fijian terms

Vanua – land; also means the people, culture, and spiritual connection to a place.

Wai – water; can refer to rivers, lakes, or general water.

Wasawasa – the sea or ocean.

Dogo / Uciwai – river or stream.

Ulunivanua / Colo – mountain, inland, or highlands.

Nabuka / Drauniulu – forest or thick vegetation.

Vunikau – tree.

Cakau – coral reef or rocky seabed.

Co – grass.

Cagi – wind.

Uca – rain.

Mata ni siga – sun (“eye of the sun”).

Lagi – sky or heaven.

Bula vakavanua – “life of the land”; holistic view of environment, people, and culture.

Maroroi – conservation; to protect or preserve.

Veimaroroi – sustainable or mutual stewardship of resources.

Tabu – forbidden area; traditional system for protecting land or sea.

Qoliqoli – customary fishing ground owned by local clans (mataqali).

Manumanu ni wai – marine life; animals of the sea.

Mataqali – social group or clan that owns land collectively.

Veika bula kece – all living things; the natural world.

Kena dukadukali – pollution or contamination.

Vanua ni bula – ancestral land; the land of life.

Kalou ni vanua – guardian spirit of a land or place.

Sevusevu – traditional offering or ceremony made when entering or using another group’s land.

Vakasaqaravi vanua – caring for or blessing the land/sea; environmental respect practice.