gunu
The Fijian verb for "drink" is gunu.
gunu is used to describe the action of consuming liquid through the mouth.
Meaning: consume liquid through the mouth (verb)
Did you know?
- The act of drinking kava often involves a specific ritual where the first cup is drained in one go, followed by a rhythmic clap of the hands.
- The word gunu is part of a wider Austronesian linguistic family, sharing deep structural roots with similar verbs in distant languages like Malay.
- In some traditional Fijian songs, the act of drinking kava is described with specific ritualistic verbs that differ from the everyday use of gunu.
Examples in context
- Au via gunu wai.I want to drink water.
Example conversation
Teresia and Semi are in the kitchen.
- TeresiaSemi, o gunu tawa?Semi, are you drinking water?
- SemiIyaki, au gunu tawa.Yes, I am drinking water.
- TeresiaO gunu vaka levu?Are you drinking a lot?
- SemiAu gunu vaka levu nikua.I am drinking a lot today.
