Jeseri (also Jazari) is the spoken language in the Lakshadweep Islands of India except for Minicoy. The word is said to be derived from the Arabic root word, ‘Jazeera’ that refers to an island. Jeseri is a creole language influenced by Malayalam, Tamil, Arabic, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada and more, reflecting the connections and relationalities of the islanders within the Indian Ocean World. Within the archipelago, Jeseri is referred as ‘Nadambhasha’ (Local language). The language has many words that depicts its distinct status and unique socio-ecology although it is often misrepresented as a dialect of Malayalam and called ‘Dweep Malayalam’ (island Malayalam) by outsiders. There are slight variations of this spoken language on each island within Lakshadweep. Today, majority of the island dwellers fear that usage of in their language is eroding due to the increasing dominance of English, Malayalam and Hindi in their curricula, and are actively advocating for the official recognition of their mother tongue.

• Aalath– All things used for fishing
• Aanandham– A type of seabird
• Aar– A specific beach area, which may be known by some person’s name, or boat name, or mosque name or known by incidents that happened there.
• Aarkatti– The small boat that accompanies big dhow till the reef
• Adamala– Pemari, heavy rain
• Ahrab Kattu– Monsoonal winds that comes in the direction of Ahrab
• Ahrab/Acrab- 18 Scorpii (a star of the Scorpius constellation)
• Ala– Octopus’s den
• Alakam/Alagam– Crab
• Ali- Marine entrance buoy
• Aluvi- Small stream
• Ambatta- Sweeper
• Amber– Amber
• Ammathi– Leading and senior fisherman of the boat
• Appal- Octopus
• Aurippani– Stitching of planks
• Avunos- Common dolphinfish
• Ayakkura– Wahoo
• Badakkumthala- North
• Bahar- Ocean
• Bala– Ne
• Balakka– Lizardfish
• Balala- Floral wrasse
• Bandar- Entrance/port
• Bangada– Mackerel scad
• Bara– Acropora (A type of Branching Coral)
• Barisham- Rainy season
• Barkaas- A type of boat
• Battiyitta Phadam- Neap tide
• Bayichala- Fusilier
• Bayichala- Smoothbelly Sadinella
• Belaram- Shore
• Belichil- Pull of current
• Bellakka- Small tender coconut
• Bellam- High tide
• Benjaal- Ray/light that gets reflected from clouds that gets noticed for the first time when boat is about to reach island
• Berifad– Lined surgeonfish
• Bett– A portion of fish catch that is freely and equally distributed among everyone once a new boat returns from sea after fishing. 
• Bettfadal- To get fish in plenty
• Bilakkenna– Oil from turtle meat (used in olden days for dhows- not anymore)
• Billam- Lagoon
• Bodhi– Orange lined Cardinalfish
• Chaalppetti– Box to collect chala 
• Chala- A type of bait fish
• Chalakkaran- Supplier of chala
• Chattuli– Harpoon
• Cheekkanni- Threadfin bream
• Chilla- A kind of harpoon
• Chippi- Oyster
• Choonda- Hook
• Choora- Tuna
• Choorafaski- Sooty tern
• Chooraphaski- A type of sea bird
• Chori- Jellyfish
• Chudutham- Stove used in boat
• Chulala- Tender coconut
• Dinghy- Small boat
• Ennam- Calculation of seasonal weather changes
• Etta- Cobias
• Faanju Kuthi- A type of poisonous fish-lion fish
• Faashi- Seaweed
• Fadi- Wooden log (mostly made of coconut tree) used beneath an odam to transport it from shore to sea and back
• Faikkala- A type seashell
• Falaka-Plank
• Faravaneen/Faraba- Flying fish
• Fesmulla- Leather back turtle
• Fuluth- Sun
• Hondeli- Herring
• Ilimeen- Sandperch
• Irachichuraag- Mackerel shark
• Irumu- Anchor
• Kaalvala/Kalechutti- Seasnake 
• Kaara- Sea urchin
• Kaattu –  Wind- Kachameen- Roasted and dried fish
• Kada(l)kuli- Bath in lagoon for leisure
• Kadaliracci- Dolphin
• Kadal- Sea
• Kadalchuri- Jellyfish
• Kaduva- Black jack
• Kaduvam- Squirrelfish
• Kaikolkkaaran– Helmsman of the fishing boat
• Kakka- Clam 
• Kakka– Oyster
• Kakkadan– Striped rockskipper
• Kakkurandi- Sea chub
• Kallu– Rock 
• Kalarppu/Fidikalarppu- Diffusion of sand and water
• Kaliyam- Mullet
• Kalkoottam- Group of rocks
• Kalli- Bengal sergeant
• Kalloran- Rabbitfish
• Kalmandiyam- Stocky hawkfish
• Kalmuttam- Portion in sea with big sea rocks
• Kalvala/Kalechutti– A type of sea snake
• Kambam- Wave, waves; A moving wave or rise and fall of water on the sea’s surface.
• Kammath- Excess water that gets removed from boat- explanation by Mehaboob
• Kanava- Cuttleflish
• Kanava- Pencil squid
• Kandalibala- The largest net with floats and sinks used for lagoon fishing
• Kannam kaduva– A type of fish
• Kannapotti/Annipiratti/Kannampetta- Cuttlebone
• Kar- Cloud
• Kara- Mainland
• Karatti- Orange lined triggerfish
• Kari top, Shavarippar, Manjappar- Locations in Lakshadweep sea
• Karinkadal- Deep ocean
• Karinkotti– Twinspot damselfish
• Karkkam- Surgeonfish
• Karthon– Hound needlefish
• Kathranam– Tar balls (from oil spill from ship that eventually gets deposited on shore)
• Katti- Jaggery made from coconut
• Kaungumthala- Dust devil
• Kavadi- Cowrie shell
• Kdalana- Whale
• Keelaba- East end of the island also refer to east, east beach side
• Keeshakam- Sharksucker
• Kemal- Calm situation in sea without wind, making it difficult for dhows to move
• Kodiyan- Moorishidol
• Kokka- sea cucumber
• Kolakkuliyam- Yellowtail Barracuda
• Kolbaayam-A type of seabird
• Kombanshurag– Hammerhead shark
• Kombu- A type of hermit crab
• Kombukad- Wilderness where hermit crabs are seen
• Konjaranda/Birkaniyom/ Shauniyam- Puffer
• Kotha- Blackspotted Rubberlip
• Kottar- Manta ray
• Kudukka– Halfbeak
• Kulachil- Sea Fan
• Kulupp- the process of water getting filled after a low tide
• Kuluval- Greater amberjack fish
• Kuluval- Island Trevally
• Kuluval- Jack fish
• Kunakkedu- Bad weather
• Kund- Pit
• Kunupp- Bubbles when fish passes
• Kunuppu- A distinctive calmness in sea, differing from surrounding water, indicating the presence of fish shoal.
• Kurichi– Blue trevally
• Kutharameen- Black marlin
• Kutta- Jellyfish
• Laagal- Rotation
• Lammam– Indo-Pacific Oval Flounder
• Lammi- Sunray
• Lattam (also Pherunganni)- Blackblotch squirrelfish
• Maas- Dried tuna (also for Mahl)
• Madthala- Indian threadfish
• Malanji- Moray Eel
• Malikanakku- Navigation maths
• Manakkam- Goatfish
• Manakkambala- Net commonly used for catching coral fishes
• Manchorag- Requieum shark
• Mandiyam- Silfin flyingfish
•  Manjam– Common bluestripe snapper
• Mann- Sand
• Mas choora- Skipjack tuna
• Meen chaal- Fish channel
• Meen kadakkal- arrival of schools of fish collectively into the lagoon
• Meera- Sweet toddy
• Melaba- West end of the island also refer to west, west beach side
• Methi– Bluestrip herring
• Metti- Sky emperor (fish)
• Mindavaayamirachi- A species of dolphin
• Minukk/Minnamimung- Bioluminescence
• Mirigam- Turtle
• Misrav- Direction
• Moja/Mosa- Wave
• Mookkan- Threadfin
• Mookkattam bellam- Spring tide
• Moron/Morom- Tawny nurse shark
• Mujira-Direction followed in navigation
• Muruva- Finger coral (agatti)
• Muttam Uruttiyedam- Place from where big sea stones are rolled away
• Naadu- Island home
• Nakshathiram- Star
• Neelappala- Blue Surgeonfish
• Neer- Water current
• Negara- Snapper
• Neythala- Yellowfin Surgeonfish
• Njaara- a type of seabird
• Njola- Hartzfeld’s wrasse
• Odachal- Channel where dhows entered and exited
• Odam- Dhow
• Ola- Den
• Olabala– Net made of coconut palm leaves used in combination with kandalibala for lagoon fishing
• Olabalam Thirandi- Stingray
• Olabalam Thirandi- Whiptail Stingray
• Olameen- Indo-Pacfic sailfish
• Olekkanda- Narrow gaps or passage in reef
• Oolameen- A type of lagoon fish
• Ottakanakk- Navigation maths
• Ovu, Ovu Chaadal- Fishing technique to catch flying fish
• Padavari/Phadari- To get stuck in monsoon
• Palanji– Fish egg
• Pattubala- Net used for lagoon fishing
• Phachachala- Green chromis
• Phadatham- White Tailed dascyllus, Yellowtail angelfish
• Phakkikadiya- Butterflyfish
• Phalakal- Flat big stone
• Phallanchoora- Dogtooth tuna
• Phandiyala- Boatyard
• Phanjukutti or Nerathal- Red lionfish
• Phar– Reef
• Pharadam- A lagoon fish
• Phatam/ Fadham- Low tide
• Pheesam- A type of fish
• Pheeyada- Smallspotted dart
• Pheeyada- Snubnose pompano
• Phitti- Sand bank; a deposit of sand forming a shallow area in the sea.
• Phiyyam- A lagoon fish
• Phonnam- Reef that appears on low tide
• Phoochala- Yellowtail clown
• Phoochashurag- Tiger shark
• Phooda- Cardinal fish
• Phookunji- A type of bird
• Phoombatta- A fishing technique of showering water to attract fish
• Phoomeen- Bonefish
• Phoymeen- Woodden model of fish used to imitate fish movements to catch flying fish
• Phulariyam- Two spot red snapper
• Phulliparava- Yellowing flying fish
• Phullu- Seagrass
• Pini- Land formed by mixing of sand and stone
• Raah– Spiny lobster
• Rahi- A type of bait fish
• Randa- A type of seabird
• Ravundi- Bullet tuna
• Rehi- Silver stripe round herring
• Sh/Choondal– Hook
• Shaal- Channel
• Shaattam- Current
• Shabad- Cephalopod ink
• Shabadkallam- Green Jobfish
• Shameen- Rainbow runner
• Shammam- Grouper
• Shattam- A technique of fishing
• Shattuli- Gaff for fishing
• Shebiyanchoora- Yellowfin tuna
• Shedi- Halimeda (a type of green algae)- refer Raseela
• Shekkal– Light produced by sunlight scattering in the upper atmosphere, when the Sun is below the horizon.
• Shemmali- Humpback red snapper
• Shendichullan- Captain parrotfish
• Shethal (also Punna)- Tree used for construction of sailing vessels
• Shettashammam or Phecham- Scorpion fish or rockfish, stonefish
• Shuraav- Shark (Pheruthalayam, Moram, Bivedu, Kurachurav)
• Supari– LightHouse
• Suttupappaa– a type of seabird
• Tartashi- A seabird
• Thalayan- Flat Needlefish
• Thalikal- Flat small stone
• Thandu- Rudder (Pankayam)
• Thankees/Kadas- Fishing line
• Thanni- Water
• Tharappam- Catamaran
• Tharappam- Raft; A flat floating structure for travelling across water, often made of pieces of wood tied roughly together and moved along with a paddle
• Thekkumthala-South
• Thimb- Shallow region in lagoon, tiny sand dunes under water
•  Thingal- Moon
• Thiralam- A type of fish
• Thiruthakkadayan- Great barracuda
• Thoaka- Tripletail wrasse
• Thomb- Boxfish
• Thudakk- Hook attached with bamboo stick to collect tuna near boat
• Toofan- Typhoon/cyclone
• Ulukk- Current
• Uthili- A small shell organism
• Vaval- Eagle ray
• Vella- Portion of reef seen above water