An example search has returned 100 entries
ahtaredei
v.n. go though, as the land
bookmarkdapanan ja jai et lok sto em̃ikope stoi lok
etti
v. to split leaves
bookmarkfetofeto
incei u nasuantan
n. herb to 1 m, flowers blue. In transitional zone from pine forest to ’primary’ forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4982)
Example: This is used to treat Ciguatera disease when a person eats fish that is contaminated. Squeeze juice from a handful of leaves of this herb into a cup, add a small amount of water, and drink 1 cup once a day for 3 days, or continue until the person feels better. This illness is a problem on Aneityum with the reef fish. It is better to eat fish that are farther out to sea. This treatment is also used for dogs who eat contaminated fish. Make the same preparation and forcibly pour this in their mouth as they will not drink it willingly. Do this treatment once daily until the dog feels better. The dogs get this illness because they are fed the scraps, especially the bones of the fish, and this is thought to be where the disease is found. This is considered to be a dangerous illness and dogs who get it frequently die.
bookmarkinceimohos
inlepei u inpoded
n. epiphyte, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4104)
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 male version of this plant. See GMP #4105, Phlegmarius sp. for the female version.
bookmarkinlobot
n. croton plant
bookmarkinma
n. Artocarpus altilis
Example: shoot: Mix heated over fire and taken out during sunset. Healer clenches the package in his fist, then gently punches the patients left, then right knee, then his forehead and finally squeezes over his head, migraine and headache.
bookmark
inmejei
inmeraducai
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarkinmeri
n. a stringy bark tree
bookmarkintaigana
n. kind of taro
bookmarkintal yag
n. kind of taro
bookmarkinyat
inyebec
n. Bluespine unicornfish
Example: Photo by Ross D. Robertson / Shorefishes of the Neotropics, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkkatamal
kumnyumoi ilpu hal u
n. the seven stars; the children of Kumnyumoi
bookmarknabou
n. Yellowmargin triggerfish
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknaceijo
n. half tide when rising
bookmarknadeni
n. the name of a prickly shrub
bookmarknadi adiat upni
nafakeka
n. coconut spathes
bookmarknagatia
n. treelet 2. 0-2. 5 m tall, dbh 3 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4858)
Example: If a chief passes away, they are burred in a sacred place. After burial, the people wash their hands with these leaves, mixed with water. The chiefs have a spiritual power and this is used to cleanse the people attending the funeral so that they do not get large sores on their leg or elsewhere on their body. This is part of the ritual for burying the chief.
bookmarknakwai
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarkname cedo
namotmot
n. grass; also "namutmut"
bookmarknapau
n. kind of tree
bookmarknaraki
n. a calm, a smooth sea
bookmarknasanhac
n. the poison of the inhac
bookmarknataimu
n. Brassy trevally
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknatisiyeg
n. Squaretail mullet
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknauwatamu
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknauyan
n. dawn of day
bookmarknecna
n. Fringelip mullet
Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknecñopod cap
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.
bookmarknedouyatmas
nehivaing
neijip
n. a mat of coconut leaf
bookmarknejomti
nemdaj
n. Little spinefoot, scribbled rabbitfish
Example: Photo by Kathleen Kresner-Reyes / Fishbase, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmark
nemlowoc
nepat
n. kind of banana
bookmarknepig sepahai
nepilvan
n. tender shoots
bookmark
nese
n. the takoma or tekma, a tree with white flowers
bookmarknida
niditau
n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3636)
Example: The green fruits are edible, as are the young leaf apices--cook these in water and eat them. The wood is used for temporary houses, for example, to provide shade in a garden. For planting taro, or any root crop, sharpen the end of a stick of this tree and use it for making holes, particuarly in river sand where some crops are planted. This tree grows near the river and is an indication that this land is good for agriculture. The wood from the tree is very good for firewood. Name means "who are you." Plant used as an indicator of a tabu place. Take a branch and put it where another person is building or gardening and there is a dispute over that area of land. When this plant is placed there the person who is using the land should stop working it.
bookmarknihivaeñ aeyec
n. tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3213)
Example: 1. When a person has a headache from being out in the sun too long, scrape the outer bark off of the stem of this tree, take scrapings of the inner bark, wrap with a leaf of breadfruit and put in a fire for 15-20 minutes. Not a hot fire, but only in the flame. Squeeze the water out of the bark when it is warm and rub all over the forehead and face to help the headache go away. 2. Use the stems of this tree as a stick to carry taro from the field, as the stick is strong but not too heavy. The taro is tied to each end to balance on a person’s shoulders. 3. Leaf used for wrapping local medicines. This is the best leaf and put it on the charcoal to heat it. 4. Good firewood.
bookmarknijomkan
n. shrub to 1 m, dby 2 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4999)
Example: It is said that if you chew these leaves or boil them in water and drink the tea from these leaves it will spoil your teeth. There is assumed to be something bad for the teeth in this plant. Local name "Nijom" =tooth and "Kan" = break.
bookmarknimtac
n. kind of tree
bookmarknispahos
n. coconut leaves, plaited for covering ridge of roof
bookmarknodieg
n. a bundle of reeds; also "nohudieg"
bookmarknohap
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknohun
n. stem
bookmarknomoj
n. cycad to 3 m tall, 25 cm dbh (collection: Michael J. Balick #5010)
Example: In the past there were no toys for the children, so people made toys from the seed of this plant. They peeled the fruit, took the seed, removed the inside, punched one hole on each side, put a string through each of the holes and twisted the string to spin the seed such that it would make a whistling sound as the fruit spun faster and faster. On Palm Sunday, people use this leaf in Church. People plant this cycad around their homes and use it as an ornamental. Some people believe that having this plant around their homes will keep the bad spirits away.
bookmarknom̃o
nopou
n. tree to 5 m, dbh 10 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4881)
Example: The wood of this tree is used to make house-posts, it is strong. The leaves are used as a compost for the taro patch; line the hole with the leaves of this tree, then place soil over that and plant the taro. When the fruits are ripe, local people say that the hermit crabs are "fat" and ready to collect and eat. When a person is in the forest and there is no coconut fruit fiber to start a fire with, use a dry stick, shave it and use a match to start a pile of this tinder to make a good fire. The wood is said to be "oily." This gives it a nice aroma. To perfume coconut oil, drop the dry flowers in it--use 1 handful of dried flowers added to a pot of oil boiling on the fire while making it. Strain out flowers and the oil smells good. Flowers can also be added to the oil once it is bottled to perfume it.
bookmarknuarin abras
n. cliff
bookmarknucye
n. the red star, the "hand" in the constellation Orion; also "necye"
bookmarknuhujcei
n. vine to 5 m, flower yellow (collection: Michael J. Balick #4937)
Example: In the old days, the hooks of this plant were used as a kind of small fishing hook. Heat the hook over a fire to make it strong, tie a rope to it and use it to catch fish. Take inner bark--1 handful and boil in a full pot of water and wash the body 1x daily to treat scabies. Can work in as soon as 2 days. It cures the sores very fast.
bookmarkpehpahai
v.n. sail inside of reef
bookmarktatalaha
n. kind of taro
bookmarkugnis
v.a. to take off sprouts of taro
bookmarkwud yi encreucaig
v.a. beat so as to shake a tree
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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