An example search has returned 100 entries
alwa
v. to bud; to put forth leaves
bookmarkauhorohos
v. to weed; to clear land
bookmarkcustard apple
n. tree, 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3520)
Example: Children sometimes eat this fruit but it smells bad. Adults do not eat it. An introduced species so there is no local name.
bookmarkEk idivaig nenis ainyak
phr. I am quite useless
bookmarkeriseris
v.a. to climb
bookmarketi laulau
adv. soon
bookmarkinbul
n. native rose; rosa chinensis; the hibiscus; also "inpul"
bookmarkingidyinyat
n. sandalwood
bookmarkinharedej
inhundain
inmaleaig
n. a grove of coconuts
bookmarkinmauwad itoga
n. a foreign convolvulus
bookmarkinmehtas
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarkinmejei
inmohoc onubidou
inmohtan nohos
n. kind of taro
bookmarkinmoijeuv an nofomot
intopasyejitohou
n. herb to 50 cm tall, flowers yellow. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4947)
Example: To treat toothache, collect the uppermost young leaves, rub them in your hand, put mass of crushed leaves into the area of toothache to lessen the pain. Do this as needed until the pain goes away. Keep it in your mouth for 10 minutes then spit out, then add a new one, keep going as needed.
bookmarkinyacelcou
n. vine running many meters long over clay soil and grassy area on hillside where the triangular wooden signs are that used to be a landmark for ships coming to the island. Sterile. (collection: Michael J. Balick #5008)
Example: This plant is the focus of an important legend on Aneityum. When the missionary John Geddie and colleaguse first arrived on the island in July of 1848, the Chiefs welcomed them but some of the people did not like the idea. So these people sent a basket containing a peeled coconut and a fish (nopom) to the Chief in Umej to ask him to support the idea of getting rid of the missionary that the Chief of Analcahuat had welcomed. If the Chief of Umej were to eat the fish and coconut meat, it would mean that he agreed with the opposition. The Chief refused to eat the food in the basket and he told the people a parable involving this plant. A person cannot find the tip of the stem or the end of the root in the ground. So if they were to eliminate the missionary, his activity would continue because of God’s power. As it is with this plant, it will continue to grow and flourish if you cut it or try to dig up the root. So he sent a message about this plant to the people in Analcahuat who objected to the presence of the missionary stating this parable. Those people in Analcauhat held a secret meeting and they chose a powerful and strong person to kill the missionary. During the night the person went to the missionary’s house while he was in the toilet. Returning to the house, the missionary found the person in his doorway, and that person lifted his club to strike the missionary. But at that point the attacker’s hands suddenly had no power and the club fell from his hands, and he fell over. The missionary told him to get up, and not come back. After that experience, the people of Umej realized that God’s power was great and they could not go against it. The Chief took the peeled coconut that was sent him and covered it with the skin of another coconut and planted it instead of eating it. This coconut grew and the missionary’s work continued to grow on the island. So this vine played an important role in communicating the power of God to the people of Aneityum.
bookmarkisjid
v. to chip off small branches
bookmarkitounga
kidie ~ kithi
n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3205)
Example: 1. Plant this tree at each of the four corners of a fence to keep your pigs in and protect against a type of bad luck. If a man sleeps with his wife who is having her period, and then the man goes to see the pig, the pig will suffer and not grow strong and not have many piglets. So the presence of this plant controls against bad luck that others can bring to your pig farm. 2. This is an ornamental plant grown around the home. Sticks of this plant are planted around the outside of the garden and grow to create a fence, to protect the crops and keep them healthy, as well as protect the crops from people that are not cleansed in the ritual way. 3. This species is also planted around the house to add color and is very decorative in general. 4. For fertilizer in taro holes for water taro. For baly(?) taro and water taro, lay these flat on the surface of the charcoal, then lay the food – taro, cassava – on this and cover with another layer, add hot stones and cook. 4. Pig food, goat food.
bookmarknadiat
n. day
bookmarknahanemek
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarknake
nakwei
n. large palm, 20 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4080)
Example: 1. Children eat the nut of the ripe fruits. 2. The leaf bases can be used, when tied together, two at a time, to create a bowl from which to drink. 3. In the past, the trunks were used to fashion a hunting spear used in tribal warfare. Further context withheld.
bookmarknala
n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3217)
Example: 1a. When traveling past a community you can place these leaves in a basket or walk with it in your hand. In this way people in the community know that you are traveling in peace and will cause no harm to people in that village. 1b. Message plant – if you go to visit someone and they are not there, you leave a branch of this on the door or somewhere they can see it and they know that some relatives have come and tried to visit them.
bookmarknala
n. tree to 7 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4860)
Example: This is a common tree. If a person travels from one district to another on Aneityum, and you see the tree planted in that other district, a person knows they are free to come into this area. When the leaves are yellow, as in a young tree, the local name is nala’gay. If a person carries a branch of this tree into a village it is a symbol that the person is coming with peaceful intentions.
bookmarknapau
n. kind of tree
bookmarknapuke
n. a mound or hillock for yams
bookmarknarakiraki
n. a whirlwind
bookmarknasjiñao
nauaneig
n. a reed
bookmarknautahos
n. herb, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3280)
Example: A "message plant". In ancient times, this plant was used for communicating. If you go to a person who composes songs and give this to them, they will know to compose a song for you. Name means "flowers on the ground".
bookmarknecna p̃a
n. Largescale mullet
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknecñanpaeñ
nedenc
n. stinging; the fruit of the kaleteug
bookmarkneducai inhujid
n. kind of tree
bookmarknekeiatimi
n. terrestrial fern, growing on rocky area in secondary forest above the river. Leaves c. 3 m long. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3654)
Example: The leaf is wrapped around the head as an adornment by both men and women. If a person gets burned by a fire, scrape the petiole of this plant and squeeze juice on the wound to cool and heal it. Use as long as needed. The ancestors are said to have cooked the stump of this plant in an earth oven, over 2-3 nights, and then ate it. It is said to have no taste but was more of a famine food during periods of drought.
bookmarknepigpig
n. before daylight
bookmarknepnou
nhujac
nida
nidintaueuc
n. new coconut leaves
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.
bookmarknijmese
n. green foliage
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.
bookmarknohon
n. kind of taro
bookmarknokoro vai cai oho
n. orchard
bookmarknomotan
n. Spangled emperor
Example: Photo by Richard Ling, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknomotmot ijis
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
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).
bookmarknuarin abras
n. cliff
bookmarknudto
n. small tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3452)
Example: 1a. The stem of this plant is used to make a spear, as it is always straight and very strong. It is a small growing plant, just right for length of a spear. 1b. Make a spear for fishing, peel bark, heat stem, affix points to end. 2. Name is the name of a fish. 3. Rafters for roof.
bookmarknugnyiobod
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknuhujcei
ohod
n. bundle of leaves, as of nasiaij
bookmarkpakine
n. maize
bookmarkpok ko
adv. seaward yonder
bookmarkpuke
adv. seaward
bookmarktatau
n. Yellowtail barracuda
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkuman
n. garden
bookmarkwidinahau
n. kind of banana
bookmarkyetse
v.n. to go down
bookmark


