Aneityum

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

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. fly

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. go to sea

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. run

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[dala nadimi] phr. five men (there are)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

v. to come out, as banana fruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 72

v. to teaze, as cotton; also "ehyeiyihi"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 76

adv. soon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 92

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3548)

Example: The forked stick of this plant is used as a pole to hold the outrigger on a canoe. Children blow the small fruits of this plant through the hollow petioles of the papaya leaf or a hollowed bamboo stem as a game. As an aphrodisiac, two handfuls of the leaves of this species are boiled in fresh water and men drink these for 7 days. The next week they will be "strong." People cannot have sex while they are drinking this remedy, but then the next week when they have finished the treatment, they will be "very strong."

Scientific name: Vitex trifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[inŋa] n. Purple Swamphen

Example: Photo by Bernard Spragg, License: Public domain via Flickr

Scientific name: Porphyrio porphyrio, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. puppy, dog

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. stump of a tree; shaft of a candlestick

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. afternoon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 121

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4754)

Scientific name: Passiflora suberosa, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. pendent lithophyte, growing on rock in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4036)

Scientific name: Phlegmariurus carinatus, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a convolvulus with white flowers; also "inmauwad ahi"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. breadfruit crop in October

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 87

[inmenyau] n. Brown Goshawk

Example: Brown Goshawk juvenile. Photo by Graham Winterflood, License: CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Accipiter fasciatus, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

[inmohoɣ la] n. September (lit. clear month)

Speaker: David Nasauman

[inmohoɣ onubiθoʊ] n. February (lit. moon belongs to Nubidou (village in east))

Speaker: David Nasauman

[inpah] n. leaves worn around head

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. tree to 15 m, dbh 50 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4918)

Example: The fruits of this tree are collected, mixed with ground coconut, boiled in water and the oil collected. The resulting oil is used medicinally, put on the skin for any condition to promote healing. Apply once a day until the condition resolves. Also can be used to treat head lice. Add the oil mixture to the hair, massage in, keep the hair dry for a day, then wash. Use once daily for 3 days.

Scientific name: Calophyllum inophyllum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. tree to 8 m tall, dbh 1 m (collection: Michael J. Balick #4994)

Example: The flowers are used for decoration, in the yard or cut and brought into the house. The stem of this tree is good for firewood.

Scientific name: Bauhinia monandra, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. treelet, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4085)

Example: 1. The green leaves of this plant are used to cover fish, when cooking them in a fire.

Scientific name: Cordyline fruticosa, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. herb, growing on roadside in open disturbed area. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3605)

Example: 1a. This is an invasive weed that was brought to Aneityum by aircraft. Name means "aircraft mess". 1b. Means “planes waste” refers to white trails as this has lots of white seeds that fly.

Scientific name: Crassocephalum crepidioides, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree to 15 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4914)

Example: Use the leaves to make compost to be placed at the bottom of the hole where taro is to be planted, cover with soil and grow the taro in that hole. Serves as a fertilizer.

Scientific name: Pittosporum campbellii, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. Elattostachys falcata (RPV #112)

Scientific name: Elattostachys falcata, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[kitlel] n. teapot (probably loanword from "kettle")

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

adj. ripe, as fruit; healed, as a wound; also "mah"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 92

n. grass to 1 m, flowers purplish (collection: Michael J. Balick #4935)

Example: This grass is planted to protect a person’s farm from being affected by evil spirits.

Scientific name: Chrysopogon aciculatus, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. sterile herb, juvenile form (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3438)

Example: This plant is used as a starchy food. To prepare it, grarte it into a dish, wash with water, the starch settles to the bottom, pour off the water, dry the starch in the sun and make it into a powder. The starch can be cooked with coconut milk and eaten.

Scientific name: Tacca leontopetaloides, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3492)

Example: 1. Used for firewood. Whole plant used to make a broom for sweeping by tying the small branches together. The very topmost leaves are used when planting kava, as a “superstition” you hold a lead between your big and second toes when tamping the earth down for a kava plant, to give power to earth so kava grows well. 2. This plant is used to make a local broom. Collect a number of branches, let them dry in the sun--the leaves will fall off--then tie the branches together with a piece of Pandanus leaf or any other vine that is handy.

Scientific name: Leucopogon cymbulae, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. the name of a species of seaweed

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 94

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. well branched tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4083)

Example: 1. The ripe fruits (yellow) are eaten. It is considered very sweet. 2. Young saplings are used to fashion a digging stick to plant kava and taro.

Scientific name: Garcinia pseudoguttifera, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. dwarf (North dialect)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. species of palm tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. grass; also "namutmut"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. a species of grass

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. a reed frame for supporting the tendrils of yams

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

[nareram ʊleiʊ] n. kind of banana (fat)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. east

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 146

n. a native plant, the leaves of which are used as cabbage

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. tree, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3487)

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 – did not need matches (lefre(?) matches) because embers would stay for days and when make a fire add smaller branches to make a flame.

Scientific name: Ficus scabra, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the kernel of a coconut; the coconut tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. a small water-plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. scrambling vine, growing in coastal strand vegetation. Flowers yellow. 1. Medicine: Smash leaves 1 handful, into cup and add a small amount of water to treat constipation—1 cup for children; 1.5 XX for adults. 2. Stomachache: same treatment, will clear bowel. 3. For leg sores, collect whole plant, put in water – a pool of water for 1 week, then use to dip sore as on leg into it for 10-15 minutes cure the sore. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3437)

Scientific name: Vigna marina, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

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. tall shrub. Growing uncultivated near Unames outside the village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #30)

Scientific name: Acalypha grandis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. stinging; the fruit of the kaleteug

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Group of fish including triggerfish, wrasses, chubs, mullets, jacks, and sweetlips

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3466)

Example: The wood of this species is very hard and therefore useful for making houses. In fact it is so hard that a person cannot drive a nail through it. This wood is used to make spears for fishing.

Scientific name: Sarcomelicope simplicifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of palm

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nepiŋ u nausej] n. dark clouds before the daylight breaks through

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. tender shoots

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. orange (fruit)

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree to 5 m, flowers white. Growing in secondary forest with metroxylon palms and other large trees. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4954)

Example: The pear shaped fruits are eaten when ripe. Peel off the outer skin, eat inner part and discard the seed. The leaves are used to protect food as it is being cooked on an earth oven. To prepare the oven, pile hot stones, then put a layer of leaves on the stones, and then place hot stones on top of the leaves. To make a hot oven, the stones are lined in a pit, a fire lit, more stones placed on firewood and the top layer of stones gets very hot. Then, remove the stones from the top of the wood, and cook food o the bottom layer of stones, add a layer of leaves, place the food on top of this, then cover with a layer of leaves and then pile the rest of the hot stones on top of the leaves.

Speaker: Tony Keith

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.

Scientific name: Gardenia tannaensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. black palm (RPV #216)

Scientific name: Cyathea lunulata, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. sap

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 182

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3484)

Example: Name means smash tooth. 1. This is part of an unspecified mixture that can be used as a spell to give another person a toothache. 2. Toothache – chew leaves on the sore tooth and leave it there for a while and spit it out – it will break the tooth and you can take it out, leave on 20 minutes.

Scientific name: Phyllanthus fimbriatitepalus, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. seaweed

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 102

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. coconut leaf

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. coconut leaves, plaited for covering ridge of roof

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

n. fern to 0. 75 m, sori brown. growing along trail. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4972)

Example: The fronds of this fern are used to wrap sting ray and shark meat, which have a great deal of moisture in them, for cooking on the earth overn. Wrap the fronds (leaves) around the meat and tie with a Pandanus string. Because they are not thick, broad, entire leaves, but rather have many places in them where water can drain out during the cooking process, it is said that these leaves are much better for preparing these two types of fish, as well as any other meat that contains a great deal of moisture. For cooking on the earth over, put these wrapped foods on top of any other leaves so that they do not touch the hot stones directly, and then cover with other leaves as well. Then place the hot stones on top of these wrapped meats.

Scientific name: Pneumatopteris, Speaker: Tony Keith

[nowataŋ] n. sky, universe, space

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. the New Caledonian banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. fan

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. shrub to 1 m, flowers green (collection: Michael J. Balick #4895)

Example: To make bush ropes, remove outer bark, use to tie things when other ropes are not available. This plant is sour and toxic if the fruits or leaves are eaten. Animals will not eat this plant. The elders teach us not to eat this plant.

Scientific name: Wikstroemia indica, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. vine climbing up a dead tree, growing in dense rainforest. Fruits green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4056)

Example: 1. The stems are used as a traditional rope to fasten house posts. First a length of stem is coiled in a figure-eight pattern. It is then heated to render it pliable. Once heated, for several minutes, it is immediately used to fasten the posts. When cool, it is set and inflexible. Such a fastener can last 20 years.

Scientific name: Melodinus neoebudicus, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

[tanaŋ] det. many

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. blossom (open)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 129

v. live

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. a kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 111

n. white sweet potato

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati