Aneityum

v. to spit on leaves; to chew leaves for sickness

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 56

v. drink

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. lay down

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. go down; go down into something

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. straight

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. plant shoots; also "ehcohodaig"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 183

[eroʊ nadimi] phr. two men

Speaker: David Nasauman

[et aʤuʤaj an ouʤeiko] phr. he went up there

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[et atut] phr. is running

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

phr. the reeds blossom.

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 77

[et emθan] phr. he is strong

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[itij] num. one

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. tree to 15 m, dbh 75 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #5006)

Example: The stems of this tree are used to make temporary houses and for firewood. This is one of the leaves that is used in an unspecified mixture to put in a rough sea to calm th ewaters.

Scientific name: Syzygium richii, Speaker: Tony Keith

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

n. multicolored taro, fancy-leaved caladium (RPV #146)

Scientific name: Caladium bicolor, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3441)

Example: Flowers put in hear as an ornament that has power because it is so beautiful. Leaves are burned and added to a bamboo pipe and mix with a foam that forms in fresh water, when people go to a traditional dance, men paint part of their face eyebrows and beard to attract attention, hence the name, pone part of which "am̃a" means "staring", because it will cause people to stare at the one wearing it.

Scientific name: Abutilon indicum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. type of seashell

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

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. a bamboo flute

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. daylight

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141

n. old coconut leaves

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 87

n. a grove of coconuts

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 87

n. Peacock hind

Example: Photo by Andrew J. Green / Reef Life Survey, License: CC BY-A 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Cephalopholis argus, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. shrub to 2 m tall, dbh 2 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4996)

Example: This is an ornamental plant, grown around the home. People crush the leaves to enjoy the fragrance released. When bathing, grate coconut meat and crush the leaves of this plant and rub all over the body, before bathing and afterwards your body will smell very nice. To repel mosquitoes, crush these leaves and put them in the house.

Scientific name: Melicope bonwickii, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. liana climbing on Syzygium, growing along ridge in dense rainforest. Latex white (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4079)

Scientific name: Tylophora aneityensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. the center rib of the coconut leaf

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 90

v. to fish (with a net)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. read; count

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. behind

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. afar

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 121

[kajheɣ vajuɣ] phr. Good bye.

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. herb to 0. 75 m, fruits brown. Growing in cultivated area near village. (collection: Michael J. Balick #5012)

Example: Children use this fruit as a rattle. When parents go to the gardens or fields with their children, they collect the pods for the children to use as a rattle and amuse themselves. Unspecified medicinal use.

Scientific name: Senna occidentalis, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. cup (mug)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. half tide when rising

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 93

n. herb to 1. 5 m tall, flowers yellow (collection: Michael J. Balick #4894)

Example: When seeds are grey-white, they are ripe. Pick these and make decorations out of them such as necklaces. Women make these necklaces.

Scientific name: Coix lacryma-jobi, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. bay (of the sea); creek

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 127, 139

n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3530)

Example: This plant grows in coastal areas, and is a good source of firewood. It can be used for house posts. The leaves are used as an unspecified medicine. There is a belief regarding the black and white sea snake, that represents a seawater spirit. Mix this with other unspecified leaves, mash together, squeeze into a bamboo tube and fill it. Give it to a woman to drink to keep the evil snake spirit away. The same preparation can be used to treat toothache, caused by the seawater spirit. "The spirit can trick you into going to fish every day."

Scientific name: Guettarda speciosa, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. canarium nut (RPV #25)

Scientific name: Canarium indicum, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. a plant with red leaves

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 94

n. kind of plantain

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. terrestrial orchid growing in rain forest on the mountain slope. Flowers white. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3288)

Scientific name: Calanthe chrysantha, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

[nalauba] n. Emerald Dove

Example: Photo by Dr. Raju Kasambe/Wikimedia Commons, License: CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Scientific name: Chalcophaps indica, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. a light wind; the beginning of a wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. coconut alcohol

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 4-5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3542)

Example: Some people use the dried leaves of this plant when there is no tobacco. Roll the leaves and smoke them. This is a good plant to lay under as a shade along the coast. Good firewood. The leaves are used with other leaves as part of a ceremony to calm the sea.* Burn leaves in a special place and toss ashes in the sea – sea will be calm.* When you are paddling to another island. Carry them with you and toss in sea as you go. Also goes with fasting and cleansing when traveling in this way.

Scientific name: Argusia argentea, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. epiphyte on fallen tree branch with abundant mosses, growing in rain forest on the mountain slope. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3291)

Scientific name: Davallia pusilla, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a species of grass

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. a mound or hillock for yams

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 96

n. shrub to 3 m tall, dbh 4 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4995)

Example: The flowers are cut and used in the house and the plant is grown as an ornamental around the house.

Scientific name: Euphorbia pulcherrima, Speaker: Tony Keith

[nareramɣei] n. kind of banana (fat)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. lentils

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 162

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of shellfish

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. reed

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 177

n. dawn of day

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 141

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 breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. taro, a type that is more bitter, must be twice cooked (RPV #146c)

Scientific name: Caladium bicolor, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. cliff

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 135

n. a mat of coconut leaf

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. grey mangrove (RPV #2)

Scientific name: Avicennia marina, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. north-north-west wind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. tree to 5 m, dbh 12 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4917)

Example: Flowers are used to decorate the house and other areas as they are very fragrant. The leaves are used to cover taro cooked in an earth oven.

Scientific name: Gardenia tannaensis, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. tree fern, trunk 2-2. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3693)

Scientific name: Cyathea vieillardii, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. well branched tree, 15 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4084)

Example: 1. The name means "explosion". Further information about the plant withheld.

Scientific name: Alstonia vitiensis

n. trees, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3473)

Example: 1. This species is excellent for firewood as it gives off less smoke than other types of wood. 2. The wood is good for making roof rafters on which to tie thatch. 3. Use this for planting pole, for taro, cane, and kava.

Scientific name: Alstonia vitiensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree to 4 m tall, dbh 8 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4942)

Example: Wood is strong and light so used to build houses.

Scientific name: Melicope latifolia, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. terrestrial fern, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4047)

Scientific name: Diplazium melanocaulon, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3537)

Example: This plant is an aphrodisiac. Eat with coconut meat to make the body strong. Take 1/2 handful of leaves and mix with coconut leaves, use as needed. Mostly men eat this combination. It is best to eat with dry coconut that has no water in it. Eat it any time you wish.

Scientific name: Pemphis acidula, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

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.

Scientific name: Macaranga dioica, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. herb to 50 cm, flowers yellow. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4944)

Example: As a tonic medicine, collect a full handful of leaves, boil in one liter of water until fully cooked, then drink 1 cup 3x daily, warm, to treat a person who has worked too much, who is tired, to help their stomach and to help make them strong. For children and adults. Child’s dose is 1/2 cup, 3x daily until the child feels stronger.

Scientific name: Bidens pilosa, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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

Scientific name: Nephrolepis cordifolia, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. Bigeye scad

Example: Photo by J.E. Randall / Fishbase, License: CC BY-A-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Selar crumenophthalmus via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

[nohopɣop] n. Glossy swiftlet

Example: Photo by Lip Kee, License: CC BY-SA 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Collocalia esculenta, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

[nohos itoʊga] n. kind of banana

n. orchard

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 169

n. terrestrial fern growing in rain forest on the mountain slope. Leaves dimorphic. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3285)

Scientific name: Blechnum vulcanicum

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4749)

Scientific name: Dysoxylum bijugum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. vine, growing up trees in primary forest at edge of river. flower white. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3675)

Example: This vine is collected, rolled in a figure 8 and put on a fire to soften it and used to tie posts. It is tied when warm, because when it cools it is very strong, "like wire." It does not burn on the fire, only become soft. It is said to be excellent for the construction of cyclone houses, it shrinks after heating to make a very strong rope.

Scientific name: Melodinus neoebudicus, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. epiphyte on tree trunk, growing in rain forest on the mountain slope. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3290)

Scientific name: Procris pedunculata, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. fallen tree, 15 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3609)

Example: The leaves of this palm are used for thatch. Split trunks for house walls. Middle fiber of pinnae for broom. Seed is carved – handcrafts.

Scientific name: Metroxylon warburgii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree to 20 m, dbh 75 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4976). Loanword for introduced species.

Example: This tree was introduced as a source of timber and has been widely planted on this part of the island. The cone is used to throw on a fire as it is said that the smoke will keep away mosquitoes.

Scientific name: Pinus caribaea, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. tree to 8 m, dbh 60 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4984)

Example: Peel the shell of the fruit and eat the inner part, or make jam from this part. Spit out the seeds. The branches of this tree are used for firewood.

Scientific name: Ceratonia siliqua, Speaker: Tony Keith

[toŋ] n. tongue

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

v.n. to fall, as unripe fruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 111