Aneityum

adj. tempestuous at sea

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 48

v.a. pass over or through a country

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v.n. to go up, or go east

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. island of breadfruit

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

v.n. sail without making headway

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 180

adj. adjacent

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 121

v. wander, walk around

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

v. to seek food, as taro; to gather, to reap

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 74

[elajnej] n. after sundown, when the insects start to chirp

Speaker: David Nasauman

pre. far; long; applied to distance or time

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 77

n. the clear part of the moon when first seen

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 166

v. to sharpen the point of a reed like a spear

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 80

n. small tree, 1-2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4020)

Example: 1. The name of this plant translates as bad tooth, and relates to its use as a plant used to poison others. If one wants to commit an evil act against another, he or she will rub the leaves together and squeeze them over the targets food. It will make their teeth rotten and fall off quickly. More information witheld.

Scientific name: Psychotria milnei, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. broken tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3462)

Example: 1. The wood of this species is strong and used as house posts. 2. Spear as other – fishing.

Scientific name: Dysoxylum bijugum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[inhɛlɛn] n. penis (gen.)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

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. a rainbow

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 113

n. shrub. Found in the village Unames. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #32)

Example: 1. To cure when the anus falls out - Pound together 1 braches worth of inpalcapnesgin leaves and of both inloptiri (2-4 leaves, any age), also take the inner bark of nekeaitimi and nakhe. Put this into your hand, or another leaf and give it to the person to use it. This should be applied to the anus whenever the anus comes out. USed to use a clam shell to extract the bark but not anymore.

Scientific name: Codiaeum variegatum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of breadfruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. tree to 8 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4927)

Example: The wood of this tree is used as firewood. Children collect the dry fruits and use them for decorations and toys, for example playing with a fruit on the beach, driving it as if it were a toy truck or boat (photo).

Scientific name: Heritiera littoralis, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

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.

Scientific name: Operculina turpethum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. well branched tree, 12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4022)

Example: 1. A durable hardwood that is used for house posts. 2. The wood is used to fashion cross members that affix outriggers to the body of the canoe. 3. 4-5 inch diameter saplings are used to create a track in the forest that larger logs can roll down.

Scientific name: Geissois denhamii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[intas] language

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. kind of flower or flowers (see def. for "elwa")

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 77

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. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. tree, 10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3645)

Example: The ripe fruits of this plant are edible and said to be delicious as well as smell very good. When the fruits turn brown and soft you can open it and there will be a shell like an upsidedown turtle shell. You can eat the fruit out. As the fruit smells good, people put a basket of ripe fruits in their homes to give it a good smell. The unripe fruits can be eaten, but only when cooked in an earth oven so it is not sticky. The tree can be used for sawn timber. Can be used for building house, specifically the house posts. Number one timber.

Scientific name: Burckella obovata, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree, 9 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4053)

Example: 1. Timber is often harvested and sold from this tree. 2. Flying foxes enjoy the fruits of this tree. Hunters gather nearby this species when the flying foxes are hunted.

Scientific name: Sideroxylon aneityense, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[ʧiŋkum] n. chewing gum

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. the seven stars; the children of Kumnyumoi

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 91

[laknu] n. Vanikoro Flycatcher

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

Scientific name: Myiagra vanikorensis, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of fish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3539)

Example: The fruit of this species are poisonous. In ancient times the ancestors used the "fork" (branch growing out of main stem) of this wood to catch lobsters between the two parts of the stem. v

Scientific name: Ochrosia elliptica, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

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

Speaker: David Nasauman

[nadimi dowaŋ] phr. six men (there are)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of plant, grass, or fern

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 120

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. cotton

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 95

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of plantain (strong one)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

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.

Scientific name: Phyllanthus ciccoides, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3578)

Example: The young stems of this tree are used to make bows and arrows. Cut the young, straight stems, dry them and use to carve the bow.

Scientific name: Rhamnella vitiensis, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[napanaunuŋ eθa] phr. where are you going?

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

[napat irenmeʤup] n. smooth, small cloud

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. tree, 12 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4128)

Example: 1. The wood of this tree can be used to make posts for traditional houses.

Scientific name: Alphitonia zizyphoides, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. a whirlwind

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4769)

Scientific name: Breynia disticha, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. thorn

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 193

n. lightning

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 114

n. kind of tree

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of banana

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 118

n. a wing, a sheath, a covering of bananas

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 98

n. stage of coconut

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. epiphyte c. 1 m above forest floor, growing in secondary forest above river. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3650)

Example: The younger,soft leaves are used to wrap local foods, for example bananas. To prepare a type of "local cheese," made from fermented breadfruit and fermented banana, mix a bit of coconut milk and wrap these two fruits in the leaves and cook under ground. Not clear about the way the food is fermented.

Scientific name: Asplenium australasicum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. tree, 18 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3667)

Example: Children suck the nectar from the young flowers just as they open. Wood from this plant is used for poles for rafters as well as for firewood. Flying foxes drink juice from the flowers.

Scientific name: Geissois denhamii, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

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. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4126)

Example: 1. The wood of this tree can be used as posts and rafters in traditional houses.

Scientific name: Spiranthemum, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119

n. tree. Growing near village. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #6)

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. To cure headaches casued by bad spirit - Take one top from Nelmaha and one from inrowod (white stripe variety) Combine and chew these then spit them out and apply to the sick persons forehead. 3. 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. 4. To cure toothache when pregnant - Take the inner bark from Intejed and boil it in a pot of seawater (about 1 liter) along with 2 leaves from each of inpounatmas, narayag, nahayag, and nelmaha. Boil until juice is visibly leaving the plants. Put this water into your mouth and hold it there for 2-3 minutes. Do this this with one cup in the morning, 1 cup in the afternoon, and 1 cup in the evening. 5. Used to fight against black magic in an unspecified way. 6. Roll leaf and put in pocket for protection when walk in a new area. 7. Message plant if a land dispute – if a person puts this stem or leaf in another’s garden whom they are angry with it means go away!! 8. To treat sick people, especially who fall ill from black magic to save their life. Symptoms vary, for example a person with small boils over body,* a person chews the leaf and spits it on the sick person, 1x and then puts the branch with leaves near the sick person when they sleep – 3x (1x day) branch is ca. 25cm long. (*headache, severe)

Scientific name: Ficus littoralis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

[nɛlna] n. fish sp.

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

Speaker: Osiani Nerian

[nɛlop] n. back fin (of fish)

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4757)

Scientific name: Melochia odorata, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. scandent shrub, growing in dense rainforest. Fruits purple-red. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4117)

Scientific name: Medinilla cauliflora, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

[nɛpʧinoʊɣsin] n. mouth

Speaker: Ruben Nerian

[neplaroʊ] n. April (lit. between good and bad weather month)

Speaker: David Nasauman

[netoʊhas] n. May (lit. bad sugar cane, not ready yet)

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. a species of fruit

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 100

n. current of air

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 140

n. tree to 8 m, dbh 20 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4867)

Example: Fruits are sweet and edible when ripe. This plant is an indicator of rich soil, a good place to plant one’s garden. The leaves of this species are mixed in with other leaves for an unspecified local medicine that helps to remove spiritual sickness

Scientific name: Ficus adenosperma, Speaker: Natu Kenneth

n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3503)

Example: The leaves of this plant are used in cooking, particuarly with the earth oven. Use a fire to heat stones, then when the fire burns down and the stones are hot, pile these leaves on top of the hot stones and then place the food being cooked--taro, fish, pig, cassava, banana or other foods--on top of the leaves. Then pile more of these leaves on top of the food and then place additional hot stones on top of that pile of leaves. While the food is cooking--each type of food takes a different amount of time--the leaves give off a very nice smell and help flavor the food.

Scientific name: Cleidion javanicum, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of flowering plant (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4775)

Scientific name: Commersonia bartramia, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. the castor-oil plant

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 117

n. kind of bush

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. terrestrial fern on forest floor, growing in disturbed forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3482)

Example: People who go fishing take this plant along with other unspecified leaves, crush them and rub them on the fishing line that the person is using. This is said to attract more fish to the bait. It is also a "message plant" to be put in a person’s hat when they come back from fishing and then people know that they caught fish. Local name means "fish gill." For performing a weather magic ritual to produce fog, this plant is fermented along with another plant (nap̃at) in a hole in a sacred stone (called "Naemoso") at a secret location on Aneityum.

Scientific name: Schizaea dichotoma, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

[niseuɣ] n. walking stick, staff

Speaker: David Nasauman

n. grass, 2. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4071)

Example: 1. Dried leaves are used to make the thatch roofs of traditional houses. The same leaves are woven to make the walls of traditional houses. 2. When a large torch is required, many dried stems are bundled to form a flambeau. 3. The leaves of this plant are used to demarcate tabu areas. Further information about the practice withheld.

Scientific name: Miscanthus sinensis, Speaker: Wina Nasauman

n. kind of shellfish

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. corn

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 138

n. shrub to 2 m tall, flowers pink (collection: Michael J. Balick #4955)

Example: The tubers of this variety are sweet, not bitter and are eaten after cooking. The young leaves are eaten after boiling in water until they are soft, either plain or cooked in soup. It is important to only harvest and prepare the young leaves in this way, as the older leaves will not get soft even after cooking. The young leaves are used to cover the top layer of the earth oven, on top of the stones that comprise the upper layer of the earth oven.

Scientific name: Manihot esculenta, Speaker: Tony Keith

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.

Scientific name: Podocarpus neriifolius, Speaker: Titiya Lalep

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. a bunch of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 104

n. Humpback red snapper, paddletail

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

Scientific name: Lutjanus gibbus via FishBase, Speaker: Jack Keitadi

n. kind of fish (folk name)

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of crab

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. tree fern to 5 m tall, fronds 2. 5 m long (collection: Michael J. Balick #5014)

Example: Trunk of this plant is used to make food. Cut the stem in 2-3 foot pieces, peel the outer stem, put the peeled stems in an earth oven to cook for the afternoon through the night--about 12 hours. It will be ready the next day. Peel off any remaining fibrous tissue, slice the stems and eat. They are said to taste like sweet potato. The young fronds are boiled for 5 minutes and coconut milk is added, this mixture is then eaten. It is important to collect only the inrolled fronds that have not yet fully opened. The fronds are used to make temporary houses when camping in the bush. They are used to make a roof. To make a cassava grater, take 2-3 pieces of the frond stype, connect them together by piercing them on the sides with a piece of bamboo or any stick such that they are held together in parallel fashion, and use this to grate uncooked cassava to make lap-lap and to grate banana or any food that needs to be processed in this way. The thorny part of the stipe grates the food.

Scientific name: Sphaeropteris lunulata, Speaker: Tony Keith

v.n. get off the reef

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 154

adv. downward

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 108

adj. sour, applied to the water in coconuts

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 110

n. the seed of breadfruit that is not firm

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 111

(?)

Speaker: Kirk Keitadi

n. sweet potato

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

Speaker: Romario Yaufati

n. kind of taro

Speaker: Inglis 1882, p. 119