
embroidery; spotted; dotted. | |
firehook (tattoo motif no11). | |
lower back field (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
stick used to spread hot oven stones. | |
single tattooed dot (tattoo motif no10a). | |
sacrifice food to the gods. | |
shoulder tattoo (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
back triangle (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
stepped zigzag (tattoo motif no32). | |
a fish scalemotif (tattoo motif no27). | |
Leg tattoos (ornament field, men's tattoo) | |
Leg tattoo (literally: thigh tattoo). |
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