Aneityum

n. white (color)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. to come up, or come east

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. go back into shore; go further up into the bush; go inland

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.a. to ascend, to go up

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 62

v. apply (as in oil to skin); paint

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. the clear part of the moon when first seen

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 166

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

adj. soft, as an infant’s foot, or new leaves.

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 82

n. firewood

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. wood

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. the white wood of a tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 85

n. sedge to 1 m, flowers brown (collection: Michael J. Balick #4883)

Example: Children pull up the new young shoots and eat them. You eat the white soft part at the base of the part that comes off when you pull it. See photo.

Scientific name: Gahnia aspera, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of fish

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. multicolored taro, fancy-leaved caladium (RPV #146)

Scientific name: Caladium bicolor, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[inhat auɪɲet] n. a drawing on stones

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the pandanus leaf

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 170

n. sea bird

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. gaiac (RPV #43)

Scientific name: Acacia spirorbis, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3692)

Scientific name: Acacia spirorbis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[inpah] n. leaves worn around head

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. a type of flowering hibiscus plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4751)

Example: Photo Gregory M. Plunkett. Further information via Wikipedia

Scientific name: Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. bush land where forest trees grow; also "intucjip"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 89

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4782)

Scientific name: Euodia hortensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3563)

Example: Children like to eat the fruit of this plant. It is said to taste like pineapple/mango. It must be very ripe to be eaten. Peel and discard the skin. The fruit is most sweet when it is on the ground for a few days. Some children eat the seeds of this fruit but it has a strong oily taste--too many cause vomiting and if a person eats 1-2 seeds it can cause diarrhea.

Scientific name: Ximenia americana, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. back of canoe

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. fishing line

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Melastoma malabathricum (RPV #132)

Scientific name: Melastoma malabathricum, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: David Nasauman

v. die

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nadimi dama] phr. four men (there are)

Speaker: David Nasauman

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

n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3530)

Example: This plant grows in coastal areas, and is a good source of firewood. It can be used for house posts. The leaves are used as an unspecified medicine. There is a belief regarding the black and white sea snake, that represents a seawater spirit. Mix this with other unspecified leaves, mash together, squeeze into a bamboo tube and fill it. Give it to a woman to drink to keep the evil snake spirit away. The same preparation can be used to treat toothache, caused by the seawater spirit. "The spirit can trick you into going to fish every day."

Scientific name: Guettarda speciosa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[nafɛtʊ manava] n. heart

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. big turtle

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. vine to 3-4 m, aerial tubers brown (collection: Michael J. Balick #4872)

Example: Normally these fruits are considered poisonous. But, people have learned to peel off the skin of the fruits, put the peeled fruits in a conical basked and place a bamboo tube that is dripping water over it to wash the basket of fruits for 3-5 days. This is said to leach out the poison and the end result is similar in consistency to cheese. Wrap this up with leaves and put it in an earth oven to cook. This plant is eaten as a "starvation food" only, consumed in times of drought and famine.

Scientific name: Dioscorea bulbifera, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. low-growing, creeping vine growing in grassy area just inland from coastal strand. Flowers purple. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3224)

Example: Long time ago used seeds to make necklaces, don’t last long.

Scientific name: Canavalia rosea, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. dawn of day

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141

[najsiom] n. bird nest

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3613)

Example: Used to make small poles for house rafters.

Scientific name: Myristica fatua, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. isle, island

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 160

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. feathers

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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

Scientific name: Maesa aneiteensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. twining vine, growing on grassed along roadside in open disturbed area. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3608)

Scientific name: Cardiospermum halicacabum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[nawʊnalak] n. calf muscle

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[napat ireɣpo] n. round clouds that bring rain

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. stone wall for beach

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4773)

Scientific name: Phyllanthus myrianthus, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. treelet, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4067)

Example: 1. When pig is cooked in an earth oven, branches of this speces are used to cover the pig, before hot rocks are heaped on top.

Scientific name: Ficus kajewskii, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a spotted coconut

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. large-leafed orange mangrove (RPV #93)

Scientific name: Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. terrestrial fern, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4094)

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

Scientific name: Tectaria crenata, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3512)

Example: This plant is used as fertilzer to place on bottom of the taro patch in the same way as GMP #3456 to help "feed the ground" for next year. The leaves are used to wrap food. When a person is chewing kava, pile the chewed kava roots on the young leaves of this species. Also, an unspecified medicinal use.

Scientific name: Acalypha grandis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[nefitan mokom] n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. a species of poisonous tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

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. tree to 5 m, dbh 12 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4917)

Example: Flowers are used to decorate the house and other areas as they are very fragrant. The leaves are used to cover taro cooked in an earth oven.

Scientific name: Gardenia tannaensis, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. tree 10 m tall, dbh 15 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4909)

Example: The stems of this plant make a good digging stick for planting kava. Kava planted with this digging stick will be stronger in effect.

Scientific name: Alstonia vitiensis, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. the name of a tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. herb, growing in weedy area at end of airstrip runway. Flowers yellow. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3568)

Scientific name: Youngia japonica, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3636)

Example: The green fruits are edible, as are the young leaf apices--cook these in water and eat them. The wood is used for temporary houses, for example, to provide shade in a garden. For planting taro, or any root crop, sharpen the end of a stick of this tree and use it for making holes, particuarly in river sand where some crops are planted. This tree grows near the river and is an indication that this land is good for agriculture. The wood from the tree is very good for firewood. Name means "who are you." Plant used as an indicator of a tabu place. Take a branch and put it where another person is building or gardening and there is a dispute over that area of land. When this plant is placed there the person who is using the land should stop working it.

Scientific name: Ficus adenosperma, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

[ninɛhɛn nʊmʊ] n. fish scales

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. coconut leaves, plaited for covering ridge of roof

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

n. frankincense

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 152

n. a banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

[nohos vietnam] n. kind of banana(sp. from Vietnam)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. a large type of banana, lit. "whale banana" (see inyau)

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4753)

Scientific name: Arytera neoebudensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nuhu] n. floating rock from the volcano

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. tree (sparsely branched until canopy), 8-10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3450)

Example: 1. Wood used for house posts and for small parts of the house such as a porch. 2. Timber tree, house posts, young trees for roof rafters.

Scientific name: Syzygium kajewskii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

v.n. to bear fruit as a tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 105

[owaŋ] num. six

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[rabaθ] n. Peregrine Falcon

Example: Photo by Teddy Llovet, License: CC BY-NC 2.0 see more on Flickr See how this bird is featured in the origin story of Aneityum chiefs at see more on Youtube

Scientific name: Falco peregrinus, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

adv. down there, at a short distance; also "sike"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

[tai napat] n. flying clouds, preceding a storm or cyclone

Speaker: David Nasauman

v.a. to lop off small branches

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 110

n. Stachytarpheta cayennesis

Example: Juice squeezed from leaves, wounds.

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 444

n. a sweet potato

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 111

v.a. beat so as to shake a tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 127

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119