Aneityum

[aθ tasvi] v. break strong things (like a branch, etc.)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. to fish (in the deep sea)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. to weed

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 68

v.n. to cross over or above, as over a fence, or tree in a path, or on stones through a river

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 58

[alpos] adj. big

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. made of branches

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 130

v.a. to ascend, to go up

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 62

v. lay down

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. adjacent

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 121

n. forest trees

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 78

[et atut] phr. is running

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[et elel] phr. is dripping

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[et hal t̚imi ] phr. some people

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. herb to 0. 75 m tall, flowers white (collection: Michael J. Balick #4953)

Example: The young leaves are edible; these should be collected, boiled for ca. 8 minutes and eaten with other foods such as cassava. This is one of the local leaves that is said to taste quite good when cooked and mixed with other foods. Both the ripe (red) and unripe (green) fruits are added to soup and other foods as a spice or eaten fresh. The fruit of this cultivar is very hot. The fruit is also fed to chickens who seem to love to eat it.

Scientific name: Capsicum annuum, Speaker: Tony Keith

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

Scientific name: Macropiper latifolium, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. wood

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. the white wood of a tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 85

n. basket handle

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. wind-related term; no definition provided. Possibly referring to "inhalav" ’child’.

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. bush land; uncultivated land

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[inmerahi] n. kind of breadfruit (white)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. vine to 5 m tall in trees, fruits maturing yellow-brown. Growing in agroforest/secondary forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #5009)

Example: People collect this vine and feed it to pigs. It also has an unspecified medicinal use. The vine of this plant forms a thick canopy so some people plant it around the house near trees that do not give much shade in order to reduce the intensity of the sun on the house and thus keep the temperature lower. The vine grows quickly into the trees.

Scientific name: Operculina (?) turpethum, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. treelet or shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3204)

Example: To treat a headache, people traditionally would make a small cut ¼ inch long with a bamboo or piece of glass around the eyebrows where it is soft and then drip juice of the crushed leaves in the cut to take away the pain. Let the cut bleed first and then put the juice in it and it will stop the pain. The bleeding will stop the pain and the leaf juice will stop the bleeding – sometimes the pain will go away immediately and sometimes it takes a few minutes. So this technique is used to treat a very strong headache like a migraine.

Scientific name: Malvaviscus arboreus, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

[intas anejʧom] n. Aneityumese language

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. two days ago or two days hence

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141

n. Synedrella nodiflora

Example: leaf rubbed in hands for toothache

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 440

[kuri] n. dog (general)

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

v. die

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. tree to 5 m, dbh 10 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4924)

Example: Tree is a good source of firewood. Children use the "Y" of a branch to make sling shot for hunting birds and flying fox.

Scientific name: Ochrosia elliptica, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. big turtle

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of turtle

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

[najsiom] n. bird nest

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of sugarcane; also "inhelegaij"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. herb to 1 m, flowers yellow. Growing at edge of cultivated field. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4956)

Scientific name: Triumfetta procumbens, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. liana climbing on Syzygium, growing along ridge in dense rainforest. Bracts pale to deep red. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4078)

Scientific name: Freycinetia tannaensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4770)

Scientific name: Glochidion ramiflorum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub, 1. 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3442)

Scientific name: Maesa aneiteensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a gathering of inmops or horse-chestnuts

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. a species of grass

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. a small water-plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

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. kind of banana

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Bluespot mullet

Example: Photo by Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Moolgarda seheli via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. tree, 15 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3590)

Example: 1. Used as a medicine to help stop bleeding. Take the inner bark, mash it, and dip in water. Then apply the poultice to the bleeding wound to help stop the bleeding. This treatment will also promote healing of the wound. When the poultice dries it becomes hard and sticks to the wound. At that point leave it on the wound until the pain goes away and then it can be peeled off of the wound. 2. Wood good for making canoe.

Scientific name: Hernandia moerenhoutiana, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. stage of coconut

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a mat of coconut leaf

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. tree. Growing near village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #21)

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. To cure headaches casued by bad spirit - Take one top from Nelmaha and one from inrowod (white stripe variety) Combine and chew these then spit them out and apply to the sick persons forehead. 3. To cure headaches - Someone other than the woman must prepare this. Break the top branch of netethae and remove leaves for use. Combine with the top leaves of the top branch of nelmaha. Chew the leaves and drink the juice. Do this when the sun is setting on the horizon. The woman gives the leftover fibers to the person who prepared the medicine and that person goes and throws the fibers in the direction of the setting sun. 4. To cure toothache when pregnant - Take the inner bark from Intejed and boil it in a pot of seawater (about 1 liter) along with 2 leaves from each of inpounatmas, narayag, nahayag, and nelmaha. Boil until juice is visibly leaving the plants. Put this water into your mouth and hold it there for 2-3 minutes. Do this this with one cup in the morning, 1 cup in the afternoon, and 1 cup in the evening. 5. Used to fight against black magic in an unspecified way. 6. Roll leaf and put in pocket for protection when walk in a new area. 7. Message plant if a land dispute – if a person puts this stem or leaf in another’s garden whom they are angry with it means go away!! 8. To treat sick people, especially who fall ill from black magic to save their life. Symptoms vary, for example a person with small boils over body,* a person chews the leaf and spits it on the sick person, 1x and then puts the branch with leaves near the sick person when they sleep – 3x (1x day) branch is ca. 25cm long. (*headache, severe)

Scientific name: Ficus littoralis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. cloth of coconut tree; anything useless. Ek idivaig nenis ainyak, I am quite useless

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. shark

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nepiŋ θoʊ] n. night, moon has just gone down but enough light to see

Speaker: David Nasauman

[nepiŋ upni] phr. Good night. (greeting after sundown, last time to walk on the beach)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. orange (fruit)

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 8-10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4141)

Scientific name: Ficus obliqua, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. edible fern

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. tree to 4 m, dbh 10 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4936)

Example: The leaves are used to cover earth ovens when cooking big fish or taro.

Scientific name: Cleidion neoebudicum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. tree, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3479)

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. The young stems of this plant are used in home construction but as they are small and thin, they are not used for posts.

Scientific name: Cleidion javanicum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. citron; lemon; lime tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 135, 162,163

n. wooden dish

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. terrestrial fern on forest floor, growing in disturbed forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3482)

Example: People who go fishing take this plant along with other unspecified leaves, crush them and rub them on the fishing line that the person is using. This is said to attract more fish to the bait. It is also a "message plant" to be put in a person’s hat when they come back from fishing and then people know that they caught fish. Local name means "fish gill." For performing a weather magic ritual to produce fog, this plant is fermented along with another plant (nap̃at) in a hole in a sacred stone (called "Naemoso") at a secret location on Aneityum.

Scientific name: Schizaea dichotoma, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. ray of light in the morning

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 177

n. beach

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 127

n. kind of banana

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. berry

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 128

n. tree, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3540)

Example: The straight trunk of this tree is used to make canoes. The black seed in the fruit is used to make necklaces. The inner bark is peeled and crushed in sea water and rubbed in the hair to make it curly. People do this treatment every day to make long hair curl like a rasta.

Scientific name: Hernandia nymphaeifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3703)

Scientific name: Syzygium nomoa, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nopɲa] n. Red-Bellied Fruit Dove

Example: Sub-adult Red-bellied Fruit Dove. Photo by Papier K / Wikimedia Commons, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Scientific name: Ptilinopus greyii, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. Ageratum conyzoides L.

Example: juice squeezed from leaves; wounds

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 440

[noweɪ yaŋ] n. July (lit. a kind of wood when it’s leaves become yellow)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. an upward slope

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 121

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4762)

Scientific name: Melodinus glaber, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. vine, growing up trees in primary forest at edge of river. flower white. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3675)

Example: This vine is collected, rolled in a figure 8 and put on a fire to soften it and used to tie posts. It is tied when warm, because when it cools it is very strong, "like wire." It does not burn on the fire, only become soft. It is said to be excellent for the construction of cyclone houses, it shrinks after heating to make a very strong rope.

Scientific name: Melodinus neoebudicus, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. fish

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. fern to 0. 75 m, sori brown. Growing in pine forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4983)

Example: Join two of the inrolled fronds together at the part where the frond is opening (the tip that is curled) such that the leaves are held together by their unfolding growing tips. Place this along the path that is frequented by a wild pig (they travel along paths) and when the pig passes these two leaves, and is chased by a hunter’s dogs, these leaves in this formation are said to sap some of the pig’s energy and thus allow the dogs to catch up with it. This was explained to Tony by another person who mentioned it as a sort of magical power possessed by this type of fern.

Scientific name: Blechnopsis orientalis, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. tree, 2. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3272)

Example: Wood is strong and used to make a spear for fishing.

Scientific name: Tapeinosperma netor, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3263)

Example: 1. A "calendar plant". When this flowers in the bush, and people are making their gardens in that area, it means the garden is ready to harvest. 2. Firewood, calendar, and message plant – for people who live up in the forest can see this coastal plant and when it flowers it is a good time to go fishing or to move to the coastal area for a few weeks to relax. July-August. Tide is low so everything is exposed so it is a good time to fish for there, 2 months. 3. Flowers have a nice nectar, sweet, kids drink.

Scientific name: Metrosideros collina, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

adj. inland

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 159

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[puarapuanan par lei] phr. he went there and he took it

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. talk

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. an open blossom

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

n. full moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 109

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118