~bei bete lie down, sleep / ‘hold a vigil’: a funeral ceremony taking [...]

1. • lie down, sleep

   Literally	squash mats
   Sense Comment	periphr

   • • Example 374:
       

       Nanana kape le-bei bete vele?

       Where shall we sleep [lit. squash mats] tonight?

     • Example 375:
       

       Kaipa pe-te, ene mou ne-bei bete ko.

       You guys stay here, I'll just go for a nap.

2. • ‘hold a vigil’: a funeral ceremony taking place in the house of a recently dead person
   • • Ethn

   Sense Comment	euph
   Infobox	Squashing mats for the dead: When a person dies, we first bury their body. Then people in the community will hold a vigil (‘squash mats’) for five days in that person's home. During these vigils, we tell each other stories, we sing songs, eat together, sleep; we drink tea, chew betel nut, play cards together… When the ceremony is over, it's time to fold the mats away (~lu bete*).