signs mixed glyph types glyphs catalogue dictionary home
GD69
nuku This armless figure is always looking straight at us (en face).

Nuku means land, but also army.

next page summary home

 

A few preliminary remarks and imaginations:

1. The missing arms could be a sign of the same category as vae kore (missing legs):

vae kore

nuku

Arms are, like hands and fingers, called rima and without arms it would be rima kore.

Rima

1. Hand, also, but improperly, fingers, forearm; te ko mu'a o te rima, palm of the hand; te ko tu'a o te rima, back of the hand; rima hakaturu, generous, liberal, munificent; tagata rima pu'a, helper; rima hakakau, generous hands, open-handed person; rima matu'a neanea, thumb. 2. Fifth; e-rima, ka-rima, five. Vanaga.

1. Five. P Mgv., Ta.: rima, id. Mq.: ima, id. 2. Arm, hand; rima atakai, obliging, kind, generous, a gift, rima tuku, elbow, rima omo, infidelity, faithless, unfaithful, rima o te kahu, sleeve, kakari rima, wrist. P Pau.: rima, hand, arm. Mgv.: rima, hand, arm, paw, finger. Mq.: ima, hand, arm. Ta.: rima, arm, hand, finger. Rimahakaviriviri, fist, to clench the fist, a blow of the fist. Rimahati, one-armed. Rima ko manaroa, little finger T. Rimamatua neanea, thumb. Rimaroaroa tahaga, middle finger T. Rimatitiri, to walk with the hands behind the back. Rimaruru, to clasp hands. Rimatuhi henna (?) index finger T. Rimatuhi a hana, finger ring T (? ring finger). 3. To lead into error; rimaetua, supernatural, Mq.: imaima, that which returns after a man's death, Ta.: rimaatua, plague, dissension, mortal illness. Churchill.

Rimatitiri is to walk with the hands (and the arms too of course) behind the back. When there are no arms visible, it could be a way to say that there is no fire (i.e. no sun). Rima also means 5, and a closed fist evidently can be used to indicate the beginning of 5 sun doublemonths:

Aa8-26 Aa8-27 Aa8-28 Aa8-29 Aa8-30 Aa8-31

No arms (rima kore) will then be the beginning of the season thereafter, autumn.