nakamals

Noun

nakamal (plural nakamals)

1. A traditional meeting house or gathering place in Vanuatu, used for community meetings, ceremonies, and the drinking of kava.
   • In many areas of Vanuatu, this is a large building that functions as a meeting house, while in the south, it is often a cleared area under a large banyan tree; there is often restricted access to a nakamal or certain parts of a nakamal affecting women and men of low status.2003, Crowley, Terry, A New Bislama Dictionary, 2nd edition, Suva, Fiji: Institute of Pacific Studies, →ISBN, page 174