An example search has returned 100 entries
elgai
v.n. expand as a leaf
bookmarkeloah
v. to blossom, as reeds; also "elwa"
bookmarkigca pau
phr. on that side
bookmarkincowos
n. herb to 1. 5 m, flowers white with pink tips. Growing on sandy path along coastal walk to ute. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4989)
Example: The leaves of this plant are used to finish the ridge of the house roof. Lay the leaves horzontally on top of the roof, and the sides of the roof are thatched with palms or grass. Layer 10 leaves on top of each other to enable this part of the roof (known as nitjintiniom) to last for a long time--perhaps up to 6 years. If this is used on the top of a roof where there is a fire burning, such as a kitchen, and this leaf gets a lot of smoke, it can last much longer a the top of the roof--perhaps 10 years or more.
bookmarkindroumu
inhamesei
n. the name of a native plant
bookmarkinhetisjopoig
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarkinja
n. Moorish idol
Example: Photo by Ian Shaw / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinlepei
n. native petticoat
bookmarkinmac
inmehei
n. herb to 1. 5 m tall, sterile. Growing in weedy patch behind buildings on edge of trail. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4986)
Example: People use the leaves of this plant to wrap lap-lap for cooking on the earth oven or when boiling foods. The leaves can also be used as serving plates and to cover the stones on the earth oven.
bookmarkinmehei ipciv
n. kind of banana
bookmarkinp̃al anhas
intal u unpoded
n. kind of taro
bookmarkintate a nelgo waj
intop̃ hau
n. well branched tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3202)
Example: 1. Young shoots are peeled and made into grass skirts. Scrape the stem and take the green part off, tie strips together and put under stones in the sea for retting, let sit 5 days in sea, but check these on a daily basis. When the fiber becomes soft, that is the time to take it from under the stones, clean off the excess materials, and hang it in the sun to dry for 3 days--this will bleach it and give it a whitish color, at which point it can be woven into a skirt. 2. The fiber can be used to make a small rope that is tied with shells and used for custom dances. 3. When the stems of this tree are older, the wood is very hard and it can be used to make the main frame that is arched for a cyclone house. According to Reuben these houses are not made much anymore on Aneityum Island. 4. To cook the intestines of fish that are eaten, take several leaves and put them in a small pile, making a wrapping, then use a local fiber to tie this together and cook on charcoal for as long as needed to prepare the fish parts. 5. In this area, sometimes knowledge of the plants and flowering are used as a calendar to indicate the time for planting of specific crops. Reuben will provide more details on a future trip. 6a. This species is an important "message plant." If a person is not home and you are visiting from the East--e.g. an Eastern part of the Island--that person can leave a 12 inch piece of stick in front of the door of the house so that the inhabitant knows that an eastern visitor (from Anawonjei district) has come by your home. The reason that person has come to visit is to pass an important message to you--good or bad "luck". The bad luck message might be a death, and is not told directly to the person. The good luck message might be a birth, or conflict that has been resolved. These messages are communicated using sticks--each district has a different species of plant. Reuben’s is the hibiscus. 6b. Message plant for Eastern people. If someone dies, use this plant, clip it in front of hem, in front of home, they ask “who” and you can tell them. In Eastern culture you cannot tell them directly. 7. When a person is too drunk with kava, take a branch of this and brush him with it to help make the effects go away. 8. Traditional plates for food.
bookmarkintop̃asiej ura
n. stoloniferous herb, 15 cm tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3561)
Example: In the past the ancestors learned to cook the leaves of this species with fish in an earth over and then eat the leaves as well as the fish. Today, fish are wrapped with small leaves and then covered with lap-lap leaf (Polyscias) and cooked in an earth oven.
bookmarkinvid
n. the day before yesterday
bookmarkinwaj
Reef needlefish, Reef longtoms
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinwoapeñ
inya
n. large tree, 16 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3222)
Example: 1. As a child’s game, some times children put the segments of the needles together to see who can make the largest one. 2. A "calendar plant"--when the needles are brown, it is an indication that people should not work hard, but should rest or they will not feel well. If they try to work they will feel sleepy--an indication of the season of higher heat. 3. Wood is used as firewood. 4. Firewood, inner bark good for ciguatera poisoning, scratch the inner bark and squeeze juice into a cup of water and give to the sick person to drink – very effective. Use the largest most mature part of the stem.
bookmarkitac a nelgo waj
kulio
n. kind of taro
bookmarkmeto
adj. ripe; also "metto"
bookmarknadiat meto
n. the middle of the forenoon
bookmarknafakeka
n. coconut spathes
bookmarknahad
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknahca
n. a burden of pandanus leaf
bookmarknahcai milmat
naiji elcau
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknala
nalak mideuc
n. kind of plantain
bookmarknapalhat
n. vine, growing on rocks at end of strand near coastal forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3690)
Example: As a medicine to treat toothache, the latex from this vine is put into the tooth as soon as the person feels pain. Use 3x daily until the pain has subsided. The flower is used as a decoration behind the ear. When there are rough seas because someone has trespassed in a tabu area you can take 12 leaves from the napalhat and put them in a pond for about 1 week until they start to stink. Then use we leaves from the naojapdak and drown those leaves in either a fresh water pond or salty water. (No further information given). Can also take an armful of napalhat and place on top of a stone in the tabu area with a smaller stone on top of the napaphat. The stone must be a large permanent stone. Has also heard people say it can be used for toothache if you put the leaf on the tooth.
bookmarknapupwi a darumea
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknaridjai o un
n. east
bookmarknathut u nadiat
n. dawn of day
bookmark
natisiyeg
n. Squaretail mullet
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmark
natora
nau
n. bamboo; a mountain
bookmarknau-hos
n. bamboo to 5 m, sterile. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4940)
Example: Used to build walls of local houses. The outer skin is stripped off, stems cut in half then smashed flat, the inside is stripped clean and woven into walls. The cut pieces of entire stems can be filled with food and used for cooking that food. Cover both ends with leaves and cook. If a person has skin that becomes infected, use sharpened stem as a local knife to remove the infected area of skin. Use as a local water pipe to move water from one place to another (nobol). Either split the stem in half or punch the nodes out throughout the entire tube and use as a pipe.
bookmarknauyerop
n. species of sycamore (117); a sycamore fig (97)
bookmarknecjop̃dak
n. low-growing, creeping vine growing in grassy area just inland from coastal strand. Flowers yellow. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3223)
Example: The leaves of this plant are used to treat stomach ache. Take a handful of leaves and mix with 1/2 liter of water, crush the leaves in the water and drink the entire amount when your stomach hurts. Alternatively, this can also be consumed 1x a week as a tonic drink for the stomach and system.
bookmarknecrakiti
n. herb, growing at edge of garden area. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3601)
Example: This is a "calendar plant". In winter months, if a person sees this plant in flower it is confirmation that the sea turtle has plenty of grease or fat and is good to eat. As a medicine for a cut, collect some leaves, mash them and squeeze the juice on a cut or sore on the body. Do this treatment 3x daily until the sore dries up or the cut heals.
bookmarknedaugatmas
n. kind of tree
bookmarknedouyatmas
nelehel
n. a light wind
bookmarknepcev
n. shark
bookmarknepya
n. tree, 6 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3541)
Example: 1. The young leaves are placed under a pig being cooked in the earth oven, on top of stones, the fat drips on the leaves and then people eat the leaves with pig fat on it--said to be delicious. The branches are used to make pig pen fences. 2. Collect top branches, chop leaves boil and eat like island cabbage – or cook on charcoal and wrap fish w/ this leaf.
bookmarkneri itai
n. leaves; grass
bookmarknerumut
n. a hollow place in taro
bookmark
nethedwoleg
n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3557)
Example: For treatment of a stomach ache, or if your stomach "complains", take very young stems, break off the leaves and chew the stems and swallow the juice. Use a 3-5 cm pieces of stems, chew, and then it clears your intestines and will make you go to the toilet.
bookmarknidwunitei
n. tree fern, trunk 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4102)
Example: 1. There are kinds of this plant. This is considered the white one. See GMP #4100, Cyathea sp., which is considered the black one.
bookmarknilamese
n. a species of orchid (there are three on the island)
bookmarkniri
niseaig
n. kind of tree
bookmarkniña
[niŋa] n. shell
bookmarknoporo pora
nowahau
n. Black-spot surgeonfish
Example: Photo by zsispeo / Flickr.com, License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknowanlas
n. Orangespot surgeonfish
Example: Photo by Ian Shaw / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknuarin abras
n. cliff
bookmarknuden
n. coconut leaves in the middle of the cluster, neither old nor new
bookmarknup̃ut
nädoiatmas
tatau
n. Blackfin barracuda
Example: Photo by Jan Messersmith, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarktesyapotan
n. terrestrial orchid growing in cloud forest along ridge. Flowers white. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3281)
bookmarkupumure
v.n. to fall, as unripe fruit
bookmarkwaderei
n. kind of taro
bookmarkwakas
n. herb. Found along intra village path. (collection: Ashley A McGuigan #34)
Example: 1. To make baby grow strong - Take 16 tops of the plant, no flowers, and squeeze them into baby’s bath water. Bath baby in the water and let it dry on the baby. Don’t towel dry. 2. Medicine – take a large leaf, crush and rub it but don’t break it – just soften it and open it and cover the fresh cut with it – leave it there to heal the wound. Keep changing it until the wound gets healed. 3. For headache and fever – flu – take branches with no flowers or seeds, boil it 15 minutes to extract brownish juice, drink 1 cup hot 2, per day – morning and evening for 5 days. 4. The fruits – 7 – chew and swallow for stomachache. 5. Tie stems for broom.
bookmarkyasua
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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