An example search has returned 100 entries
aridjai
v.a. to ascend, to go up
bookmarkijumgan nijomcan
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.
bookmarkinceimohos
incetcanalaeñ
incetevak
n. Sabre squirrelfish
Example: Photo by Andy A. Lewis / Lizard Island Research Station, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinhatmapig
n. kind of taro
bookmarkinhundain
ink
n. vine, growing in coastal forest. Fruits purple. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3556)
Example: A man named Johnnie (Reuben’s grandfather) brought this vine to Aneityum to use it as a rope to tie objects. The ripe fruits are used to paint the face and hands and children make drawings from this dye.
bookmarkinmauwad
n. a convolvulus
bookmarkinmayinpak
n. Peacock hind
Example: Photo by Andrew J. Green / Reef Life Survey, License: CC BY-A 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinmejcop
inteijid
n. species of pine
bookmarkintop̃ 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.
bookmarkinwoapeñ
inyitupau
n. kind of tree
bookmarkjumasjuma
kalmapig
n. kind of banana
bookmarkkava
n. a plant from which an intoxicating drink is prepared
bookmarklaknu
nagedauyag
n. kind of taro
bookmarknahmas
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknaipomyiv ~ naipomñiv
nala
n. shrub, 1. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3217)
Example: 1a. When traveling past a community you can place these leaves in a basket or walk with it in your hand. In this way people in the community know that you are traveling in peace and will cause no harm to people in that village. 1b. Message plant – if you go to visit someone and they are not there, you leave a branch of this on the door or somewhere they can see it and they know that some relatives have come and tried to visit them.
bookmarknala
nalad iran
n. seed of a fig
bookmarknalak cai
n. kind of plantain
bookmarknamlau
n. tree to 15 m tall, dbh 40 com (collection: Michael J. Balick #4857)
Example: The wood of this tree is good for carving. The fibers go in one direction so it is easier to carve, for example, to make a kava bowl. In general, this is the species used to make kava bowls. If your kava is not strong, then making it in this bowl will make it stronger. The kind of bowl made from this tree has a handle on each side of the bowl and it is held with 2 hands. The place name Anumwmamlau is named after this tree. There are said to be two types of this tree--one with all green leaves (this specimen) and one with white and green leaves. If a person is going to a Tabu place and is concerned about spirits, they should take a handful of these leaves and wash the body all over with it--take a swim (bath) with it. Then the person can go to the Tabu place without risk. There are other unspecified spiritual uses of this tree.
bookmarknanad
naposjilcau
n. kind of tree
bookmarknariko
n. bean
bookmarknasau
n. a crop; fruit which grows spontaneously
bookmarknateg
n. tree, 3. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3489)
Example: The fruits of this species are edible. Take the ripe fruits, squeeze coconut milk into the ripe fruits and cook in an earth oven. The leaves are used to wrap small fish caught in a net for cooking in an earth oven. For clothing, strips of bark are peeled and the inner bark removed, and this is used as a strap around the waist, and leaves are tucked in front and back. This is traditional clothing when other clothing is not worn.
bookmarknatuu
n. withered banana leaves
bookmarknauad
n. kind of tree
bookmarknaurakiti
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknauras
n. kind of tree
bookmarknausecrai
n. a species of thorn
bookmarknefilitikgan
n. kind of taro
bookmarknehep
n. large tree, 15-20 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4062)
Example: 1. The trunk of this tree is used to make the body and outrigger of a traditional canoe. 2. The inner bark is used as a bandage for cuts and wounds. When the inner bark is grated it yields a sticky substance. The sap acts as a liquid stitch and reduced the chance of scarring. When this is dry one must use a knife to remove the residue.
bookmarknejoplec
nemit
n. kind of tree
bookmarknemla
n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4127)
Example: 1. This wood can be used to start a fire, where there are no matches. Two dried pieces of wood are rubbed vigorously together to create tinder. The tinder is then added to dried material in order to start a fire. 2. The wood of this plant is used as rafters in traditional houses.
bookmarknete
n. kind of tree
bookmarkniau
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknidnaiñ
nijcel
n. tree, 8-9 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3655)
Example: If the preferred banana leaves are not available to wrap food for cooking, then use young leaves of this species and tie taro and fish for cooking. Take 4-5 leaves and wrap the food with the leaves. Tie a rope around the food and tie them all together using any strong vine. They can then be cooked over an open fire.
bookmarknijom arahed
niprij
nisbähäin
n. Dracaena angustifolia
Example: Leaf: cold maceration, emetic, taken internally against ciguatera poison
bookmarknitato naretou
nititan cei
nobot
n. a sago palm
bookmarknohwai itai
n. corn
bookmarknom̃o
nowanlas
n. Orangespot surgeonfish
Example: Photo by Ian Shaw / iNaturalist.org, License: CC BY-NC 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarknumrauad
n. a halo around the sun or moon
bookmarknuputreiki
n. kind of tree
bookmarkpudvel
tehtehin
n. an open blossom
bookmarkwakas
n. herb to 0. 75 m, flowers yellow. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4891)
Example: If a person has the flu, collect the fruits and chew and swallow them. Chew 3 fruits in the morning for 3 days. Take a handful of leaves, still on branches, and boil them in a half liter of water, for 15 minutes. Drink 1 cup daily for 5 days or until the sickness "goes down."
bookmarkyah
n. a creeping plant
bookmark


