1. sickness, disease, illness
- Em i sik.
He is sick. - Em i sik nogut tru.
He is really very very sick. - sik nogut a contagious disease
- sik bilong mun menstruation (also sik mun)
- Taim ol i kisim sik mun, ol meri i go stap insait long haus meri.
Menstruating women stay in the women’s house. - sik bilong natnat malaria (also malaria)
- sik bilong ples disease caused by social disharmony or sorcery (also sik bilong graun)
2. to be sick, to be ill
- Mi sik nogut tru.
I am seriously ill.
FYI
Koka divides illnesses into 3 main classifications:
Sik bilong ples: “illness of the village”, refers to illnesses caused
by spirits, posin (sorcery) and witchcraft. Diseases that cause
chronic illness and death are usually associated with sorcery.
Sik nating: “just an illness”, refers to illnesses that are not
attributed to the supernatural, e.g., common cold, diarrhea and
fever, from which people usually recover without treatment.
Sik bilong waitman: “illness of the White man”, refers to illnesses
believed to be introduced as a result of western contact, e.g.,
diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Ref: Betty E. Koka, Traditional medicine in Papua New Guinea: Cultural
Beliefs and Practices (2004). In: Traditional Medicine in Papua New
Guinea: Proceedings of the National Workshop on Policy and Practices,
28th-30th July, 2004, Port Moresby (Prem P. Rai, ed.), pp. 55-60.