An example search has returned 100 entries
aiyu
adj. sweet; shady
bookmarkaraparap
n. sunset
bookmarkedaledal
v.a. to spread abroad; to go everywhere
bookmarkehcodaig
n. plant shoots; also "ehcohodaig"
bookmarkidi
adj. stringy, watery, as taro; also "ede"
bookmarkigcaijai
n. a place up or eastward
bookmarkincatyatou
n. tree. Acting as a fence post. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #24)
Example: 1. For vomiting/uneasyness - remove the bark of a stem and take the inner bark (this should be white). Smash the white bark with about 150ml of cold water and drink. The bark can also be boiled and cooled down to drink cold. Believes when you vomit a lot this will restore your body and give you energy again. Take after vomiting but can use even when not sick. 2. For stomache ache - Can also be prepare and taken as in part 1. 3. For painful urination, also prepared as in part 1. 4. The fruits are sticky and used as a type of local “glue.” Collect the fruits when ripe, hold the outside of the fruit in the hand, and put the end of the fruit that has the sticky sap on paper or anything else needing to be glued. In ancient times, this sticky glue helped join the strings together that were used to make a long fishing line. 5. In ancient times this sticky glue helped join the strings together when making a long one for fishing. 6. During the heat of the day, in the hot season, take inner bark from 1 stick, scrape bark into 1 liter water and drink all day to help prevent a person from getting urinary infection, resulting in painful urination from being in the sun too much. 7. If you put the leaves of this plant in a bag with your fishing gear – it will help catch a lot of fish – magic. 8. Cut a 1-2 m long branch in each of 4 corners of the garden which is a rectangle, place it in an “X” at each corner, this will cleanse people who have not been cleansed who come in the garden. 9. If a person is not cleansed e.g. has not fasted from certain foods, the crops will not bear good fruits. So when gardening, people believe it is best not to eat coconut, shellfish, fish, stay away from sex, and no fermented food like breadfruit and bananas, OR if you have a visitor overnight and then you heal to cleanse yourself before going to the garden. After a woman finishes her period, she will stay out of garden for 10 days, this is specifically for kava, water taro, sugarcane and yam in the garden. Other crops – cassava, sweet potato, and taro Fiji are okay. Different Kastom for N, S, W, E people – so this Kastom is for South and Eastern people.
bookmarkincei u nasuantan
n. herb to 1 m, flowers blue. In transitional zone from pine forest to ’primary’ forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4982)
Example: This is used to treat Ciguatera disease when a person eats fish that is contaminated. Squeeze juice from a handful of leaves of this herb into a cup, add a small amount of water, and drink 1 cup once a day for 3 days, or continue until the person feels better. This illness is a problem on Aneityum with the reef fish. It is better to eat fish that are farther out to sea. This treatment is also used for dogs who eat contaminated fish. Make the same preparation and forcibly pour this in their mouth as they will not drink it willingly. Do this treatment once daily until the dog feels better. The dogs get this illness because they are fed the scraps, especially the bones of the fish, and this is thought to be where the disease is found. This is considered to be a dangerous illness and dogs who get it frequently die.
bookmarkinceipou
incetevak
n. Pink Squirrelfish
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkindroumu
inharmejicop
n. Ocellated eagle ray
Example: Photo by Anne Hoggett / Lizard Island Research Station, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinhuturao
n. Common dolphinfish, mahi mahi
Example: Photo by Alex Kerstitch / Shorefishes of the Eastern Tropical Pacific, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinlopot jap
n. shrub to 1 m, flower white (collection: Michael J. Balick #4866)
Example: When making a taro patch, and removing soil, add the leaves of this plant to the soil to fertilize the taro, and prevent the bottom part of the taro from rotting. Put a layer of leaves on the bottom of the patch before planting taro and covering with soil.
bookmarkinmapoded
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarkinpa
n. shrub, 1. 25 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3525)
Example: The young leaves are edible, after boiling for 5 minutes. A piece of coconut and a pinch of salt is wrapped in the leaves and eaten. The mature leaves are used to wrap food such as pig or cow meat and cooked in an earth oven. Tie this bundle with a piece of Pandanus fiber to secure it before putting in the earth oven. Both the green and ripe fruits are edible. This plant is used in kastom ceremonies. For a peace ceremony, if there is an argument, then this leaf is used to make peace between the parties. For many ceremonies, put on top of taro, kava or food pile, . For peace ceremony, when a person has food in an offering, give a branch of this plant to the other party to symbolize that the conflict is over. It is a "message plant" that conveys a meaning that people do not have to say out loud. When a stranger walks through a village with this plant in his or her hand, people know there is no threat or problem. When a young man first shaves, people give him a necklace of this plant. In the old days, hair was pulled out of young men, now people use razor blades.
bookmarkintekes ~ inrowod
inteses
n. parasite on branches of Geissois denhamii tree, growing in dense rainforest. Flowers orange-red. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4028)
Example: 1. This plant is known to kill other trees and is regarded as a parasite. 2. The plant is related to kastom use regarding the separation of two lovers--more information witheld.
bookmarkinwouasan
n. liana climbing on Syzygium, growing along ridge in dense rainforest. Latex white (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4079)
bookmarkleyei
n. kind of taro
bookmarkmaputu-ligighap
n. the stem of a coconut leaf used for a butt
bookmarkna elmai
n. cloth (related to nelmai)
bookmarknacigaces
nacñanp̃aiñ
nafirama
naha
n. Crinum asiaticum; variation asiaticum L.
Example: from leaves taken internally as a laxative to treat ciguatera and against asthma
bookmarknairo
n. sapling, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4106)
Example: 1. Sapling wood is used to make fishing spears. A straight sapling is first heated in the fire to render it pliable. The sapling is further straightened and then decorticated. Once cooled, wire can be added a prong to the end of the spear.
bookmarknalad iran
n. seed of a fig
bookmarknamesei
napojev
n. tree to 5 m, dbh 10 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4889)
Example: The leaves are used to cover meat when baking it in a stone oven (inmawum). This will soften the meat and keep it moist. Used when other species of this genus are not available, for example if you are in the bush.
bookmarknapuleman
n. kind of banana
bookmarknasieij
n. native cabbage
bookmarknauincai
n. tree
bookmarknawod
n. tree, 12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3641)
Example: 1. The wood of this tree is used to make temporary houses, for example, when making a garden by the river. 2. The wood can be sawn into timber. 3. People collect red leaf and put under tongue when want to talk about conflicted issues such as a dispute to make their argument stronger.
bookmarknawou
nejoplec
nekinkin
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknekrei
n. Sailfin tang
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknepnai
n. tree to 5 m, flowers white. Growing in secondary forest with metroxylon palms and other large trees. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4954)
Example: The pear shaped fruits are eaten when ripe. Peel off the outer skin, eat inner part and discard the seed. The leaves are used to protect food as it is being cooked on an earth oven. To prepare the oven, pile hot stones, then put a layer of leaves on the stones, and then place hot stones on top of the leaves. To make a hot oven, the stones are lined in a pit, a fire lit, more stones placed on firewood and the top layer of stones gets very hot. Then, remove the stones from the top of the wood, and cook food o the bottom layer of stones, add a layer of leaves, place the food on top of this, then cover with a layer of leaves and then pile the rest of the hot stones on top of the leaves.
bookmarknesei
n. forest
bookmarkneusjai
n. a fern tree
bookmarknihivaeñ aeyhec
nijmanyahao
n. Yellow-Edged Moray
Example: Photo by Bernard Dupont, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknilyat
n. the name of a tree, the leaves of which blister
bookmarknipciv
n. the shark (constellation?)
bookmark
nititan
n. fern to 0. 75 m, sori brown. growing along trail. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4972)
Example: The fronds of this fern are used to wrap sting ray and shark meat, which have a great deal of moisture in them, for cooking on the earth overn. Wrap the fronds (leaves) around the meat and tie with a Pandanus string. Because they are not thick, broad, entire leaves, but rather have many places in them where water can drain out during the cooking process, it is said that these leaves are much better for preparing these two types of fish, as well as any other meat that contains a great deal of moisture. For cooking on the earth over, put these wrapped foods on top of any other leaves so that they do not touch the hot stones directly, and then cover with other leaves as well. Then place the hot stones on top of these wrapped meats.
bookmarknititan cei
nohmun wai
n. bank (of a river)
bookmarknohmunjap
n. beach
bookmarknohoanma
n. breadfruit; also "nohwanma"
bookmarknohos futuna
n. the Futuna banana
bookmark
nomodej wow
n. vine to 2 m, aerial tubers and lobed leaves. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4946)
Example: This is a root crop. It is harvested in April-June. The leaves turn yellow and indicate that the crop is ready to harvest. If planted in the old days the root would get much larger. It is a good cyclone disaster food. Grows wild now. Boil the tuber in fresh water, when it is cooked add a bit of sea water to give it a salty taste. Chew the starchy root and spit out the fiber. Another variety is like sweet potato and a person can eat the entire root without spitting out the fiber. Can mix with coconut milk as well to eat.
bookmarknomotmot
n. grass
bookmarknomotmot ijis
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknomyatamain
n. Thumbprint emperor, blackspot emperor
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknoporo pora
nugnas iran
n. a bunch of taro
bookmarknuhujcei
n. vine to 5 m, flower yellow (collection: Michael J. Balick #4937)
Example: In the old days, the hooks of this plant were used as a kind of small fishing hook. Heat the hook over a fire to make it strong, tie a rope to it and use it to catch fish. Take inner bark--1 handful and boil in a full pot of water and wash the body 1x daily to treat scabies. Can work in as soon as 2 days. It cures the sores very fast.
bookmarknumta
n. shoots of taro for planting
bookmarknuput, noho’ich
n. cultivated anthropogenic landscape (lawn and planted trees). (collection: Keith E. Clancy #6655)
bookmarknätiädäl
n. alstonia vitiensis var. neo ebudica
Example: young leaf--cold maceration used as contraceptive in mixture with Apulda mutica, Cyclosorus truncatus, and Dioscorea bulbifera or alone.
bookmarkpassion fruit
n. liana climbing on broken mango tree, growing in forest at edge of wide tidal stream (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3515)
Example: 1. The ripe fruit of this plant is edible. It was introduced to the island and is considered a foreign vine. 2. 4 leaves of this and 4 leaves of Annona muricata and boil in water and let get warm and wash children when they have measles and fever. Edible fruit – very sweet.
bookmarkpuke
adv. seaward
bookmarktarere
adv. near; inshore; near the shore
bookmarkwai meteuc
wakas
n. herb. Found along intra village path. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #34)
Example: 1. To make baby grow strong - Take 16 tops of the plant, no flowers, and squeeze them into baby’s bath water. Bath baby in the water and let it dry on the baby. Don’t towel dry. 2. Medicine – take a large leaf, crush and rub it but don’t break it – just soften it and open it and cover the fresh cut with it – leave it there to heal the wound. Keep changing it until the wound gets healed. 3. For headache and fever – flu – take branches with no flowers or seeds, boil it 15 minutes to extract brownish juice, drink 1 cup hot 2, per day – morning and evening for 5 days. 4. The fruits – 7 – chew and swallow for stomachache. 5. Tie stems for broom.
bookmarkwukau
n. kind of taro
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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