An example search has returned 100 entries
aj
[aj] v. fly
bookmarkelgai
v.n. expand as a leaf
bookmarket aparaiñ trouses tuwuna
Et elwa nieg
phr. the reeds blossom.
bookmarkfara
n. pineapple
bookmarkfetofeto
igcase
n. a place down, or westward
bookmarkinceiwad
n. the name of a poisonous plant
bookmark
incipinti
n. shrub, 2. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3471)
Example: 1. The fruit of this species are poisonous. In ancient times the ancestors used the "fork" (branch growing out of main stem) of this wood to catch lobsters between the two parts of the stem. 2. Fertilizer for taro, in case you are not cleansed, it is ok as this plant as fertilizer will cleanse you.
bookmarkinhatmapig
n. kind of taro
bookmark
inhujac
inja
n. Moorish idol
Example: Photo by Ian Shaw / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinmal ahapol
n. a group of cultivations
bookmarkinraurua
n. coconut leaves for a net
bookmarkinruwu
n. Humphead wrasse
Example: Photo by Anne Hoggett / Lizard Island Research Station, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinta
intaigana
n. kind of taro
bookmarkintaji
interi amu
n. kind of taro
bookmarkintijgejei
n. Whitespotted surgeonfish
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkintop̃ hau
n. well branched tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3202)
Example: 1. Young shoots are peeled and made into grass skirts. Scrape the stem and take the green part off, tie strips together and put under stones in the sea for retting, let sit 5 days in sea, but check these on a daily basis. When the fiber becomes soft, that is the time to take it from under the stones, clean off the excess materials, and hang it in the sun to dry for 3 days--this will bleach it and give it a whitish color, at which point it can be woven into a skirt. 2. The fiber can be used to make a small rope that is tied with shells and used for custom dances. 3. When the stems of this tree are older, the wood is very hard and it can be used to make the main frame that is arched for a cyclone house. According to Reuben these houses are not made much anymore on Aneityum Island. 4. To cook the intestines of fish that are eaten, take several leaves and put them in a small pile, making a wrapping, then use a local fiber to tie this together and cook on charcoal for as long as needed to prepare the fish parts. 5. In this area, sometimes knowledge of the plants and flowering are used as a calendar to indicate the time for planting of specific crops. Reuben will provide more details on a future trip. 6a. This species is an important "message plant." If a person is not home and you are visiting from the East--e.g. an Eastern part of the Island--that person can leave a 12 inch piece of stick in front of the door of the house so that the inhabitant knows that an eastern visitor (from Anawonjei district) has come by your home. The reason that person has come to visit is to pass an important message to you--good or bad "luck". The bad luck message might be a death, and is not told directly to the person. The good luck message might be a birth, or conflict that has been resolved. These messages are communicated using sticks--each district has a different species of plant. Reuben’s is the hibiscus. 6b. Message plant for Eastern people. If someone dies, use this plant, clip it in front of hem, in front of home, they ask “who” and you can tell them. In Eastern culture you cannot tell them directly. 7. When a person is too drunk with kava, take a branch of this and brush him with it to help make the effects go away. 8. Traditional plates for food.
bookmarkinyirigwai
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarkkaias elauoh
n. kind of taro
bookmarkkidibop
lelceije
v.n. to walk abroad
bookmarkmure
adj. ripe, as arrowroot; also "murre"
bookmarkm̃orom̃ora
[ŋmoroŋmora] n. ants
bookmarknabou
n. Yellowmargin triggerfish
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknadine
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknahar
n. species of pine
bookmarknahojcei
n. scrambling vine, growing in coastal strand vegetation. Flowers purple. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3436)
bookmarknahtancai
n. shrub; small plant
bookmarknalak mideuc
n. kind of plantain
bookmarknanad
napauwahpa
n. kind of taro
bookmarknasjiralcau
natcai
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknateg
n. tree, 3. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3489)
Example: The fruits of this species are edible. Take the ripe fruits, squeeze coconut milk into the ripe fruits and cook in an earth oven. The leaves are used to wrap small fish caught in a net for cooking in an earth oven. For clothing, strips of bark are peeled and the inner bark removed, and this is used as a strap around the waist, and leaves are tucked in front and back. This is traditional clothing when other clothing is not worn.
bookmarknategpece
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknattri
n. Canarium vulgare
Example: leaf--cold maceration in coconut milk and seawater, taken internally against diarrhea or ciguatera. Cold maceration of chewed leave, spat into a cup and mixed with coconut water: taken internally against ciguatera
bookmarknauhap̃ apeñ
neandel
nedwonomo
neijin nij
n. cliff
bookmarkneijiv
n. species of pine
bookmarknelehel
n. a light wind
bookmarknelnjen natimi
nepiloan
n. tender shoots
bookmarknethokin
n. a poisonous plant used to stupefy fish; also "netokin"
bookmark
netto
n. sugarcane
bookmarknida
nijeuc nijeuc
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknijom̃kan
n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3491)
Example: Name means smash tooth. 1. This is part of an unspecified mixture that can be used as a spell to give another person a toothache. 2. Toothache – chew leaves on the sore tooth and leave it there for a while and spit it out – it will break the tooth and you can take it out, leave on 20 minutes.
bookmarkniperap
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknipyipei
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarkniri
niri atga
nisʧi
nitai auanipin upene
n. frankincense
bookmarknohap
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknuei
n. vine climbing up a dead tree, growing in dense rainforest. Fruits green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4056)
Example: 1. The stems are used as a traditional rope to fasten house posts. First a length of stem is coiled in a figure-eight pattern. It is then heated to render it pliable. Once heated, for several minutes, it is immediately used to fasten the posts. When cool, it is set and inflexible. Such a fastener can last 20 years.
bookmarknuei
n. vine, growing in open disturbed area. Flowers white. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3589)
Example: To build a cyclone house, take the vine of this species to tie pieces of the house. To prepare the vine for use as rope, collect many feet of it, put it in a fire, roll it in a figure 8, wait until it softens and then use for tying. This vine is hard and needs to be heated to a high temperature in the fire to make it soft; the person preparing this must use gloves to tie it to the posts and rafters while it is still warm. When it cools, it is very strong. Rope made from this vine will last a long time--perhaps 10-15 years. It can also be used to make a regular house.
bookmarknuh
n. a yam
bookmarknumarak kamwea
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknumnyac
n. a kind of bulbous root
bookmarknuputreiki
n. kind of tree
bookmarknädoiatmas
ohod
n. bundle of leaves, as of nasiaij
bookmarktatau
n. Blackfin barracuda
Example: Photo by Jan Messersmith, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkThere are currently 2431 entries, 1543 audio files, and 860 images.
All content copyright © Aneityum community. (2015)
Talking Dictionary produced by K. David Harrison, Gregory D. S. Anderson and Jeremy Fahringer. Botanical consultants: Michael J. Balick, Gregory M. Plunkett and Sean Thackurdeen. (2015-2018)
Aneityum language contributors include Kirk Keitadi, Tony Keith, Titiya Lalep, David Nasauman, Osiani Nerian, Ruben Nerian, Chris Nevehev, Romario Yaufati and others as credited within the dictionary entries. Based in part on materials from Inglis, John (1882) A Dictionary of the Aneityumese Language: In Two Parts. I. Aneityumese and English. II. English.
The Aneityum-English Talking Dictionary was made possible by award no. 1555675 from National Science Foundation for “Collaborative Research: Plant, Fungal and Linguistic Diversity of Tafea Province, Vanuatu.” This support is gratefully acknowledged.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
All rights reserved. Do not distribute or reproduce without permission.
how to cite:
K. David Harrison. 2015.
Aneityum Talking Dictionary.
Swarthmore College.
http://www.talkingdictionary.org/aneityum
Interface and database design under the direction of Jeremy Fahringer and Swarthmore College ITS.
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