Aneityum

n. Ficus aspera

Example: Juice squeeved from leaves: conjunctivitis

Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 443

adj. crooked

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[aj] v. fly

v.n. go over, as a hill

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v. to emit sound from a bottle or coconut

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 66

v. to weed; to clear land

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 70

v. burn

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[t̚apanan ʤa ʤaj et lok sto eŋmikope stoi lok] phr. he went there but the store was closed

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v.n. expand as a leaf

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 148

n. cloth (related to nelmai)

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

n. green (color)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[eroʊ] num. two

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

[et at̚pu an] phr. he is hiding

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. shrub to treelet, 3 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3265)

Example: Used as a leaf compost for planting taro, layered on the bottom of the hole and covering the taro as well.

n. a bundle of wood for fire

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. terrestrial sedge, c. 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3496)

Example: Children pull out the young shoots of this plant and play with them as a spear to throw.

Scientific name: Gahnia aspera, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. liana climbing on Fagraea tree (8 m tall), growing in secondary forest (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3663)

Scientific name: Piper macropiper, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3647)

Example: 1. The straight poles of this plant are sharpened and used to plant kava, and only for kava. Not used for planting other crops. 2. Special for catching eels in fresh water, poke stick with leaves into hole where eel lives and they don’t like it so they come out and you catch them, by cutting with knife.

Scientific name: Maoutia diversifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of sugarcane; also "nalgaij"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. a runner, the fruit of which is round like a cake

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 86

n. light

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. Tabernaemontana padacaqui

Example: leaf used for for wounds; cold maceration taken internally against "skin cancer" (severe wounds?). Stalk, chewed, influences sex of an embryo in favor of a girl.

Scientific name: Tabernaemontana padacaqui, Speaker: Bradacs 2011, p. 440

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: David Nasauman

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.

Scientific name: Ipomoea, Speaker: Tony Keith

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

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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.

Scientific name: Malvaviscus arboreus, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. tree to 10 m tall, dbh 50 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4908)

Example: Wood used for timber.

Scientific name: Burckella, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. gun

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of bird

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. a giant

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. herb to 1 m, fruits green (collection: Michael J. Balick #4915)

Example: This plant was said to have been brought in by the early missionaries, used to starch their clothes and grown as a crop for export to England. Used as a food crop as well, the root is mashed, dried in the sun and kept until needed. To process, put the roots in a bowl, add water and soak for 1 day and night, pour off the water and keep the starch. Prepare this food like lap-lap that is cooked on a fire in a pan.

Scientific name: Tacca leontopetaloides, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

v. like

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

adj. ripe, as arrowroot; also "murre"

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 93

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4797)

Scientific name: Coix lacryma-jobi, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

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

[naŋeseŋa] n. sun

Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. terrestrial fern, 1 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3712)

Example: The very young leaves of this plant are edible.

Scientific name: Ptisana smithii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[nakajaŋ a nijman] n. palm of hand

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of sugarcane

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 7-8 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3582)

Example: Firewood, timber good for bush houses. Calendar plant – when it is in flower, the old people know it is time to harvest root crops, like yam and other vine crops, in the wild, as yet unspecified. Local names = INYAC, NOMODEJ TAL, NOMODEJ WOU, NOU LELCEI… etc.

Scientific name: Weinmannia denhamii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 7 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3633)

Example: To cook Alocasia (wild taro), use the dry wood of this plant as firewood. The leaves of this plant are also used to line the earth oven on top of the food and on bottom of the food to insulate it from the high heat of cooking.

Scientific name: Canthium odoratum, 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. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

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 #5011)

Example: People use this for an uspecified medicine.

Scientific name: Achyranthes aspera, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. wind-related term; no definition provided

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

[naʊintin] n. bowels

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

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. shrub. Village pathways. ornamental. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #7)

Example: 1. Heat the leaves then place on the sore muscle. 2. Edible plant, cook young leaves until soft and then can eat, as a vegetable or soup, with any food. 3. Same use as AAM 3 to heat and put on body to heal pain. 4. On a reef when it is time to protect the reef to conserve it and bring more fish, you take this plant and put it in the hole in the reef – cut stem and put it in reef in several parts. People will know it is under protection and respect it.

Scientific name: Polyscias multijuga, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. rush growing to 1-2 meters tall, round (collection: Michael J. Balick #4975)

Example: Split the stem of this plant on one side, open up the entire stem and make a roll of the stem. Use to weave baskets.

Scientific name: Schoenoplectus validus, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 3. 5-4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3472)

Example: 1. This species is good for firewood when dried. 2. The wood is used as well for making house posts. 3. Use this w/ INCIPINTI (GMP 3471) for compost in the water taro field.

Scientific name: Melicope latifolia, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tares

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 192

[neŋeʧwaj] n. Island imperial pigeon

Example: Photo by Tony Morris, License: CC BY-NC 2.0 via Flickr

Scientific name: Ducula pistrinaria, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

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. a species of poisonous tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. a bundle of reeds for a torch; a torch

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 99

[nɛlʝo] n. canoe

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. netted brake (RPV #232)

Scientific name: Pteris comans, Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[nepiŋ sepahaj] n. night, the moon has not come up yet, "the moon is down"

Speaker: David Nasauman

[nepiŋ u nausej] n. dark clouds before the daylight breaks through

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. before daylight

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. Brassy chub, lowfin drummer

Example: Photo by Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Kyphosus vaigiensis via FishBase, Speaker: Chris Nevehev

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4792)

Scientific name: Excoecaria agallocha, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub. Uncultivated around the village disturbed areas. . (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #27)

Example: The fruits are edible when ripe--eating them turns the tongue purple. 1. To cure headaches - Someone other than the woman must prepare this. Break the top branch of netethae and remove leaves for use. Combine with the top leaves of the top branch of nelmaha. Chew the leaves and drink the juice. Do this when the sun is setting on the horizon. The woman gives the leftover fibers to the person who prepared the medicine and that person goes and throws the fibers in the direction of the setting sun. 2. Ancestors 4 top branches and chew and spit out remaining fiber will destroy the effects of a love potion that is too strong – meaning that the husband or wife will miss the other person too much so that they become mentally ill. 3. Edible fruits: eating them turns tongue black/purple.

Scientific name: Melastoma malabathricum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. tree to 4 m, dbh 10 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4936)

Example: The leaves are used to cover earth ovens when cooking big fish or taro.

Scientific name: Cleidion neoebudicum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. shrub, 1-2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3555)

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: Wina Nasauman

n. tree, 10-12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4061)

Example: 1. When cooking "Naura" (freshwater prawns), the leaves are used to wrap them before they are roasted in a fire. 2. When making lap-lap (a traditional dish made of grated root crops), and the lap-lap leaf is unavailable (Heliconia sp.), use the large leaf of this species to wrap the taro.

Scientific name: Dillenia neoebudica, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. herb to 70 cm, florets yellow (collection: Michael J. Balick #4998)

Example: To treat a headache, especially from the flu, boil a handful of leaves in 1 liter of water for a few minutes, let cool and drink 1 cup of liquid per day . Also can treat this type of headache by using the plant in a steam bath, by boiling 4 handfuls of leaves in a pot of water, covering the head with a towel and breathing in the steam from the pot.

Scientific name: Bidens pilosa, Speaker: Tony Keith

n. type of seashell

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

Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. blossoms on breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

n. coconut leaves, plaited for covering ridge of roof

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 103

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

[noporo pora] n. coconut basket

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

n. shrub, 2. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3511)

Example: 1. Use the leaves to put in a hole where taro is being planted, as a sort of fertilizer--it rots easily and adds value to the soil. To protect a person from spirits if you are going to an unfamiliar place, take the young inflorescence and put behind your ear. This plant is a sort of "spiritual kava." 2. Flowers are put behind one ear, any side, to allow a person to pass through sacred places. For protection of the spirits especially if you are familiar with this place. On EAST SIDE, put one leaf under pillow before sleeping so that the lady spirit will not disturb the person. Only for men – spirit likes men, and wants to have sleep with them. If she gets pregnant, you must follow her to look after the kids in the spirit world so you leave this one (you die). 3. The small, straight stems of this plant are used as rafters to weave thatch. 4. Children make bows and arrows from the stems as well as spears for fishing.

Scientific name: Macropiper latifolium, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[nuhu] n. floating rock from the volcano

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

adj. unripe

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 106

n. vine to 1 m, fruits black. Secondary forest. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4906)

Scientific name: Geitonoplesium cymosum, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

[tarinʤipnan] adj. very strong (has a lot of muscles)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. Great barracuda

Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia

Scientific name: Sphyraena barracuda via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. Pickhandle barracuda

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

Scientific name: Sphyraena jello via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. first quarter of the moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 109

n. full moon

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 109

v. to fish (with a rod)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati