Derived from ‘Mary’
1. woman, girl, wife (used in combination with many other words)
- Kakiri i meri bilong Madang.
Kakiri is a woman from Madang. - haus meri woman’s house
- meri i stap nating, meri i no marit single woman
- marit meri married woman
- samting bilong ol meri women’s business
- meri blouse a loose-fitting short-sleeved top worn throughout PNG, related to the ‘mother hubbards’ worn by women throughout the Pacific. The fabric (usually colourful cotton print) is gathered to a yoke and the blouse is capable of concealing breasts, pregnancies and other female bodily identifiers
- pasindia meri/pasinja meri ‘passenger women’ female prostitute, who exchange sex for money
- Em i karim wanpela pasindia meri i kam long rum bilong em.
He brought a prostitute to his room.
2. female (distinction of sex in humans and animals)
- dok meri bitch
- hos meri mare
- kakaruk meri hen
- pik meri sow
- pikinini meri a daughter, girl (also gel)
See also: Women in Papua New Guinea