Aneityum

[aɣes nohos] phr. I eat/bite a banana

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. tempestuous at sea

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 48

adj. driven to and fro with the wind

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. to plant taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 62

v.n. sail from shore

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 180

v. walk

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. passed by on the other side

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 79

[ek amʤeŋina] phr. I am sleeping

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. to blossom as reeds

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 129

adj. happy

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. fishing hook

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. basket handle

Example: Photo by K. David Harrison, April 2016.

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the name of a native plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. Macaranga megacarpa (RPV #41)

Scientific name: Macaranga megacarpa, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. first fruits

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. vine, growing in disturbed forest. Fruits green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3470)

Example: A man named Johnnie (Reuben’s grandfather) brought this vine to Aneityum to use it as a rope to tie objects. The ripe fruits are used to paint the face and hands and children make drawings from this dye.

Scientific name: Passiflora suberosa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. epiphyte, growing in secondary forest along trail above river. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3664)

Example: This plant is used to make a head garland, but if you are going hunting or fishing do not put this on your head as you will not be successful in your quset. This is the grass skirt for the spirits; you can hear them but you cannot see them.

Scientific name: Phlegmariurus phlegmaria, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. a foreign convolvulus

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3516)

Example: The young stems are used to make fishing spears. These stems are also used to make the poles that connect an outrigger to a traditional canoe, as they are light and strong. The large trees have extensive roots and stumps and are used as a pen for pigs by making a fence from these.

Scientific name: Heritiera littoralis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. fog or mist

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. vine to 1 m, flowers purple. (kudzu plant). (collection: Michael J. Balick #4920)

Example: Roast the tuber of this vine on an open fire for 20-40 minutes, peel off the skin and eat like cassava or taro. Chew it and drink the "juice" while spitting out the fiber. It grows wild, season of harvesting is in May. Very tasty food for people, considered "numba wan" food for this island.

Scientific name: Pueraria lobata, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

adj. adjacent

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 121

v. to gather beans

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 90

n. back of canoe

Example: Photo by K. David Harrison, Dec. 2018, Aneityum island.

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the afternoon; also "jupjupki"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 91

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub, 0. 5-0. 7 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3565)

Example: The leaves are used to feed livestock. The large timbers are used for house posts, and the small wood for other types of posts such as for fences.

Scientific name: Leucaena leucocephala, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

adj. unripe

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 196

adj. ripe, as taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 92

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. cloth (related to nelmai)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. Vittaria lineata

Example: Frond: cold maceration taken internally against ciguatera

Scientific name: Vittaria lineata, Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 443

n. terrestrial fern, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4086)

Example: 1. The name describes a sea bird, whose long legs are similar in shape to the stipe of this fern.

Scientific name: Diplazium oblongifolium, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. day

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. herb to 1 m tall, flowers red (collection: Michael J. Balick #4952)

Example: The tubers are edible when peeled and boiled in water for 1 hour. Alternatively, they can be peeled, soaked in water for 30 minutes, and then ground to make lap-lap.

Scientific name: Canna indica, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. large terrestrial herb, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4142)

Scientific name: Crinum asiaticum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nahanemek] n. kind of breadfruit, old name for "naho"

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. turtle

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

[naɣai milmat] n. before sun comes up, just light enough to see green toward the east looking down from a hill, "green place"

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. species of palm tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

[nalak ŋaɣeseɣa] n. kind of plantain ("red like the sun")

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. preserved breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3508)

Example: 1. The stems of this plant are sharpened and used to plant swamp taro or dry land taro. 2. Break small branch top put behind ear if you go to an unknown place and keep behind ear and sleep with it. If the place is safe you will sleep if it is not you will not sleep well – only behind ear when you sleep.

Scientific name: Phyllanthus ciccoides, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. epiphyte on fallen tree branch with abundant mosses, growing in rain forest on the mountain slope. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3291)

Scientific name: Davallia pusilla, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. epiphytic fern on tree, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4089)

Scientific name: Asplenium bipinnatifidum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. a cloud, blackness, darkness

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4765)

Scientific name: Adenanthera pavonina, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. sparsely branched tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3493)

Example: The leaves of this plant are used in cooking, particuarly with the earth oven. Use a fire to heat stones, then when the fire burns down and the stones are hot, pile these leaves on top of the hot stones and then place the food being cooked--taro, fish, pig, cassava, banana or other foods--on top of the leaves. Then pile more of these leaves on top of the food and then place additional hot stones on top of that pile of leaves. While the food is cooking--each type of food takes a different amount of time--the leaves give off a very nice smell and help flavor the food.

Scientific name: Polyscias schmidii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[napʊlaoʊ] n. shin

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[narasɛn] n. skin

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. bark

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 127

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. the east wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. channel of a stream

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 134

n. herb. Swamp areas. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #8)

Example: 1. Cervical pain and to return it to normal size - Get a handful of Naurakiti and boil it in a pot of water. This can also be done by rubbing the handful of leaves together and squeezing out the juice into the boiling water but the leaves do not go inside. Sit in this for 2 hours or until cold for 1 a day for a week. 2. Medicine: leaf juice put on fresh cut to stop bleeding. Stomachache, headache – use 1 handful of leaves, squeeze these, put in cup, put in some water and drink it 1x day. 3. Women menstruation that will not stop, take 1 handful of leaves into a cup of water and drink 1x day for 3 days. 4. If a person’s joints are sore, take a handful of leaves, crush them and rub on the sore joints. Some people don’t like to use it internally as it can make some people sick, especially small children, but others say it is OK to use.

Scientific name: Ageratum conyzoides, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a species of thorn

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 97

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. tree, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3487)

Example: 1. To cure spirit sickness of the niteitau. Use plants that also end with "au" : niditau, intoutau, naoyerop. Go to the top of the plant to get the soft leaves of the plants niditau, intoutau, naoyerop, also take the bark. The person making the medicine should be holding the these leaves with a piece of nelmaha. Nelmaha means go away. The sick person chews the leaves and bark and swallows the juice spitting out the fiber into the nelmaha the medicine maker is holding. The medicine person then takes the spit out fiber in the nalmaha leaf and throws it into the sea in front of the village. 2. Edible fruits, when ripe or green, does not taste when green, but sweet when ripe. 3a. Leaves (young) are edible, for example wrap around coconut meat and eat or cook with island cabbage and other leaves, boil and add coconut milk and eat. 3b. 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. 4. During big feast, use this a lot – circumcison or wedding feast, harvest leaves and wrap around meat and bake on earth oven – sometimes we cut down a whole tree to gather leaves. 5. To make men’s custom belt – split stem, peel outer bark off to take inner bark and peel it, tear end to make strap that can be tied. Dry in sun but not direct sunlight. 6. Older large trunks were burned by ancestors to keep fire going – did not need matches (lefre(?) matches) because embers would stay for days and when make a fire add smaller branches to make a flame.

Scientific name: Ficus scabra, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[neɪjanθel] n. coconut with sprout

Example: Photo by K. David Harrison, April 2016.

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. land newly planted with taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. epiphyte on prop roots and main tree trunks, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4044)

Scientific name: Asplenium amboinense, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. terrestrial fern, 30 cm tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3716)

Example: The leaves of this plant, along with other leaves, are used to make an unspecified traditional medicine.

Scientific name: Tapeinidium denhamii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. a tree from the inner rind of which fishing lines and nets are made. na elmai or elumai, cloth

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. the name of a poisonous plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. cane (sugar)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 133

n. terrestrial fern, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4096)

Example: 1. The name means the border between two lands, or a landmark.

Scientific name: Nephrolepis biserrata, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree fern, trunk 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4102)

Example: 1. There are kinds of this plant. This is considered the white one. See GMP #4100, Cyathea sp., which is considered the black one.

Scientific name: Cyathea, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. vine climbing up a macaranga tree, growing in open disturbed area. Fruits green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3588)

Example: 1. 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. However, it is not as strong as GMP #3589. 2. For men who want rasta in hair, take a few leaves and dry them, burn with some other plants to rub on the rasta and keeps it healthy, keep from splitting.

Scientific name: Geitonoplesium cymosum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[niriθ] n. gills

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Dracaena angustifolia

Example: Leaf: cold maceration, emetic, taken internally against ciguatera poison

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 444

[niseuɣ] n. walking stick, staff

Speaker: David Nasauman

[nitaʔto naretoʊ] n. an oven for baking bread; "nitato" to bake; "naruto" bread

Example: Photo by K. David Harrison, April 2016.

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. terrestrial fern growing in rain forest on the mountain slope. Leaves dimorphic. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3285)

Scientific name: Blechnum vulcanicum

n. shrub to 2 m tall, flowers pink (collection: Michael J. Balick #4955)

Example: The tubers of this variety are sweet, not bitter and are eaten after cooking. The young leaves are eaten after boiling in water until they are soft, either plain or cooked in soup. It is important to only harvest and prepare the young leaves in this way, as the older leaves will not get soft even after cooking. The young leaves are used to cover the top layer of the earth oven, on top of the stones that comprise the upper layer of the earth oven.

Scientific name: Manihot esculenta, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. leaves for an oven

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 105

[numra napo] n. the Southern Cross

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. fish; life

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3624)

Example: Use the wood of this plant for roof rafters.

Scientific name: Syzygium myriadenum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. unidentified species

Example: Fresh leaves: special Kastom ceremony used to treat severe abdominal pain during pregnancy

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 445

[talpos] adj. very big

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. Sida rhombifolia L.

Example: Leaf: infusion taken internally against diarrhea

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 442

v.a. to pare off rind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 110

n. first shoots of old roots

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 183

n. sweet potatoes

Example: Photo by K. David Harrison, Dec. 2018, Aneityum island.

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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.

Scientific name: Sida rhombifolia, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Jesus

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi