Aneityum

v. go down

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.a. reach summit; also "eliaujai"

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[ama] num. four

Speaker: David Nasauman

v. shut (something)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. to go ashore

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 66

[deseiʧ nadimi] phr. three men (there are)

Speaker: David Nasauman

v.n. to go on to a reef with a canoe or boat

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 72

inter. where

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. to fish (by torchlight)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

wind blowing

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[et amai inɣaɣen] phr. he chews kava (traditional)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[et emθan] phr. he is strong

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. to sail

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 81

n. small tree, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4021)

Scientific name: Astronidium aneityense, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. shrub to 1 m, flowers yellow (collection: Michael J. Balick #4960)

Scientific name: Abutilon indicum, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. Macaranga tanarius (RPV #42)

Scientific name: Macaranga tanarius, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. vine, growing in coastal forest. Fruits purple. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3556)

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.

Scientific name: Passiflora suberosa, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a plantation

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. summer, autumn

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 190; 126

n. the thick end of a coconut leaf used as a target

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

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.

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 443

n. Squaretail coralgrouper

Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Plectropomus areolatus via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. vine to 5 m tall in trees, fruits maturing yellow-brown. Growing in agroforest/secondary forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #5009)

Example: People collect this vine and feed it to pigs. It also has an unspecified medicinal use. The vine of this plant forms a thick canopy so some people plant it around the house near trees that do not give much shade in order to reduce the intensity of the sun on the house and thus keep the temperature lower. The vine grows quickly into the trees.

Scientific name: Operculina (?) turpethum, Speaker: Tony Keith

[inpwain ~ inhwain] n. Pacific Reef Egret

Example: Photo by Arthur Chapman, License: CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Egretta sacra, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Samoan tropical-almond (RPV #29)

Scientific name: Terminalia samoensis, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tongs for removing food from fire

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Blacksaddled coralgrouper (deep sea)

Example: Photo by jidanchaomian / Flickr, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Plectropomus laevis via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. stoloniferous herb, 15 cm tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3561)

Example: In the past the ancestors learned to cook the leaves of this species with fish in an earth over and then eat the leaves as well as the fish. Today, fish are wrapped with small leaves and then covered with lap-lap leaf (Polyscias) and cooked in an earth oven.

Scientific name: Wedelia uniflora, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree. Growing near village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #5)

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. For a baby that is not doing well, as with malnourished, take 4-5 leaves, put in warm water and wash baby – 1x day for 3 days. 6. Use to make temporary house.

Scientific name: Trema cannabina, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. creeping and decumbent vine, growing at edge of strand (near airstrip terminal). (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3575)

Scientific name: Stictocardia campanulata, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. the cool of the evening

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 91

[kajheɣ vajuɣ] phr. Good bye.

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4767)

Scientific name: Leucaena leucocephala, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. low tide

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. Vittaria lineata

Example: Frond: cold maceration taken internally against ciguatera

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 443

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. day

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

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. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3725)

Scientific name: Leucaena forsteri, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. epiphyte on main trunk of large mango tree, growing in secondary forest above river. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3657)

Scientific name: Ophioderma pendula, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

[najsiom] n. bird nest

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of plantain

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the beginning of cold wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. herb, growing along garden area. Flowers yellow. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3595)

Example: 1. As a medicine for dengue fever, take a handful of stem apices of this plant, boil in 1-2 cups of water and drink this amount 3x daily, cold, until the fever goes away. This treatment is said to give a person strength during the course of the illness. 2. Take top branch – 2 leaves and put under baby’s pillow, baby will fall into a deep sleep.

Scientific name: Physalis angulata, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. herb to 1 m, flowers yellow. Growing at edge of cultivated field. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4956)

Scientific name: Triumfetta procumbens, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. preserved breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. epiphyte on fallen tree, growing in disturbed forest. Fruit. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3474)

Example: When children feel weak, this is a good medicine for them. Squeeze the leaves and give the child (3-5 years of age) one tea spoon of the juice and it is said to make them strong again.

Scientific name: Appendicula reflexa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. a small whirlwind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

[napʊlaoʊ] n. shin

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. current in the sea

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 140

n. tree, 8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4125)

Example: 1. The fruits can be cooked with coconut milk and consumed. 2. Green leaves can be used to wrap fish, when they are cooked in a fire.

Scientific name: Ficus smithii, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. stone wall for building a garden

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. herb, growing on roadside in open disturbed area. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3607)

Scientific name: Ischaemum muticum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

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.

Scientific name: Pronephrium rubrinerve, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. species of sycamore (117); a sycamore fig (97)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 97, 117

[neɪjanθel] n. coconut with sprout

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. sparsely branched understory tree, 4-5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4030)

Example: 1. It is considered "tabu" to cover laplap with the leaf of this species. It is said to spoil the laplap.

Scientific name: Delarbrea paradoxa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. grass; weeds; thistle

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. herb, growing in partially drained marsh and along weedy areas of road. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3600)

Example: This plant is used as an ornament in the hair.

Scientific name: Palhinhaea cernua, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. tree, 5-6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3522)

Example: This is a "calendar plant." When it flowers, people know that the taro is ready to harvest. It does not grow in the forest, but only along the coast in grassy areas. Use wood as posts for roof of house.

Scientific name: Geissois denhamii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. type of fruit

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. herb, growing in weedy area at end of airstrip runway. Flowers yellow. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3568)

Scientific name: Youngia japonica, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. the center sprout of a coconut tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

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.

Scientific name: Epipremnum pinnatum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. Honeycomb grouper

Example: Photo by Jeffrey T. Williams / Smithsonian Institution, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Epinephelus merra via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. coconut leaf

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. a tree, the leaves of which have no center rib

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

n. ladder fern, fishbone fern (RPV #221)

Scientific name: Nephrolepis cordifolia, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nohos anu ziland] n. kind of banana (sp. from New Zealand)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. a large type of banana, lit. "whale banana" (see inyau)

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub to 2 m, flowers white (collection: Michael J. Balick #4874)

Example: This plant is an indicator of rich soil, especially up on the hills from the coast. Therefore, this is where people choose to do their gardens. This specimen is in red soil that is not rich so it does not grow tall, but in the mountains it does grow tall and that is where gardens are planted. Wood from the tree is used for carving.

Scientific name: Weinmannia denhamii, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

[nok͡pa] adj. grey ash (color)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. fern to 0. 75 m, sori brown. Growing in pine forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4983)

Example: Join two of the inrolled fronds together at the part where the frond is opening (the tip that is curled) such that the leaves are held together by their unfolding growing tips. Place this along the path that is frequented by a wild pig (they travel along paths) and when the pig passes these two leaves, and is chased by a hunter’s dogs, these leaves in this formation are said to sap some of the pig’s energy and thus allow the dogs to catch up with it. This was explained to Tony by another person who mentioned it as a sort of magical power possessed by this type of fern.

Scientific name: Blechnopsis orientalis, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. dwarf (South dialect)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

conj. conjunction to join sentences together

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. a giant

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

adv. down here

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

adj. adjacent

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 121

v. live

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. first shoots of old roots

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 183

n. three days ago; three days hence

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141