Aneityum

adj. tempestuous at sea

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 48

v. remove skin of coconut using a stick

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. cover

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. moonlight

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[amai neto] phr. chew sugarcane

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. break soft things (like bread, cassava, taro, etc.); cut in half

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. to go ashore

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 66

adj. straight

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. red (color)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[t̚apanan ʤa ʤaj et lok sto eŋmikope stoi lok] phr. he went there but the store was closed

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[dowaŋ nadimi] phr. six men (there are)

Speaker: David Nasauman

v. to come out, as banana fruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 72

phr. I am quite useless

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. green (color)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. last quarter of moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 78

[et aʤuʤaj an ouʤeiko] phr. he went up there

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[et elel] phr. is dripping

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. show

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. outside

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. herb, growing in disturbed secondary forest/garden area. Sterile; leaves fragrant. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3695)

Scientific name: Hornstedtia scottiana, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. herb to 1 m, flowers white (collection: Michael J. Balick #4868)

Example: Red fruit is used to feed chickens.

Scientific name: Rivina humilis, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. liana climbing on Fagraea tree (8 m tall), growing in secondary forest (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3663)

Scientific name: Piper macropiper, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

[inhɛlʤa] n. our penis’

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. Blue sea chub, snubnose chub, topsail drummer

Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Kyphosus cinerascens via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. belt

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. epiphyte on dead log, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4105)

Example: 1. This plant is considered bad luck when hunting or fishing. When doing these activities, do not decorate your hair with them. 2. This plant is used to weave the sheath portion of "nambas". First the stems are retted, then the inner portion of the plant removed. Once removed, the sheath is woven with the blanched fiber. 3. This is considered the female version of this plant. See GMP #4104, Phlegmarius sp. for the male version.

Scientific name: Phlegmariurus squarrosus, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. breadfruit

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree to 10 m, dbh 1 m (collection: Michael J. Balick #4991)

Example: The young trees are a good source of lumber as they are straight and can be used as poles or sawn timber. This tree is also a source of firewood and is known to be easy to light and burns well. The fruits are a source of oil. Collect the ripe fruits, remove the seeds from the shell, macerate the seeds to release the white endosperm inside, place this in a pot without water and heat it. The brown-yellow oil will come out from the crushed fruits. It is good for using on the body but not edible. It is a good massage oil, or to lubricate the skin or to heal small wounds. For the latter, drop some oil on the wound once daily until the wound heals.

Scientific name: Aleurites moluccanus, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

[inmoiʤev at̚poij] n. the Aurora Australis; streamers (lit. "smoke star")

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. tree to 5 m, dbh 6 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4965)

Example: This plant is grown as an ornamental plant, and its flowers are used in the house. The stems are also cut for firewood.

Scientific name: Bauhinia, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. epiphyte on trees, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4093)

Example: 1. Sickness blo namya. When a man accidentally has intercourse with a woman during her menstrual cycle, he can become sick. The leaves are squeezed, along with others, to produce an extraction. The dose and duration varies according to the degree of the symptoms. Further information about the preparation withheld.

Scientific name: Psilotum complanatum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. shrub to 2 m tall, flowers yellow. Growing along coast. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4959)

Example: The young leaves are boiled for 15 minutes and coconut milk is added to the warm leaves and this is eaten--the coconut milk it said to make the leaves taste better. New mothers are given this food as it helps them to produce more milk for their babies. As a medicine, take the young shoots, peel the outer skin off of these, macerate a 3’ piece of young stem in a small amount of water, take out the fiber, put the juice in a tablespoon and feed it to a baby that is old enough to swallow water (not a new born) when they have diarrhea. Take once daily for 2-3 days. This remedy is used for babies up to one year of age. For older babies that have diarrhea, peel the young 3’ stems and give them to the child to chew (spit out the fiber) and have them drink a small amount of water after chewing. This treatment is once daily, for 2-3 days until the diarrhea stops. For adults, take 4 young stems about 3’ long and chew these and swallow the juice, twice daily (morning and afternoon) and use until the diarrhea stops. When this plant is in flower, hunters know that the turtle has more fat and can be harvested--a calendar plant.

Scientific name: Melanthera biflora, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. shrub, 0. 7 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3562)

Example: In the past the ancestors learned to cook the leaves of this species with fish in an earth over and then eat the leaves as well as the fish. Today, fish are wrapped with small leaves and then covered with lap-lap leaf (Polyscias) and cooked in an earth oven. This plant is also a "calendar plant." When you see this plant flower you know that sea turtles are getting fat and ready to harvest. As a "message plant", if a person puts this flower behind their ear or in their hat, and looks at another person, it is an invitation to that person to go with you to the nakamal for kava

Scientific name: Wollastonia biflora, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. brook

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 131

n. vine running many meters long over clay soil and grassy area on hillside where the triangular wooden signs are that used to be a landmark for ships coming to the island. Sterile. (collection: Michael J. Balick #5008)

Example: This plant is the focus of an important legend on Aneityum. When the missionary John Geddie and colleaguse first arrived on the island in July of 1848, the Chiefs welcomed them but some of the people did not like the idea. So these people sent a basket containing a peeled coconut and a fish (nopom) to the Chief in Umej to ask him to support the idea of getting rid of the missionary that the Chief of Analcahuat had welcomed. If the Chief of Umej were to eat the fish and coconut meat, it would mean that he agreed with the opposition. The Chief refused to eat the food in the basket and he told the people a parable involving this plant. A person cannot find the tip of the stem or the end of the root in the ground. So if they were to eliminate the missionary, his activity would continue because of God’s power. As it is with this plant, it will continue to grow and flourish if you cut it or try to dig up the root. So he sent a message about this plant to the people in Analcahuat who objected to the presence of the missionary stating this parable. Those people in Analcauhat held a secret meeting and they chose a powerful and strong person to kill the missionary. During the night the person went to the missionary’s house while he was in the toilet. Returning to the house, the missionary found the person in his doorway, and that person lifted his club to strike the missionary. But at that point the attacker’s hands suddenly had no power and the club fell from his hands, and he fell over. The missionary told him to get up, and not come back. After that experience, the people of Umej realized that God’s power was great and they could not go against it. The Chief took the peeled coconut that was sent him and covered it with the skin of another coconut and planted it instead of eating it. This coconut grew and the missionary’s work continued to grow on the island. So this vine played an important role in communicating the power of God to the people of Aneityum.

Speaker: Tony Keith

n. Synedrella nodiflora

Example: leaf rubbed in hands for toothache

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 440

n. pungent scrub, island musk (RPV #101)

Scientific name: Evodia hortensis, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

adj. unripe

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 196

n. cup (mug)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. arrowroot

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 92

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

[naθi aθiat upni] phr. Good morning. (greeting in mid-morning, after 10 o’clock)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. dawn of day

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141

[naha] n. plant for wrapping fish, lily plant that grows in coastal areas

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

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

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. a plant from which twine is made

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 94

n. thorn

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 193

n. tree to 30 m, dbh 75 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4911)

Example: Stems of this tree are used to make canoes as they are always straight. Tree can also be used to for timber and as firewood.

Scientific name: Serianthes ebudarum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. well branched tree, 12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4081)

Example: 1. The wood is used to carve a bi-handle bowl from which chiefs would drink kava.

Scientific name: Glochidion ramiflorum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree to 10 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4929)

Example: The wood is hard and used as a spade to dig holes for planting taro. Make spears for fishing out of the stems, either by sharpening them or putting wires on the end.

Scientific name: Xylosma guillauminii, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4777)

Scientific name: Maesa aneiteensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. vine climbing in understory, growing in rainforest along river. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4057)

Example: 1. This plant is named in relation to a winged fish. The leaves are rough and resemble the body the fish. 2. The leaves of this plant are used to wrap grated taro or manioc. After it is fastened with rope and boiled or baked.

Scientific name: Joinvillea plicata, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a small whirlwind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. epiphytic fern on fallen log, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4097)

Example: 1. The name means "wood cover", alluding to the habit of this plant. It grows only on the bark of trees.

Scientific name: Davallia pusilla, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[napanaunuŋ eθa] phr. where are you going?

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. a calm, a smooth sea

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. bark

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 127

n. east

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 146

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. the north-west wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. tree. Village home garden. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #9)

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 – this was during the time when people did not have matches and did not need them as the embers of this tree would stay hot for days and when it was time to make a stronger fire, people would add smaller branches to make a flame appear.

Scientific name: Ficus aspera, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub to 2. 5 m tall, 1 cm dbh (collection: Michael J. Balick #4856)

Example: When a person gets burned by a fire, take the leaves, squeeze sap on the burn, and then rub a handful of leaves on the burn; use a larger amount of leaves if the person has a larger burn. Apply it directly after the person is burned. This treatment will stop the burn from blistering. Use once. When a 1 month to 2 year old baby has redness or sores on their tongue and cannot eat properly, and saliva is coming out from their mouth, take the sap of the crushed leaves in a spoon and give it to the baby. Take one teaspoon for a 1-5 month old child and a tablespoon for a 6-24 month old. Give the baby once a day for 2 days. This treatment cleanses out the reddish sores. If a person has a sore that is persistent and stays red and sore for a week or more, take 4 apices of this plant, chew and spit on the sore to help it heal. Use 1x in the morning, and next day in the afternoon. Use 2x only. If a person is walking in the bush and concerned about evil spirits, put a small branch behind the ear to be safe. To treat hot chest pain, dizziness, shortage of breath, and if a person has a hot pain that does not go away after taking panadol (aspirin), take 8 leaves and squeeze into a glass of water until it turns reddish, drink 1x a day for 3 days; this is said to make the pain go away.

Scientific name: Acalypha grandis, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. a bunch of grapes; also "nigaivaine"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

[neijaŋ] n. coconut

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. Two-spot red snapper, twinspot snapper, red bass

Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Lutjanus bohar via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. traditional canoe

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. netted brake (RPV #232)

Scientific name: Pteris comans, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree to 8 m, dbh 10 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4863)

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

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4757)

Scientific name: Melochia odorata, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. home

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. strangler tree, 12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3694)

Scientific name: Ficus obliqua, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. trees, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3473)

Example: 1. This species is excellent for firewood as it gives off less smoke than other types of wood. 2. The wood is good for making roof rafters on which to tie thatch. 3. Use this for planting pole, for taro, cane, and kava.

Scientific name: Alstonia vitiensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4792)

Scientific name: Excoecaria agallocha, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3557)

Example: For treatment of a stomach ache, or if your stomach "complains", take very young stems, break off the leaves and chew the stems and swallow the juice. Use a 3-5 cm pieces of stems, chew, and then it clears your intestines and will make you go to the toilet.

Scientific name: Clerodendrum inerme, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. a fern tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. tree to 4 m tall, dbh 8 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4942)

Example: Wood is strong and light so used to build houses.

Scientific name: Melicope latifolia, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

[niʧɛn asŋa] n. teeth (all)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. herb to 70 cm, florets yellow (collection: Michael J. Balick #4998)

Example: To treat a headache, especially from the flu, boil a handful of leaves in 1 liter of water for a few minutes, let cool and drink 1 cup of liquid per day . Also can treat this type of headache by using the plant in a steam bath, by boiling 4 handfuls of leaves in a pot of water, covering the head with a towel and breathing in the steam from the pot.

Scientific name: Bidens pilosa, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. type of seashell

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

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. blossoms on breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

[nopsiʧman] n. hand

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. cliff

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 135

n. a halo around the sun or moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

adj. inland

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 159

adv. near; inshore; near the shore

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

n. blossom (open)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 129

n. a kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 111