An example search has returned 100 entries
ae
alwa
v. to bud; to put forth leaves
bookmarkehlek
v. to seek food, as taro; to gather, to reap
bookmarkehlili
v. to burn ground for planting
bookmarkidahod
v. to sprout largely; also "ujipsotan"
bookmarkincei franse
inceimohos
incipinti
n. shrub, 2. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3471)
Example: 1. 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. 2. Fertilizer for taro, in case you are not cleansed, it is ok as this plant as fertilizer will cleanse you.
bookmarkincipiñti
incuwukava
indawoc
inharedej
inhau amai
n. moderately branched treelet, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3203)
Example: 1a. This type of hibiscus has young leaves that are reddish in color and it is an edible type. The stems are eaten during April-July. Harvest the stems, beat them and cut off the outer bark. Collect inner bark, slicing it off the stem and wrapping it in a banana type leaf with coconut milk added. Bake all night at least 8 hours, then it is eaten. Said to taste like a root vegetable. Used during the dry season when there are not many crops available. 1b. Take young shoot of the tree then pound the base to separate the base of the bark from the stem but leave it on the stem, say pound 4-5 inches around the base, then come back 3-4 months and the rest of the bark would be thicker. Then cut where it was pounded, cut stem in 1.5-foot pieces, bake on an earth oven, leaves on bottom layer (on top of charcoal) then sticks, then leaves on top, then hot stones, and then more leaves. Bake for 1.5 hours, then remove a stick at a time and use shell to scrape away outer bark, cut into 6 inch pieces, put on log, pound to make softer, put in lap lap leaves leaf wrapping, add coconut milk, put in stone oven, cook for one hour then open lap lap leaves and eat. 2. This variety is for this purpose just like Pohnpei. 3. This variety is not used for grass skirt.
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inlepei u inpoded
inmeraducai
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarkinmeri
n. a stringy bark tree
bookmarkinpece lelicai
n. kind of tree
bookmarkintaeñtaeñ atamaeñ
intelgal
n. Whitespotted surgeonfish, northern dialect
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
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jumasjuma
murimuri
nadine
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknahed u paralelcei
naherumaig
n. mimosa (plant)
bookmarknalgaij
n. kind of sugarcane; also "inhelegaij"
bookmarkname cedo
n. epiphytic liana climbing up several canopy trees, growing on slope in primary forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4023)
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.
bookmarknapauwahpa
n. kind of taro
bookmarknaporkos
n. kind of taro
bookmarknarevaro
natau anyiyi
n. kind of banana
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naupitju
n. treelet, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3622)
Example: People use the leaf of this plant to tie over grated banana, taro or other foods for cooking in an earth oven or boiling in a pot. The root of this species is edible. Cook it for 2-3 nights in an earth oven and then chew and squeeze the juice into your mouth, spitting out the fiber. It is a survival food.
bookmarknauun
n. a stem
bookmarknedouyatmas
neijis ieg
n. a bundle of reeds for a torch; a torch
bookmarkneipyepei
n. kind of tree
bookmarknelcau udeuc
n. kind of taro
bookmarknelm̃ai
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.
bookmarknepñatimi
n. epiphyte on syzygium tree, growing in secondary forest along trail above river. old fruits. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3660)
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.
bookmarknese
n. the takoma or tekma, a tree with white flowers
bookmarknetethei
n. shrub. Uncultivated around the village disturbed areas. . (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #27)
Example: The fruits are edible when ripe--eating them turns the tongue purple. 1. 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. 2. Ancestors 4 top branches and chew and spit out remaining fiber will destroy the effects of a love potion that is too strong – meaning that the husband or wife will miss the other person too much so that they become mentally ill. 3. Edible fruits: eating them turns tongue black/purple.
bookmarknetit tidai
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarkniditau
n. tree. Found in the village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #14)
Example: The young leaves and fruits are edible; the fruits are eaten ripe. This species is used for firewood as well as house posts, but they don’t last as long as other types of wood so they are used in temporary structures. A sacred plant on Aneityum. Name means linkage between this world and the spirit world. Agriculture – you find this tree growing, it means that the land is fertile. Birds eat fruits; people burn the tree to release ash and fertilizer and grow their taro around it – it will give more food. Message plant – if someone puts a long brown on your door or in your garden, it means “why are you here?” Implies that you should go back to where you belong. You don’t belong in this place. For example instead of quarreling over land dispute, put the branch and it means that you should leave this place.
bookmarknighincai
n. the stump of a tree
bookmarknijhinga
n. shrub, 1-1. 25 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3591)
Example: The fruits of this species are edible when ripe (black) and are very sweet. It grows in the white grass area in the open. It is "numba one" fruit. If a person eats a lot of these it turns their tongue reddish-purple.
bookmarknijilah
n. kind of tree
bookmarknijisei
n. herb to 1 m, flowers white with red bracts (collection: Michael J. Balick #4912)
Example: To treat high blood pressure. Take a half liter of water, mix a handful of roots in it, boil, drink one cup 3 times daily, warm, for three days. This is to treat high blood pressure when diagnosed in the clinic. The leaf is woven for grass skirts--dry in sun, weave into skirts.
bookmarkniju
n. Green humphead parrotfish, bumphead parrotfish
Example: Photo by Klaus Stiefel / Flickr, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknikam
![1a. This plant is a "message plant." If a person goes to another village with a leaf of this species in their hand, then people know that someone is coming, and this is reflected in the local name. 1b. Message plant – if you pop by someone’s house and drop leaves there, people know someone has visited them. You can ask neighbors who came by. 2. The fruit is a source of a nut that children love to eat raw. 3. It is known in Bislama as "false mango" [kiyaman mango].](/media/aneityum/pix/GMP_3481_MJB_97-scaled.jpg)
n. tree, 8-10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3481)
Example: 1a. This plant is a "message plant." If a person goes to another village with a leaf of this species in their hand, then people know that someone is coming, and this is reflected in the local name. 1b. Message plant – if you pop by someone’s house and drop leaves there, people know someone has visited them. You can ask neighbors who came by. 2. The fruit is a source of a nut that children love to eat raw. 3. It is known in Bislama as "false mango" [kiyaman mango].
bookmarknilec
n. epiphyte. Growing on tree in village area. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #1)
Example: Makes period normal again. Take three young leaves from the very tops of the plant and pound and squeeze out the juice from the leaves. Mix with small amount of water to help juice come out. Drink this 3 times a day for 3 days. Pig food – feed the leaves to the pigs. Leaves used to wrap around Cyrtosperma merkusii to cook for several days—this taro needs a lot of cooking. So this leaf is particularly used for that purpose because it is very watery. Will keep the taro from becoming too burned or dry – it will cook soft after a few days – keep tasting it until the calcium oxalate sensation is gone. Check it 3 times – cook, open, taste and it should be good. Wrap fish and put directly on charcoal fire. – also cover top rocks in earth oven.
bookmarknimhag
n. branch (large)
bookmarknipjid
n. the orange tree (117); an orange, a lime, a lemon (102)
bookmarkniriñ neyaiñ
nisasin
n. ray of light in the morning
bookmarknobom
n. Bigeye scad
Example: Photo by J.E. Randall / Fishbase, License: CC BY-A-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknohon
n. kind of taro
bookmarknohwai vaine mese
n. raisin
bookmarknohwan yag
n. kind of taro
bookmarknop̃ou
n. large epiphyte on dead tree, growing in open forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3478)
Example: The wood of this plant is very hard and can be used for house posts. Because the wood is somewhat heavy, younger stems can be sharpened at one end and the pole can be used to plant dryland taro, to make holes for the tubers. For planting swamp taro, the leaves can be used to line the pit that the taro is planted in; it is a local fertilizer for the taro, and as it rots the soil becomes soft while the taro is growing. The flowers are placed behind one’s ear to enjoy the fragrance or can also be used to make a floral necklace (Intañ).
bookmarknosocrei
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknowigma
n. a dried or withered breadfruit tree
bookmarknuarin abras
n. cliff
bookmarknugyaubod
n. kind of tree
bookmarknuhonwei
nuhujcei
n. liana, climbing on Garcinia tree (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3585)
Example: 1. When the stems of this plant are older, and it is a vine, is used to tie thatch on roof rafters as it bends well. 2. Burned leaves and rubbed on fishing line and spear to increase catch – used with other unspecified leaves, that are forageable. When you are fishing and if you set a basket or mat it means danger and you have to return to shore – the spirit is telling you that it is enough fishing.
bookmarknwujvaeñ
n. vine climbing on Myristica fatua, growing in primary rainforest. Fruits green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3615)
Example: This vine is used to make rope. Collect the stem, roll it in a figure 8, heat it on a fire and tie it on a house while the vine is still hot. Weave a ?? net to catch fish.
bookmarkpospos
n. a small red berry used as beads
bookmarkridiau
n. kind of taro
bookmarkse
adv. downward
bookmarkupasin
n. first shoots of old roots
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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