KADAZAN DICTIONARY (Kadazan Papar Dialect)

Limited copies of the Kadazan Dictionary based on the Kadazan Papar dialect are available at Lotinggi Dampian Books & Stationery Shop, Megalong Mall.

The Papar Kadazan differs from the Penampang Kadazan in some distinct ways.

For example,

• bonduai (Papar), girlish man, is gonduan (Penampang);
• yohou (Papar), song, is hozou (Penampang);
• ikohon (Papar), bench, place to sit, is ikoon (Penampang);
• injok (Papar), very red, is noikot inagang (Penampang);
• injub (Papar), disappear, is tumagak (Penampang);
• nibu (Papar), quid of tobacco on upper lip, is nabu (Penampang);
• ovontod (Papar), heavy, is avagat (Penampang);
• hinggazang (Papar) is pinompo (Penampang), sago pancake;
• tutuboon (Papar), landing field, is tutubpoon (Penampang);
• sohug (Papar), animal path, is hosug (Penampang);
• sumohong (Papar), to stare, is munsolong (Penampang);
• tutuko-ii (Papar), woodpecker, is kopizo-gazo (Penampang).

The Papar Kadazan dialect has been influenced by (Brunei) Malay, and also by English. It is said that the English influence was due to the fairly long stay of the Australian army personnel at Papar during the Second World War.

Papar - Malay
mandung (Papar), dull weather, is mendung (Malay)
binsana (Papar), misfortune, is bencana (Malay)
jinak (Papar), tame, is jinak (Malay)

Papar - English - Penampang
bisin (Papar) is basin (English) and mimpun (Penampang).


Not found but may be found somewhere else in the dictionary since the word may start with a different alphabet.

pahou (Penampang), mountain stream
humbising (Penampang), thin type of bamboo


The only way to get a feel of the Kadazan Papar is to go through the dictionary. Get your copy today.