mokita
Language: Kilivila · [moˈkita] · Pronunciation: moh-KEE-tah
Meaning
the truth we all know and agree not to speak of — the open secret
The story
Kilivila, spoken on the Trobriand Islands, keeps a word for the truth everyone carries and nobody utters; village life leaves few real secrets, so the polite silence does the work. Saying one aloud can end a friendship. In English it goes by open secret.
The four rounds
- Which language is it from?
- Kilivila (Papua New Guinea)
- Where does it hang in the air?
- At a family dinner, around one empty chair
- Who says it most often?
- An island chief keeping the peace
- What does it mean?
- A truth everyone knows and nobody says
blind word · ‹ Previous blind word · Next blind word › · All words