An example search has returned 100 entries
anaforofata
arijai
v.n. to go ashore, to go from sea, to arise or overflow, as sea over land.
bookmarkehtele cei nai
n. full moon
bookmarkehyiyihi
v. to teaze, as cotton; also "ehyeiyihi"
bookmarkeucte
v. to begin to blossom
bookmarkhas
adj. bad, wicked; eheshas, very bad
bookmarkigca pam
phr. on this side
bookmarkijmau
n. without branches
bookmarkinewosneiak
n. herb to 1 m, flower bracts yellow. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4921)
Example: Introduced species, used for decoration. Planted near houses and roads. Use the flower for decorating hair.
bookmarkinholai
n. Blue sea chub, snubnose chub, topsail drummer
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinholai mobo
n. Brown Chub, Grey Sea Chub, Grey Drummer
Example: Photo by John Turnbull, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinhubej
n. calabash
bookmarkinlepei u inpoded
n. epiphyte, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4104)
Example: 1. This plant is considered bad luck when hunting or fishing. When doing these activities, do not decorate your hair with them. 2. This plant is used to weave the sheath portion of "nambas". First the stems are retted, then the inner portion of the plant removed. Once removed, the sheath is woven with the blanched fiber. 3. This is considered the male version of this plant. See GMP #4105, Phlegmarius sp. for the female version.
bookmarkinlepei u inpoded
inmayinepad
n. Squaretail coralgrouper
Example: Photo by Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinpaije
n. kind of taro
bookmarkinteses
n. parasite on branches of Geissois denhamii tree, growing in dense rainforest. Flowers orange-red. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4028)
Example: 1. This plant is known to kill other trees and is regarded as a parasite. 2. The plant is related to kastom use regarding the separation of two lovers--more information witheld.
bookmarkintiklan cai
n. tops of branches
bookmarkintop pa
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.
bookmarkintop̃ asiej
intowosjei
inwaj
n. Hound needlefish, crocodile long-tom
Example: Photo by Philippe Bourjon / Fishbase, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinyacelcou
n. vine running many meters long over clay soil and grassy area on hillside where the triangular wooden signs are that used to be a landmark for ships coming to the island. Sterile. (collection: Michael J. Balick #5008)
Example: This plant is the focus of an important legend on Aneityum. When the missionary John Geddie and colleaguse first arrived on the island in July of 1848, the Chiefs welcomed them but some of the people did not like the idea. So these people sent a basket containing a peeled coconut and a fish (nopom) to the Chief in Umej to ask him to support the idea of getting rid of the missionary that the Chief of Analcahuat had welcomed. If the Chief of Umej were to eat the fish and coconut meat, it would mean that he agreed with the opposition. The Chief refused to eat the food in the basket and he told the people a parable involving this plant. A person cannot find the tip of the stem or the end of the root in the ground. So if they were to eliminate the missionary, his activity would continue because of God’s power. As it is with this plant, it will continue to grow and flourish if you cut it or try to dig up the root. So he sent a message about this plant to the people in Analcahuat who objected to the presence of the missionary stating this parable. Those people in Analcauhat held a secret meeting and they chose a powerful and strong person to kill the missionary. During the night the person went to the missionary’s house while he was in the toilet. Returning to the house, the missionary found the person in his doorway, and that person lifted his club to strike the missionary. But at that point the attacker’s hands suddenly had no power and the club fell from his hands, and he fell over. The missionary told him to get up, and not come back. After that experience, the people of Umej realized that God’s power was great and they could not go against it. The Chief took the peeled coconut that was sent him and covered it with the skin of another coconut and planted it instead of eating it. This coconut grew and the missionary’s work continued to grow on the island. So this vine played an important role in communicating the power of God to the people of Aneityum.
bookmarkinyipei
n. the flour, as of arrowroot
bookmarkinyuc
n. the name of a plant
bookmarkjigkom
[ʧiŋkum] n. chewing gum
bookmarkkalmapig
n. kind of banana
bookmarkmanfara
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknadeni
n. the name of a prickly shrub
bookmarknafanu
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."
bookmarknagai has
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknagedauyag
n. kind of taro
bookmarknagig
n. kind of taro
bookmarknahad
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknaheñ
nahoai
n. a plant from which twine is made
bookmarknajeng
n. tree, 8-10 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4017)
Example: 1. Aerial roots have a natural curve that allows them to be used as a clothing hanger. The outer bark is peeled and dried all day in the sun, before the roots are used. 2. Leaves are used to help remove fish bones lodged in one’s throat. When bones are stuck in one’s throat, then you apply young leaves to the outside of the throat. Apply once and leave until the bones are removed.
bookmark
nalauba
[nalauba] n. Emerald Dove
Example: Photo by Dr. Raju Kasambe/Wikimedia Commons, License: CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
bookmarknalgaj
namohos
n. Green jobfish
Example: Photo by ANFC, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknapisinijvaig
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknapojev
n. tree to 5 m, dbh 10 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4889)
Example: The leaves are used to cover meat when baking it in a stone oven (inmawum). This will soften the meat and keep it moist. Used when other species of this genus are not available, for example if you are in the bush.
bookmarknapuig
n. a reed frame for supporting the tendrils of yams
bookmarknatau anyiyi
n. kind of banana
bookmarknauhoig yi amud
n. break of day
bookmarknauras
n. kind of tree
bookmarknausap
n. kind of tree
bookmarkneaig milmat
n. a green coconut
bookmarknecemas
n. terrestrial plant, growing in dry forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3509)
Example: This is a "message plant" that signifies that there has been a death. The person holds it or puts it on their head, goes to another person’s house and hands it to the person they wish to convey the message to, without saying anything and that person knows that someone has died. It can also be handed to that person. The person receiving the message then asks "who" and is told the deceased person’s name.
bookmark
negna
n. Bluespot mullet
Example: Photo by Biodiversity Institute of Ontario, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknehlan
n. a shrub, a plant, a sucker
bookmarknelgou waj
nepig sepahai
nerin nujipsotan
n. blade, as of corn or grass
bookmarknetvo
n. a species of fruit
bookmarknidi yebeg
n. Humpback unicornfish
Example: Photo by Ross D. Robertson / Shorefishes of the Neotropics, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
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
bookmarknijisei
n. herb to 1 m, flowers white with red bracts (collection: Michael J. Balick #4912)
Example: To treat high blood pressure. Take a half liter of water, mix a handful of roots in it, boil, drink one cup 3 times daily, warm, for three days. This is to treat high blood pressure when diagnosed in the clinic. The leaf is woven for grass skirts--dry in sun, weave into skirts.
bookmarknimhag
n. branch (large)
bookmarknipciv
n. the shark (constellation?)
bookmarknipʧin njelas
niri atga
niridunumu
n. terrestrial fern, growing along ridge in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4121)
Example: 1. The name means "fish gill". When one acquires a culture-bound illness, caused by possesion of the sea devil, this plant is used to prepare a remedy. Further information about the illness and remedy withheld.
bookmarkniriñ neyaiñ
niseuc
n. kind of taro
bookmarknisyeg
n. tree, 7 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3521)
Example: 1. The inner bark of this plant is used as a dye or paint to provide a brown color. Boil the inner bark in a pot with a shirt and the color of the shirt will be changed to brown. 2. For toothache, people take the inner bark and mix it with sea water, and then rinse the tooth with this mixture to remove the pain. 3a. People macerate the leaves and the bark and when the tide is low, spread this in a pool of water to poison the sea shells that are edible. When they die, the eyes of this organism comes above the sand, indicating where they are, and people harvest and eat them. 3b. To attract and collect clam – NIPJINUMU – scrape bark in a pool of sea water where the clams are attracted immediately and can be collected, coming up from the sand. 4. Firewood, unspecified medical use.
bookmark
nohu itai
n. fruit trees
bookmarknononhat
n. Blue-lined large-eye bream
Example: Photo by Jean-Lou Justine / Wikimedia Commons, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknourasjohou
nämdokai
puke
adv. seaward
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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