An example search has returned 100 entries
apig
adj. black
bookmarkaridjai
v.a. to ascend, to go up
bookmarkdawarivi
fetofeto
idi
adj. stringy, watery, as taro; also "ede"
bookmarkinceimu
n. tree, 7 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3464)
Example: This is a sacred plant. The wood is used for rafters in house building. To plant taro, take an 8 cm diameter stick, sharpen it and use to make holes for planting. The stick is as long as needed for a person to stand while making the hole.
bookmarkingidyinyat
n. sandalwood
bookmarkinhujah
n. kind of tree
bookmarkinja
ink
n. vine, growing in disturbed forest. Fruits green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3470)
Example: A man named Johnnie (Reuben’s grandfather) brought this vine to Aneityum to use it as a rope to tie objects. The ripe fruits are used to paint the face and hands and children make drawings from this dye.
bookmarkinlepei u inpoded
inligighap
n. the thick end of a coconut leaf used as a target
bookmarkinta
intowosjei
inyebec
n. Bluespine unicornfish
Example: Photo by Ross D. Robertson / Shorefishes of the Neotropics, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkkalispeuv
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarkmaranapa
n. kind of banana
bookmarknaerumãn
nahaigjopdak
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknahed u paralecei
nahraren nepig
n. dawn of day
bookmarknamarai
n. preserved breadfruit
bookmark
namlau
nanedauyan
n. Pacific yellowtail emperor
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknapalhat
n. vine, growing on rocks at end of strand near coastal forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3690)
Example: As a medicine to treat toothache, the latex from this vine is put into the tooth as soon as the person feels pain. Use 3x daily until the pain has subsided. The flower is used as a decoration behind the ear. When there are rough seas because someone has trespassed in a tabu area you can take 12 leaves from the napalhat and put them in a pond for about 1 week until they start to stink. Then use we leaves from the naojapdak and drown those leaves in either a fresh water pond or salty water. (No further information given). Can also take an armful of napalhat and place on top of a stone in the tabu area with a smaller stone on top of the napaphat. The stone must be a large permanent stone. Has also heard people say it can be used for toothache if you put the leaf on the tooth.
bookmarknarutu umlai
n. wind-related term; no definition provided
bookmarknasiaij
n. a native plant, the leaves of which are used as cabbage
bookmarknathat uwun jap
nathut u nadiat
n. dawn of day
bookmarknauhap̃ apeñ
naurakiti
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknauram milmat
n. kind of banana
bookmarknausap
n. kind of tree
bookmarknecjop̃dak
n. low-growing, creeping vine growing in grassy area just inland from coastal strand. Flowers yellow. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3223)
Example: The leaves of this plant are used to treat stomach ache. Take a handful of leaves and mix with 1/2 liter of water, crush the leaves in the water and drink the entire amount when your stomach hurts. Alternatively, this can also be consumed 1x a week as a tonic drink for the stomach and system.
bookmarknecñanman
nednañlelcei
nefetgau
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarkneipyepei
n. kind of tree
bookmarknekrei
n. Sailfin tang
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknelaijo
n. wind-related term; no definition provided
bookmarknemtokei
n. tree to 7 m tall, dbh 8 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4861)
Example: When a person does heavy work and their body feels tired, they should take 1 handful of leaves, squeeze them into a cup of water and drink--this will make the person feel better. People can drink this from time to time to give the body energy even before you are tired. To treat constipation, take 4- 8’ pieces of stem from a 2 cm dbh section of the tree, peel the outside bark off, collect the inner bark and mash with a stone or hammer, put in a colander to strain out the wood, add 1.5 l water, the liquid becomes green or whitish with sticky liquid. Drink this one time, it tastes cold and then after about 30 minutes it feels like the bowel is working and then normal function returns--this does not induce diarrhea but rather returns the bowel to normal function.
bookmarknenis
n. cloth of coconut tree; anything useless. Ek idivaig nenis ainyak, I am quite useless
bookmark
neusjai
n. a fern tree
bookmarknihivaeñ aeyhec
nikam
![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.
bookmarknipjinamesei
n. Honeycomb grouper
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknirac intam henain
niriñ neyaiñ
niseaig
n. kind of tree
bookmarknisil
n. the center rib of the coconut leaflet; wire
bookmarknisyeg
n. tree, 7 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3521)
Example: 1. The inner bark of this plant is used as a dye or paint to provide a brown color. Boil the inner bark in a pot with a shirt and the color of the shirt will be changed to brown. 2. For toothache, people take the inner bark and mix it with sea water, and then rinse the tooth with this mixture to remove the pain. 3a. People macerate the leaves and the bark and when the tide is low, spread this in a pool of water to poison the sea shells that are edible. When they die, the eyes of this organism comes above the sand, indicating where they are, and people harvest and eat them. 3b. To attract and collect clam – NIPJINUMU – scrape bark in a pool of sea water where the clams are attracted immediately and can be collected, coming up from the sand. 4. Firewood, unspecified medical use.
bookmarknohos aiyu
n. the sweet banana
bookmarknohos esjig inwai
n. a banana
bookmarknohwai itai
n. corn
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nopoi
n. species of vine runner; a basket net
bookmarknoragidi
nuden
n. coconut leaves in the middle of the cluster, neither old nor new
bookmarknumalpau
n. wind-related term; no definition provided
bookmarknuwuneto
siki
adv. down there, at a short distance; also "sike"
bookmarkwamhau
n. kind of taro
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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