An example search has returned 100 entries
ehla
adj. unripe; also "ehlai"
bookmarkEk idivaig nenis ainyak
phr. I am quite useless
bookmarkgirigiri
n. coconut basket
bookmarkhui heldei
v.n. to sail
bookmarkincatyatou
n. tree. Acting as a fence post. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #24)
Example: 1. For vomiting/uneasyness - remove the bark of a stem and take the inner bark (this should be white). Smash the white bark with about 150ml of cold water and drink. The bark can also be boiled and cooled down to drink cold. Believes when you vomit a lot this will restore your body and give you energy again. Take after vomiting but can use even when not sick. 2. For stomache ache - Can also be prepare and taken as in part 1. 3. For painful urination, also prepared as in part 1. 4. The fruits are sticky and used as a type of local “glue.” Collect the fruits when ripe, hold the outside of the fruit in the hand, and put the end of the fruit that has the sticky sap on paper or anything else needing to be glued. In ancient times, this sticky glue helped join the strings together that were used to make a long fishing line. 5. In ancient times this sticky glue helped join the strings together when making a long one for fishing. 6. During the heat of the day, in the hot season, take inner bark from 1 stick, scrape bark into 1 liter water and drink all day to help prevent a person from getting urinary infection, resulting in painful urination from being in the sun too much. 7. If you put the leaves of this plant in a bag with your fishing gear – it will help catch a lot of fish – magic. 8. Cut a 1-2 m long branch in each of 4 corners of the garden which is a rectangle, place it in an “X” at each corner, this will cleanse people who have not been cleansed who come in the garden. 9. If a person is not cleansed e.g. has not fasted from certain foods, the crops will not bear good fruits. So when gardening, people believe it is best not to eat coconut, shellfish, fish, stay away from sex, and no fermented food like breadfruit and bananas, OR if you have a visitor overnight and then you heal to cleanse yourself before going to the garden. After a woman finishes her period, she will stay out of garden for 10 days, this is specifically for kava, water taro, sugarcane and yam in the garden. Other crops – cassava, sweet potato, and taro Fiji are okay. Different Kastom for N, S, W, E people – so this Kastom is for South and Eastern people.
bookmarkincet edwa
inhulec
ink
inmohtan nohos
n. kind of taro
bookmarkinmowad
n. vine to 40 cm, flowers blue (collection: Michael J. Balick #4949)
Example: To heal cuts, select a piece of the larger part of the stem (woody) cut a 6 inch piece and blow on one end; the sap comes o ut on the other end and this can be used to cover the wound. As a pig feed, people collect the stems and leaves and feed these to the pigs.
bookmarkinmowad itouga
n. vine climbing on Geissois denhamii (GMP #3522), growing in open (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3524)
Example: The word itougo means from a different country or place outside of Aneityum. The plant was introduced by the first missionaries who came to Port Patrick. Calendar plant – sea cost people see this flower in the forest and they know it is time to go into garden and harvest taro or make new gardens– see GMP 3263. This is also good firewood.
bookmarkinp̃al
n. treelet or shrub, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3204)
Example: To treat a headache, people traditionally would make a small cut ¼ inch long with a bamboo or piece of glass around the eyebrows where it is soft and then drip juice of the crushed leaves in the cut to take away the pain. Let the cut bleed first and then put the juice in it and it will stop the pain. The bleeding will stop the pain and the leaf juice will stop the bleeding – sometimes the pain will go away immediately and sometimes it takes a few minutes. So this technique is used to treat a very strong headache like a migraine.
bookmarkinrosi
n. a clearing of bush or reeds
bookmarkintejed
n. tree. Growing in village garden. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #22)
Example: 1. Timber for houses, hard wood. 2. Fruits have a highly desirable nut that is edible when fresh after cracking the fruit. 3. Medicine – 5 young tips, boiled in 3 cups of water, and steam eyes when have conjunctivitis. 1x. 3. Calendar plant – When the leaves turn red and are ready to fall off from the tree – the lobsters are ready to be harvested – best time to harvest lobsters. Firm tasty meat. This was a traditional population management so that lobsters were not harvested year around but only during this season, Oct–Nov, for a month or 1.5 months.
bookmarkintijgancedo
n. prostrate herb growing on ground in open or partly shaded area next to banana tree. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3207)
Example: 1. The plant is named after a "rat"s ear.’ Eat 4 fresh leaves every morning to clear the brain and help remember things. 2. This plant is an indicator of rich soil--a good place for growing vegetables. 3. Very useful plant, food and medicine. Name means rat ear. Take 5 leaves, wrap in INROWOD (Cordyline fruticosa) and cook for 15 minutes, remove it hot (be sure you do not burn it) squeeze out 1 tablespoon and give to baby to drink to treat a flu. 1x morning for 5 days.
bookmarkinwoapeñ
inyaratmas
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarkiñec
[iŋec] n. Mystery Island
bookmarkkapou
n. gun
bookmarknabudwä
nadi adiat upni
nahanemek
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarknahoijcei
n. the name of a species of creeper
bookmarknaligaj
n. herb to 10 cm, sterile (collection: Michael J. Balick #4985)
Example: This plant is a very important food during a famine. People dig up the roots and roast these on the embers of a fire for 25 minutes, then check the root to get out the starchy material, and spit out the fiber. There is said to be little taste; this is a bland food that a person eats to survive. People on Aneityum have harvested it for a very long time so there is not as much of a supply left as in the past.
bookmarknamaj
n. kind of taro
bookmarknamji
n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3508)
Example: 1. The stems of this plant are sharpened and used to plant swamp taro or dry land taro. 2. Break small branch top put behind ear if you go to an unknown place and keep behind ear and sleep with it. If the place is safe you will sleep if it is not you will not sleep well – only behind ear when you sleep.
bookmarknapoijec
n. kind of tree
bookmarknapupwi a darumea
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknap̃at
n. terrestrial fern, growing in dwarf cloud-forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3268)
Example: For performing a weather magic ritual to produce fog, this plant is fermented along with another plant (nirid u numu) in a hole in a sacred stone (called "Naemoso") at a secret location on Aneityum.
bookmarknarecheno
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknasanma
n. the juice of the breadfruit tree
bookmarknauram
n. kind of banana
bookmarknaytmas
n. tree to 5 m, dbh 4 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4898)
Example: The leaves are used to cover goat or pig meat when a person is roasting it on an earth oven It prevents it from burning and enhances the taste of the meat.
bookmark
nednañlelcei
neijiv
n. species of pine
bookmarknejeg
n. tree to 4 m, dbh 8 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4925)
Example: The wood of this tree is hard and used for house posts. It grows in the water or inundated areas, fish, crabs, sea creatures use the roots of this tree to hide and breed. People know that this tree stops big waves and therefore protect the trees.
bookmarknepcev
n. shark
bookmarknepelvan wou
n. liana, growing along ridge in dense rainforest. Latex white (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4074)
Example: 1. The outer stem is used to make an ornament call "Intyecrec". When one returns from the bush, you make this to indicate your trip to the bush. Other plants are at times including in the dressing. Each have their own significance.
bookmarknepnou
nerere
n. tree to 10 m, dbh 75 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4988)
Example: The young aerial roots are cut from the stems of the tree and used as a local rope, to tie things, help construct temporary shelters, as well as to make string for a hunting bow. Flying foxes like to eat this fruit so in the night when the fruit is mature hunters come by this tree to hunt flying foxes as well as hunting birds during the day. Hunters use bows and arrows for birds, and throwing sticks (natou) made from any plant to hunt flying foxes.
bookmarknerop
n. Black jack
Example: Photo by John Turnbull, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknetcetec
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.
bookmarknevehev
n. current of air
bookmarknihivai
n. Macaranga dioca
Example: Inner bark: bathe in cold infusion, wounds. 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 a
bookmarknijwou
n. vine climbing up a macaranga tree, growing in open disturbed area. Fruits green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3588)
Example: 1. To build a cyclone house, take the vine of this species to tie pieces of the house. To prepare the vine for use as rope, collect many feet of it, put it in a fire, roll it in a figure 8, wait until it softens and then use for tying. This vine is hard and needs to be heated to a high temperature in the fire to make it soft; the person preparing this must use gloves to tie it to the posts and rafters while it is still warm. When it cools, it is very strong. Rope made from this vine will last a long time--perhaps 10-15 years. It can also be used to make a regular house. However, it is not as strong as GMP #3589. 2. For men who want rasta in hair, take a few leaves and dry them, burn with some other plants to rub on the rasta and keeps it healthy, keep from splitting.
bookmarknimtinjap
n. wind
bookmarkniyeg
n. grass. Found in disturbed area behind the village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #12)
Example: 1. To cure the sea snake (nispev) curse that causes missed periods. First the husband must combine 4 young leaves of incispev and 4 young leaves of nafanu and mash and squeeze the juice into a small bamboo (1-1.5 inch diameter) The nafanu is important because it is a plant that connects to the sea. Use wildcane leaves cover the bamboo closed. Go to the sick person and unwrap the snake from her. Start from the top and let the woman drink a small part of the potion then wash her with the mixture, making sure to wash head, elbows, knees, feet, and belly. Then take a leaf of naha and break it over the woman’s belly button to break the snake off. Smash the bamboo vessel to pieces. Leave the woman there until the wash dries on her. This takes one whole day and the ceremony in the evening so she can sleep and she must not eat. This ritual is performed by men. 2. Main plant to thatch roof of local houses. 3. Collect the dry stems, tie together, use as a torch at night for walking or walking along the reef when fishing. 4. Take 1 cane and tie the leaves together and tie on a tree to indicate tabu – e.g. a citrus tree that will be ripe soon to tell people not to pick it. 5. To catch crabs just before sunset, burn the torch and shake the ashes on the rocks; come back an hour or so later and the crabs are attracted by the ashes and you can collect them. 6. Can also use to weave walls of house. 7. Women clean the leaves of the stem and use the hard part of the stem to strip pandanus leaf before weaving a basket. 8. Cut wild cane in half and sharpen the end, use this to cut the dried pandanus leaves into small strips. 9. Tie leaves into a knot and stick the knot on the kava stem; t is means that this kava goes “express” so the carrier goes to one border of a village and passes it to another person who knows it cannot stop in this village but goes to the next border and is passed on 10. This plant is a “message plant” to say “don’t stop,” referring to something being delivered.
bookmarknobohtan aiyu
n. meadow
bookmarknohon
n. kind of taro
bookmarknohos kaletonia
n. the New Caledonian banana
bookmarknokoko
n. tree, 3-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3540)
Example: The straight trunk of this tree is used to make canoes. The black seed in the fruit is used to make necklaces. The inner bark is peeled and crushed in sea water and rubbed in the hair to make it curly. People do this treatment every day to make long hair curl like a rasta.
bookmarknouraju
n. shrub to 1 m, flowers green (collection: Michael J. Balick #4895)
Example: To make bush ropes, remove outer bark, use to tie things when other ropes are not available. This plant is sour and toxic if the fruits or leaves are eaten. Animals will not eat this plant. The elders teach us not to eat this plant.
bookmarknowat
n. Convict surgeonfish, convict tang
Example: Photo by Philippe Bourjon / Fishbase, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknucsei
n. kind of taro
bookmarknuei
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.
bookmarknugyaubod
n. kind of tree
bookmarknumlah
n. kind of tree
bookmarknuripapa
n. wind-related term; no definition provided
bookmarkpine
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.
bookmarkpok
adv. seaward
bookmarkucsalad tiklai cai
v.a. to lop off small branches
bookmarkunasuandan
wai meteuc
wukau
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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