avuin¹ shell used as nose jewelry

• • shell used as nose jewelry
  • • animals, shellfish

  • • Example 63:
      

      mepaa hio hanana evehee tea aha bono avuin

      and (the giant) sat on the road while he was polishing the avuin shell

      Source: Aro 10R 016

    • Example 505:
      

      O avuin o kakaavoo, evehee o sii bebeahu koa. O avuin o meho kehaa to tei batana tea vateen rivuhu. O sii kehaa bona to ahaaha bata riori sin. Beori huu nibus bona ihu na beiko, ore paa vaatei mana bari.

      The avuin is white and just a bit long. The avuin is a shell that belongs in the basket of valuables. This little shell is polished. When they pierce the nose of a child, they put it there.

      Source: Sii 51W 061-055

    • Example 506:
      

      A aba vai koa a sipoana to vavaatei kiriori bono avuin.

      Only the blessed person gets the avuin nose jewelry.

      Source: Sii 51W 067

    • Example 507:
      

      Merau me roosuu paa hee ri bari bono avuin, meori paa taneo bana tea vaheehee oha bana bata ni bari.

      And so, the giant gave them his avuin, and they started to pass it along to each other.

      Source: Aro 10E(Eno) 081-082

Related entries

• See also:
  • aha rub something; scrub something; polish something (with something); brush (teeth); grate something
  • ahaaha rub; scrub; polish
  • huu nibusu pierce something (ears, noses)
  • rivuhu traditional valuables which consist of bats' teeth, shell money and special shells
  • buki mi be bent over doing something
  • vaasipoana¹ bless a child; do the child-blessing ceremony with somebody