Aneityum

[akro te haŋaiŋ] v. share food together

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. forecast

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[apo akro] phr. I’m going to share this with this

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

v. to fish (by moonlight)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. to fish (by torchlight)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. to fish (with a net)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

conj. conjunction to join sentences together (used with "par")

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[et amai inɣaɣen] phr. he chews kava (traditional)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. at a distance; on the other side of the road.

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 79

v.n. to fall behind; to come late

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 80

adj. stringy, watery, as taro; also "ede"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 81

n. "good" (domesticated) kava (RPV #133)

Scientific name: Macropiper latifolium, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3547)

Example: This plant is for medicine to treat a spiritual condition related to the coral snake that is the seawater spirit. When a woman is pregnant, some times she gets sick, so use this leaf with 2-3 other unspecified leaves and mash them together, squeeze the juice into a small cup (bamboo), wave around the woman’s body, and then put a few drops onto her head and body, then she drinks the rest. This will help heal her sickness. This treatment can be used for men who have a toothache from eating too much fish--the seawater spirit of the coral snake makes the tooth hurt. It is used in the same way as for a pregnant woman. If the pain from the toothache is really from the seawater spirit, then this will cure it; if not, it will not help.

Scientific name: Sophora tomentosa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub to 1 m, flowers white. Growing on ridge of pine forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4980)

Example: The leaves are good mulch for taro plants. The stems are used for firewood.

Scientific name: Geniostoma rupestre, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. herb, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3676)

Scientific name: Hedychium coronarium, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. sandalwood

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 85

n. taro patch

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. stump of a tree; shaft of a candlestick

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. bush land; uncultivated land

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. pendent lithophyte, growing on rock in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4036)

Scientific name: Phlegmariurus carinatus, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Tabernaemontana padacaqui

Example: leaf used for for wounds; cold maceration taken internally against "skin cancer" (severe wounds?). Stalk, chewed, influences sex of an embryo in favor of a girl.

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 440

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3686)

Example: This tree is a source of sawn timber.

Scientific name: Syzygium nomoa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. vine climbing on Geissois denhamii (GMP #3522), growing in open (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3524)

Example: The word itougo means from a different country or place outside of Aneityum. The plant was introduced by the first missionaries who came to Port Patrick. Calendar plant – sea cost people see this flower in the forest and they know it is time to go into garden and harvest taro or make new gardens– see GMP 3263. This is also good firewood.

Scientific name: Operculina turpethum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. boards for people to sit on

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tops of branches

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 89

n. tree, 10-12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3638)

Example: This tree is a good source of firewood, wood for house posts as well as sawn timber. The ripe fruit is edible but some of these are sour. Kids eat fruits – it is black. Pick only the most ripe fruits. This species grows commonly on river banks.

Scientific name: Syzygium gracilipes, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. yellow (color)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3683)

Example: Ornamental. Some have red flowers. Red birds drink the juice. Normally flowers July, August, September.

Scientific name: Metrosideros collina, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

v. to chip off small branches

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 90

n. the afternoon; also "jupjupki"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 91

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

[kijamoʊ] n. Aneityum island (Polynesian loanword)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

conj. and

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. ripe, as fruit; healed, as a wound; also "mah"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 92

n. well branched tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3461)

Example: 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.

Scientific name: Ochrosia elliptica, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. Achyranthes aspera L.

Example: juice squeezed from leaves; taken internally against asthma and put into boils

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 439

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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

[naθran ɣap] n. smoke

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. sparsely to moderately branched tree, 6-8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3220)

Example: 1. Wood is used for carving as it is a nice black wood. 2. Also used for house posts. 3. Use sapwood – cut a piece of wood, long one 1-2 m. Put it in front of the house or take a smaller piece on top of the entrance door – protects against bad spirits.

Scientific name: Thespesia populnea, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nagag ~ naɣag] n. Sandpiper

Example: Photo by Frans Vandewalle, License: CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Tringa hypoleucos, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. Crinum asiaticum L.

Example: subterranean part used as mouthwash for toothache (Crinum asiaticum)

Speaker: Bradacs, Gesine, Jörg Heilmann, & Caroline S. Weckerle (2011). Medical plant use in Vanuatu: A compa

n. epiphyte on main trunk of large mango tree, growing in secondary forest above river. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3657)

Scientific name: Ophioderma pendula, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. dawn of day

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. terrestrial plant, 60 cm tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3498)

Example: Children take a shoot of this plant and make a whistle from it. However, when children do this, they are told not to, as it will attract the rains, or a snake, that will hear the noise and come to the person. This is a folk belief. The base of the shoot of this plant is chewed and applied to fresh cuts as a styptic. Pull out top growth of plant that has not flowered and blow on it like a whistle. Ancestors used this as a whistle to attract snakes for edible – not today. Name means “balls or heaps of snakes” refer to their attraction.

Scientific name: Dianella ensifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub to 2 m, coastal vegetation (collection: Michael J. Balick #4961)

Example: The stem of this plant is used for firewood. If a person has been drinking kava and the next morning feels hung over, they can take a handful of the leaves of this plant, crush them in cool water, and wash their face with this. This treatment will help the kava feeling to disappear.

Scientific name: Dendrolobium umbellatum, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3217)

Example: 1a. When traveling past a community you can place these leaves in a basket or walk with it in your hand. In this way people in the community know that you are traveling in peace and will cause no harm to people in that village. 1b. Message plant – if you go to visit someone and they are not there, you leave a branch of this on the door or somewhere they can see it and they know that some relatives have come and tried to visit them.

Scientific name: Dendrolobium umbellatum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. chicken feathers

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub to 1. 5 m, dbh 4 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #5005)

Example: In areas such as this, where more traditional leaves used to wrap lap-lap are scarce, this leaf can be used as it is quite large.

Scientific name: Cyrtandra, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. epiphytic liana, growing in primary forest. Bracts orange-red at base. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4029)

Example: 1. The roots of this plant are used to make "Nopoy"--a traditional trap used to catch fish and lobster. The outer bark of the roots are removed and sun-dried. The roots are then split into several pieces and they are woven in an open fashion similar to a "noporapora"--a type of market basket fashioned from coconut leaflets.

Scientific name: Freycinetia cf. reineckei, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. terrestrial fern, growing in secondary forest along the river. Fronds dimorphic. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3644)

Example: This is a sacred plant, it will keep crops, such as foods, in good condition and protect people from famine and loss of crops. It grows wild along the river and people leave it there and also move the plants to the house along with Terminalia fruiticosa and other unspecified plants for use in protecting their crops. For example, when people go to the garden, they take their planting stick and place it near these plants for a while, and being near it will help protect the garden as a person then works with their planting stick to plant the garden.

Scientific name: Oceanopteris gibba, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. epiphytic fern on main tree trunk, growing in dry forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3504)

Example: This is a medicine to treat fresh cuts. Take the leaf of this species, macerate it and add 1 tablespoon of water and wrap in a Macaranga leaf, and then heat it on a fire. After heating, puncture the side of the Macaranga leaf and drop the hot juice on the fresh cut. This is said to be good before going to see the Dispensary or if you do not have access to a health care professional.

Scientific name: Pyrrosia confluens, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. hedge

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 156

n. near morning

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 166

n. bamboo to 5 m, sterile. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4940)

Example: Used to build walls of local houses. The outer skin is stripped off, stems cut in half then smashed flat, the inside is stripped clean and woven into walls. The cut pieces of entire stems can be filled with food and used for cooking that food. Cover both ends with leaves and cook. If a person has skin that becomes infected, use sharpened stem as a local knife to remove the infected area of skin. Use as a local water pipe to move water from one place to another (nobol). Either split the stem in half or punch the nodes out throughout the entire tube and use as a pipe.

Scientific name: Bambusa vulgaris, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. a species of thorn

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 97

n. herb, growing in partially drained marsh. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3593)

Scientific name: Schoenoplectus validus, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a white coconut

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. terrestrial plant, growing in dry forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3509)

Example: This is a "message plant" that signifies that there has been a death. The person holds it or puts it on their head, goes to another person’s house and hands it to the person they wish to convey the message to, without saying anything and that person knows that someone has died. It can also be handed to that person. The person receiving the message then asks "who" and is told the deceased person’s name.

Scientific name: Selaginella durvillei, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

[nefiaŋ] n. January (lit. big wild sugar cane)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. traditional canoe

Example: Photo by K. David Harrison, Dec. 2018, Aneityum island. see more on Youtube

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree 6 m tall, dbh 15 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4864)

Example: Fiber: Collect the stems of this plant, peel off the outer bark, soak (ret) in seawater for 1 week, then put stone on top of it-the fibers are loosened by the retting, peel them off and hang in the sun to dry and bleach. Weave small baskets, grass skirts and other things from this fiber. When sticks are placed in areas of the sea, shells are attracted to these sticks and people can collect the shells used for adornment--the animals in the shells like to eat the material on the sticks. Dried fruits of this plant are eaten by birds.

Scientific name: Pipturus argenteus, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4795)

Scientific name: Pipturus argenteus, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nɛlop] n. back fin (of fish)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. tender shoots

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. herb to 4 m tall, male flowers white (collection: Michael J. Balick #4977)

Example: The fruits are edible and eaten when ripe. To soften beef or octopus, or other meat that is tough, chop green fruit and put in a bowl with meat/fish and then add some water. Allow to sit for 30 minutes or if the food needs to be softer, then leave it in longer. The leaves are used to feed lobsters that are being kept in cages underwater, following their harvest. The leaves are used to cover stones on the earth oven. To treat a person with Ciguatera illness, wash many very gren fruits of papaya, the smallest ones that form at the top, and eat these to help relieve symptoms.

Scientific name: Carica papaya, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. type of fruit

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[ɲɛsŋa nɛmtan] n. eye

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. black palm (RPV #216)

Scientific name: Cyathea lunulata, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[netoʊhas] n. May (lit. bad sugar cane, not ready yet)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. tree, 7-8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3587)

Example: 1. If the preferred banana leaves are not available to wrap food for cooking, then use young leaves of this species and tie taro and fish for cooking. 2. Use leaves to wrap fresh water prawns and fresh water fish and cook them on charcoal. Use as a cup by making funnel out of leaf and drink from it. 3. Used for unspecified ritual activities.

Scientific name: Dillenia biflora, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nipʧinite] n. cooking pot

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

[niriθ] n. gills

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3574)

Example: 1. The inner bark of this plant is used as a dye or paint to provide a brown color. Boil the inner bark in a pot with a shirt and the color of the shirt will be changed to brown. 2. For toothache, people take the inner bark and mix it with sea water, and then rinse the tooth with this mixture to remove the pain. 3a. People macerate the leaves and the bark and when the tide is low, spread this in a pool of water to poison the sea shells that are edible. When they die, the eyes of this organism comes above the sand, indicating where they are, and people harvest and eat them. 3b. To attract and collect clam – NIPJINUMU – scrape bark in a pool of sea water where the clams are attracted immediately and can be collected, coming up from the sand. 4. Firewood, unspecified medical use.

Scientific name: Acacia simplex, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

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, textit{Cyathea sp}, which is considered the black one.

Scientific name: Cyathea

n. grass. Found in disturbed area behind the village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #12)

Example: 1. To cure the sea snake (nispev) curse that causes missed periods. First the husband must combine 4 young leaves of incispev and 4 young leaves of nafanu and mash and squeeze the juice into a small bamboo (1-1.5 inch diameter) The nafanu is important because it is a plant that connects to the sea. Use wildcane leaves cover the bamboo closed. Go to the sick person and unwrap the snake from her. Start from the top and let the woman drink a small part of the potion then wash her with the mixture, making sure to wash head, elbows, knees, feet, and belly. Then take a leaf of naha and break it over the woman’s belly button to break the snake off. Smash the bamboo vessel to pieces. Leave the woman there until the wash dries on her. This takes one whole day and the ceremony in the evening so she can sleep and she must not eat. This ritual is performed by men. 2. Main plant to thatch roof of local houses. 3. Collect the dry stems, tie together, use as a torch at night for walking or walking along the reef when fishing. 4. Take 1 cane and tie the leaves together and tie on a tree to indicate tabu – e.g. a citrus tree that will be ripe soon to tell people not to pick it. 5. To catch crabs just before sunset, burn the torch and shake the ashes on the rocks; come back an hour or so later and the crabs are attracted by the ashes and you can collect them. 6. Can also use to weave walls of house. 7. Women clean the leaves of the stem and use the hard part of the stem to strip pandanus leaf before weaving a basket. 8. Cut wild cane in half and sharpen the end, use this to cut the dried pandanus leaves into small strips. 9. Tie leaves into a knot and stick the knot on the kava stem; t is means that this kava goes “express” so the carrier goes to one border of a village and passes it to another person who knows it cannot stop in this village but goes to the next border and is passed on 10. This plant is a “message plant” to say “don’t stop,” referring to something being delivered.

Scientific name: Saccharum maximum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nohos isaina] n. kind of banana (sp. from China)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. pufferfish

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree. Found in the village, usually grows in the hills. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #16)

Example: 1. Lot of oil in the heartwood so it is good to start a fire, split it into small strips and you can light it for a fire. 2. Calendar plant – when the fruits ripen people know that this is the best season to eat the big hermit crab – meaning that they are fat.

Scientific name: Fagraea berteroana, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Black-spot surgeonfish

Example: Photo by zsispeo / Flickr.com, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Acanthurus bariene, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

[nuhonwei] n. White-eyed Duck

Example: Photo by cuatrok77/Flickr, License: CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Aytha australis, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. leaves for an oven

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 105

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nʊpsɛθoʊn] n. toe

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

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.

Scientific name: Passiflora maliformis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[rak͡pad] n. black hawk

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. cry

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[talpos] adj. very big

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. an open blossom

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

n. sweet potato

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati