An example search has returned 100 entries
han
v.n. to go
bookmarkigcapok
n. seaward
bookmarkincipñekrei
ingitjiñat
n. small tree, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3528)
Example: 1. This plant is used as firewood, but also the heartwood is sold. 2. In 2016, the first grade wood was 2500 VT per kilo, the second grade wood was 2000 VT per kilo. 3. The ancestors used to take the oil or wood chips from this tree and bathe with it to keep away evil spirits of the forest. It is currently planted on Aneityum for commerce. Scrape bark of sandalwood into coconut oil in same wat as GMP 3513 (gardenia) boil and take out the bark. 4. The leaves can be fed to pigs to make them strong and heavy.
bookmarkinhaij
n. the candle-nut tree; also "inhaig"
bookmarkinhakli kwori
inhetisjopoig
n. kind of breadfruit
bookmarkinhinid
n. kind of banana
bookmarkinhudran
n. the stem of a bunch of bananas, coconuts, etc.
bookmarkinhuturao
n. Common dolphinfish, mahi mahi
Example: Photo by Alex Kerstitch / Shorefishes of the Eastern Tropical Pacific, License: CC BY-SA 3.0 via Fishes of Australia
bookmarkinlepei u inpoded
inmaan
n. old coconut leaves
bookmarkinmobolhat
inmoso
n. fog or mist
bookmarkinpan
n. kind of banana
bookmarkinpece
n. tree to 15 m, dbh 50 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4918)
Example: The fruits of this tree are collected, mixed with ground coconut, boiled in water and the oil collected. The resulting oil is used medicinally, put on the skin for any condition to promote healing. Apply once a day until the condition resolves. Also can be used to treat head lice. Add the oil mixture to the hair, massage in, keep the hair dry for a day, then wash. Use once daily for 3 days.
bookmarkinpecelelcei paralelcei
n. tree, 18-20 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3584)
Example: The young stems of this tree are very light, and used to make spears for fishing--they float. The stems are used to make the poles that connect the outrigger to the canoe. Good to make a fishing spear with as with others, timber. Leaves used with other plants to heal a sick woman who is sick from a male spirit – PARALELCEI – This lead with other leaves unspecified, tie together pound juice out of it and put juice in bamboo, cover top w/ wild cane leaf and take to sick woman before sunset, give to her to drink, before wave bamboo around her, open it and pour a bit on her head and drink a bit and wash her face, then break bamboo and discard it before sunset. Then tell spirit to go away. Symptoms such as a miscarriage or continued period, or dream and see the male spirit, or dream of snakes from the forest.
bookmarkintate a nelgo waj
inteses
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.
bookmarkintiklancai
n. sprig
bookmarkinyat
mako amyiñ
n. tree to 5 m, fdby 35 cm (collection: Michael J. Balick #4979)
Example: The fruits are edible and ripen during November-December. The leaves can be boiled as a medicine. If a person has a hoarse voice, boil 4 or or a few more leaves in 1 liter of water. Cool the mixture and drink once daily until the voice returns to normal. The trunk of this tree is good for timber, as it is a very hard wood. But a productive tree is not cut for timber--only the wild mangos that have flowers and small fruits that do not ripen; these trees are cut for timber. This particular tree, "Mango Amgie" bears fruit with a great deal of fiber, so the name refers to the "mango that you drink." Amgie means "drink" in the Aneityum language. There is another variety of mango, "Mango Cig" that means the mango that you eat. It has a little fiber but good fleshy fruits. This species is introduced from outside of Aneityum.
bookmarkmuri muri
nagereta
naheñ
naheñ
n. tree, 4 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4066)
Example: 1. Young saplings are used to prepare a fishing spear. First a straight sapling is chosen and sized. Then it is heated over a fire to render it pliable. After the length is straightened, it is decorticated. Once cooled, a portion of wire can be affixed to an end to aid in spearing fish.
bookmarknalad iran
n. seed of a fig
bookmarknamehe
n. kind of taro
bookmarknamji
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.
bookmark
namlau
n. shrub, 2 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3485)
Example: 1. The larger stems of this plant can be used to build houses, for rafters. 2. It is also a good source of firewood. 3. Ancestors, before go to chief’s canal and want to talk about a complicated issue – a person would cut a branch and bring it to the sea and tap the water surface and would say what he wants, ask that he would want that issue to be solved and that others would follow his ideas and then go back to the meeting place and take stick, keep wind at his back, moving stick in all directions and then he will convince the people of his ideas. This is done by the chief’s spokesman. Helps convince the opposition. Helps keep power in hands of parent(??) chief rather than subchiefs who might have other ideas.
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nanad cop̃ou
n. small shrub, 0. 5 m tall (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3219)
Example: 1. A stimulant plant. If a person is going to their garden early in the morning before the sun come up, break 2 top young leaves and chew and swallow the liquid, spitting out the fiber. This makes the person able to work harder and not feel tired while in the fields. It was noted that "a person can do the work of many people if they chew this." 2. The leaves are used for fertilizer for taro--put a bunch of leaves in a hole were taro is to be planted as a compost/antibiotic. This practice is said to kill all of the bad organisms such as bacttively impact the health of the taro plant. 3. This species is collected in the coastal areas, and is different from the one that looks similar to it, that grows in the forested areas. People take 4 leaves, chew leaves, swallow juice, gives energy to work hard the entire day. For fishing, take lots of ripe fruits and put in pocket, you will be able to catch a lot of fish. It brings good fortune when fishing. Roots – take one root, wash where a woman is giving birth to a newborn baby, give a drop of the juice from the root to clear the mucus in the throat.
bookmarknapannopotan
naparap
n. epiphytic fern on main tree trunk, growing in dry forest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #3504)
Example: This is a medicine to treat fresh cuts. Take the leaf of this species, macerate it and add 1 tablespoon of water and wrap in a Macaranga leaf, and then heat it on a fire. After heating, puncture the side of the Macaranga leaf and drop the hot juice on the fresh cut. This is said to be good before going to see the Dispensary or if you do not have access to a health care professional.
bookmarknapauwa
n. kind of taro
bookmark
natimihas
n. terrestrial fern, growing in dense rainforest. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4095)
Example: 1. The name means "cranky person". If someone fastens this plant around his head as a deocrative lei, it means that this person is not happy. He does not want to talk or communicate with anybody. The use is no longer common, and now many people do not know the signficance.
bookmarknatiñpece
natoga ahrei
n. wind-related term; no definition provided
bookmark
neaig milmat
n. a green coconut
bookmarknedaugatmas
n. kind of tree
bookmarknedenc
n. stinging; the fruit of the kaleteug
bookmarknefetgau
n. kind of sugarcane
bookmarknehpan
n. a wing, a sheath, a covering of bananas
bookmarkneihon
n. a chewing of wood, and spitting it on sick people, to cure them; also "naihon"
bookmarknejecjec
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.
bookmarknekro
nelnjen
nelpon nohop a nelco
nepnai
n. tree to 5 m, flowers white. Growing in secondary forest with metroxylon palms and other large trees. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4954)
Example: The pear shaped fruits are eaten when ripe. Peel off the outer skin, eat inner part and discard the seed. The leaves are used to protect food as it is being cooked on an earth oven. To prepare the oven, pile hot stones, then put a layer of leaves on the stones, and then place hot stones on top of the leaves. To make a hot oven, the stones are lined in a pit, a fire lit, more stones placed on firewood and the top layer of stones gets very hot. Then, remove the stones from the top of the wood, and cook food o the bottom layer of stones, add a layer of leaves, place the food on top of this, then cover with a layer of leaves and then pile the rest of the hot stones on top of the leaves.
bookmarknijeuc nijeuc
n. kind of plant, grass, or fern
bookmarknilupau
n. a species of seaweed
bookmarknirinat erefera ran
nisbähäin
n. Dracaena angustifolia
Example: Leaf: cold maceration, emetic, taken internally against ciguatera poison
bookmarknispev
n sea snake
bookmarknisvahaijom
n. tree from which petticoats or skirts are made
bookmarknobohtan aiyu
n. meadow
bookmarknohud ucnas
n. a bunch of taro; also "nuhud ucnas"
bookmarknomodej wow
n. vine to 2 m, aerial tubers and lobed leaves. (collection: Michael J. Balick #4946)
Example: This is a root crop. It is harvested in April-June. The leaves turn yellow and indicate that the crop is ready to harvest. If planted in the old days the root would get much larger. It is a good cyclone disaster food. Grows wild now. Boil the tuber in fresh water, when it is cooked add a bit of sea water to give it a salty taste. Chew the starchy root and spit out the fiber. Another variety is like sweet potato and a person can eat the entire root without spitting out the fiber. Can mix with coconut milk as well to eat.
bookmarknoporo pora
noweitopgat
nuei
n. vine climbing up a dead tree, growing in dense rainforest. Fruits green. (collection: Gregory M. Plunkett #4056)
Example: 1. The stems are used as a traditional rope to fasten house posts. First a length of stem is coiled in a figure-eight pattern. It is then heated to render it pliable. Once heated, for several minutes, it is immediately used to fasten the posts. When cool, it is set and inflexible. Such a fastener can last 20 years.
bookmarknätiädäl
n. alstonia vitiensis var. neo ebudica
Example: young leaf--cold maceration used as contraceptive in mixture with Apulda mutica, Cyclosorus truncatus, and Dioscorea bulbifera or alone.
bookmarkupuhasin
n. sprouts
bookmark
There 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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