An example search has returned 100 entries
anaclelen
n. forecast
bookmarkevehel
n. light winds
bookmarkianiv
n. yesterday
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inceiwad
n. the name of a poisonous plant
bookmarkingejei wou
n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3647)
Example: 1. The straight poles of this plant are sharpened and used to plant kava, and only for kava. Not used for planting other crops. 2. Special for catching eels in fresh water, poke stick with leaves into hole where eel lives and they don’t like it so they come out and you catch them, by cutting with knife.
bookmarkinhenid
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarkinmal acujitai
n. a collection of plantations
bookmarkinmeri
n. a stringy bark tree
bookmarkinmoijeuv natpoig
n. a comet
bookmarkinm̃okom
n. Steephead parrotfish
Example: Photo by charlie20 / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmark
inpece lelicai
n. kind of tree
bookmarkinraurua
n. coconut leaves for a net
bookmarkinridjai
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarkintiklan cai
n. tops of branches
bookmarkintisianibul
n. rose
bookmarkintop̃asiej
n. herb. Grows on the coast. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #18)
Example: 1. For painful urination - The first way to prepare this it to take four big leaves and pound them with some water to get out the juices and squeeze this into a cup and drink. This can also be given to babies and children. The second way is to take two small leaf tops and two that are slightly larger tops. Chew these leaves and try to swallow all of it, if you can’t swallow the leaves then spit out the fibers and only drink the juice. 2. Calendar plant – when it flowers, turtle has fat in them, hang turtle to dry, fat melts, and can collect and eat it. Past practice – not eaten now. 3. Young parts of leaves can be cooked as a cabbage with coconut milk. 4. Wrap fish, especially those from the sea, with this leaf – first take lap lap leaf, then layer with this leaf, then wrap fish tie with pandanus for cooking on charcoals. Also with reef fish can wrap and cook directly on charcoal. Then eat leaf with the fish. 5. Medicine – top unrolled leaf tips, – new baby put this in his mouth and then take it out again – believe that it will make the baby talkative – 1x only when 1-2 days old. Put tip on tongue – shut mouth for a few seconds then pull it out. 6. Tips of leaves for diarrhea – remove old leaves, take 1 tip for baby, adults 2-3 tips, chew it, swallow juice and spit out fiber. 1x day, 3 days.
bookmarkinwag
n. the evening star
bookmarkinwai
n. water; fresh water
bookmarkinyetupou lelcei
iñec
[iŋec] n. Mystery Island
bookmarkkatamal
masoa
n. arrowroot
bookmarknabou
n. Yellowmargin triggerfish
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknafan
n. the name of a species of seaweed
bookmarknahi ateuc
n. a plant with white flowers; a lily
bookmarknahrin hat
n. kind of taro
bookmarknakwai
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknalvi pece
n. isle, island
bookmarknamrad
napua
n. kind of taro
bookmarknap̃od
nared
n. current in the sea
bookmarknarijo
n. epiphytic fern on decaying log, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4088)
Example: 1. Considered the same as Narijo. When it grow in good soil it takes the form of GMP 4087. In cold and rocky soil it this form.
bookmarknatau anyiyi
n. kind of banana
bookmarknau inwai
n. channel of a stream
bookmarknauanieg
n. reed
bookmarknaupiñiña
n. terrestrial fern, growing in secondary forest along the river. Leaves c. 2. 25 m long. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3656)
Example: Put several leaves of this species together to wrap food, especially the fresh water eel, and to carry plants of taro, kava, holding the leaves over one’s shoulder to carry these crops.
bookmarknauwainapit
n. lightning
bookmarkneandel
necñanjaa
n. shrub to 2 m, dbh 3 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4862)
Example: The common name of this plant refers to the footprint of a chicken. Mix the dried leaves of this plant with pieces of coconut and feed to chickens. They are said to really like it. Plant the shrub near the place that chickens are kept. This feed will make the chickens produce more eggs and also increase the number of healthy chickens.
bookmarknecñanman
nedeij
n. a small gray berry used as beads
bookmarknedouyatmas
nedwodou
n. tree to 6 m, dbh 10 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4865)
Example: To bring luck when fishing. Take 4 leaves with stems still on them-- first thing in the morning, when it is cool and quiet and there is not much noise, break the left hand side from two leaves and the right hand side from two leaves (total 4 half leaves) and take those pieces and put in the bag containing your fishing gear. The meaning of the local name is that "these leaves will please the Sea God" who will not understand it if a fisherman does not have leaves with them on their trip. There are groups of people who are part of the Sea Gods and you must notify these people before you go out to fish. If you have these leaves in your bag, you are said to get many fish. In the past certain people were responsible for the harvest from the sea; these people used to know this ritual. Not much known at present. Birds eat the fruit of this tree as does the flying fox.
bookmarknegaivaine
n. a bunch of grapes; also "nigaivaine"
bookmarknelm̃ai apeñ
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.
bookmarknemdaj
n. Little spinefoot, scribbled rabbitfish
Example: Photo by Kathleen Kresner-Reyes / Fishbase, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmark
nepek cat
nepjenepjen
n. epiphytic vine climbing on trees, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4091)
Example: 1. When a child is between 1 mos. and 1 yr. if the father persists too soon in resuming sexual relations with the mother, the child can become sick. In preparation for the sickness, green leaves are collected. When the sickness occurs, the leaves (now dry) are burned and the baby is washed with the charcoal. 2. After visitors leaves one’s house, one must not hurry to return to their gardens. One waits a few days, then swims with the rachis of this fern tied about their waist. If this practice is not followed, it is believed that the plants in one’s gardens will grow weak.
bookmarkneroa
n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3513)
Example: 1. The flower is used to make a necklace and the wood used as poles for a house roof. The flower is very fragrant and people put it behind their ear to enjoy the aroma. The leaf is used to bake taro in 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. 2. Firewood, flower smells good, put in coconut oil to give it aroma. Grate coconut, add small amount of water, put in bowl, heat until water is evaporated, the oil is on top, take all the coconut cream on bottom save oil in another pot. Drop 2-3 flowers into coconut oil and boil, or more flowers. Try not to burn the oil. Take out flowers and use pure oil. Also used for final covering of large earth oven during feast along with GMP 3503 – esp. wedding feast. Planting pole and hard and heavy wood – sharp end. 3. This is a "calendar plant." When it flowers, people know that the taro is ready to harvest.
bookmarknetcetas
n. well branched tree, 15 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4084)
Example: 1. The name means "explosion". Further information about the plant withheld.
bookmarknete o un
n. west
bookmarknetopdecraiñ
n. herb to 45 cm, seeds brown. Red clay soil (collection: Michael J. Balick #4888)
Example: The name of this plant means "division" -- if someone wants to help to destroy your business or home, they put this plant in front of your business or your home and this will help to scatter out your family from where they are living.
bookmarknevehev
n. current of air
bookmarknijilah
n. kind of tree
bookmark
nilpodou
n. herb, growing at edge of garden area. Flowers yellow. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3599)
Example: This is for a medicinal tea to give energy to a person who is not feeling well. Collect a handful of young stem apices and boil in 2-3 cups of water. Drink warm to help the body be strong and healthy. It is also good to treat diarrhea. When a person feels well again, stop this treatment but they can also drink this 1x daily, once before breakfast or before lunch, as a healthful tea.
bookmarknobohtan aiyu
n. meadow
bookmarknohu itai
n. fruit trees
bookmarknohwan nefara
n. kind of taro
bookmarknomodej wow
n. vine to 2 m, aerial tubers and lobed leaves. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4946)
Example: This is a root crop. It is harvested in April-June. The leaves turn yellow and indicate that the crop is ready to harvest. If planted in the old days the root would get much larger. It is a good cyclone disaster food. Grows wild now. Boil the tuber in fresh water, when it is cooked add a bit of sea water to give it a salty taste. Chew the starchy root and spit out the fiber. Another variety is like sweet potato and a person can eat the entire root without spitting out the fiber. Can mix with coconut milk as well to eat.
bookmarknoporo pora
nowahau
n. Black-spot surgeonfish
Example: Photo by zsispeo / Flickr.com, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknowat apen
n. Striated surgeonfish
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknuarin abras
n. cliff
bookmarknälmaha
n. unidentified species
Example: Fresh leaves: special Kastom ceremony used to treat severe abdominal pain during pregnancy
bookmarksepam
adv. down here
bookmarkupasin
n. first shoots of old roots
bookmarkupreupre
n. tough; a kind of coral
bookmarkThere are currently 2431 entries, 1543 audio files, and 860 images.
All content copyright © Aneityum community. (2015)
Talking Dictionary produced by K. David Harrison, Gregory D. S. Anderson and Jeremy Fahringer. Botanical consultants: Michael J. Balick, Gregory M. Plunkett and Sean Thackurdeen. (2015-2018)
Aneityum language contributors include Kirk Keitadi, Tony Keith, Titiya Lalep, David Nasauman, Osiani Nerian, Ruben Nerian, Chris Nevehev, Romario Yaufati and others as credited within the dictionary entries. Based in part on materials from Inglis, John (1882) A Dictionary of the Aneityumese Language: In Two Parts. I. Aneityumese and English. II. English.
The Aneityum-English Talking Dictionary was made possible by award no. 1555675 from National Science Foundation for “Collaborative Research: Plant, Fungal and Linguistic Diversity of Tafea Province, Vanuatu.” This support is gratefully acknowledged.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
All rights reserved. Do not distribute or reproduce without permission.
how to cite:
K. David Harrison. 2015.
Aneityum Talking Dictionary.
Swarthmore College.
http://www.talkingdictionary.org/aneityum
Interface and database design under the direction of Jeremy Fahringer and Swarthmore College ITS.
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